Americans Lose to the "Financially Articulate" in Congress
Senator Durbin was on Bill Moyers recently and laid bare the reason Congress routinely helps banks, credit card companies, and other "financially articulate" interests at the expense of the vast majority of Americans:
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: If you want to get to the heart of this, it's the way we finance our campaigns for the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. It's time for us to move to public financing, for the good of the country.
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BILL MOYERS: But you know that the traditional argument against that, from many people, is that that's welfare for politicians.
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: And I would say to those people, and incidentally states as disparate as Maine and Arizona have had public referenda and passed public financing, I would say to people, it's a small investment in financing campaigns, so you know where candidates stand, and not giving away the store when it comes to critical issues and special interests.
No matter what public sentiment is, or how many millions of average Americans will lose their homes and their livelihoods (1.7 million families in the case of home foreclosures), it all comes down to who can purchase access to Congress.
We need a government that responds to the needs of the average American citizen, and we're not going to get one unless we change how we elect our government. Small-donor-based public funding is a better way.
Read on to hear why members of Congress might actually go for such a thing:
BILL MOYERS: But given the fact that there's so much private money out there that wants to influence campaigns and influence those of you in office, why would any candidate choose public funding instead of this other route that's been so profitable and lucrative for them?
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: Well, there's several reasons. One, getting on the phone, calling strangers, begging for money is a grind. And most political candidates don't like it at all. You know, you notice when you walk down the street in your hometown, people tend to go to the other side of the street when you're up for an election. They're afraid you're going to ask them for money!
And so I think there's this personal thing, that many people would like to be relieved of the burden. And secondly, I think in their heart of hearts, most of the people elected to Congress know that this isn't a healthy or sustainable system, where we allow people to put more and more money into it. There's no doubt at the end of the day that you feel some obligation.
My friend Paul Simon used to say, "You get in late at night in your hotel room. There are ten telephone messages. You're only going to make one of them, 'cause you're so darn tired, and you look through the list and there's somebody who had a fundraising event for you. Now which one are you going to call?" Paul would say. And we all know the answer. You're grateful to somebody who helped you. But unfortunately, that takes its toll, in terms of your integrity.
BILL MOYERS: Congress really does very little for consumers, when you add up the whole score. And there are far more consumers than there are big banks. And yet when push comes to shove, the organized big banks win against the majority of people who are on the other side of the issue. What do you say to people about how you keep faith in the democratic process when money trumps policy and buys the government out from under ordinary people?
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: This isn't a new story. This is a story that's been repeated over the years. The politically articulate prevail, many times, over the public majority sentiment. And this is a good example of it, whether we're talking about credit card reform or some recourse for those facing mortgage foreclosure. Most people understand we ought to be helping out those families and working people who are struggling to get by.
BILL MOYERS: I like your term "politically articulate," but in fact, isn't it the deep pockets that ultimately win? It's not the most articulate and the most eloquent people up on the Hill who win, it's the people who have the support of those institutions, organizations, lobbyists with deep pocket.
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: Maybe the better term was financially articulate, because it's true that if you have more money to put into the process, it's more likely you'll be heard. But I wouldn't give up. I really, honestly believe in the bottom line here. I think that if you have the right cause, organize people and give them the chance to do the right thing, ultimately you can prevail.
You can watch the full interview here and be sure to read the Center for Public Integrity's report, "Who's Behind the Financial Meltdown?"