On June 12 on C-Span, two Democrats debated, each hoping to be Colorado’s Democratic candidate in the state’s governor race. Current U.S. Senator Michael Bennet wishes to leave the Senate and turn his talents to Colorado’s needs. Current Attorney General Phil Weiser feels ready to use his seven years experience for improving people’s lives. Both emphasized that Colorado is the third most expensive state to live in now. The challenges stayed civil, informative, with touches of humor.
Serious: both named “dark money” as a problem. Shades of Doris “Granny D” Haddock, our Laconia-born native! It was 1999 to 2000 that Granny D, with accompanying van for afternoon napping, walked more than 3,000 miles across our country, from Pasadena, Calif., to Washington, D.C., informing of and protesting against “dark money” in politics. She turned 89 and 90 during her slightly more than 13 months of walking 10 miles per. (Two hospital stays sidelined her briefly.) She did eight miles, napped, walked a day’s last two miles. Along the way, with advanced notice, she was invited to speak and was often given dinners and overnight accommodations. She had good press.
Reaching D.C. in wintery February, she was greeted by senators McCain (R) and Feingold (D), who led the signing, by both parties, of the McCain-Feingold Bill aiming for campaign finance reform. Just before she died at age 100, in March 2010, our U.S. Supreme Court issued their Citizens United ruling making corporations “people” with freedom of speech and money donations being a kind of “speech.” At her 100th birthday party in Gov. John Lynch’s State House office, she called the McCain-Feingold bill “like a leaky old cabin that should burn down and be replaced.” So many loopholes in that first bill tackling the problem! Undaunted in her speaking of it, Granny D! The fight against the richest having the time of our elected representatives, pushing aside ordinary citizens with our concerns, should go on. But time slips by with elections and advertising costing more and more, according to Open Democracy Action.
One current expensive race is that of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer bidding to be California’s next governor. As of late May, he has spent more than $195 million to get his name out via TV, cable and radio. In December, New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, with groups promoting their candidates, poured in $158 million. But there the total for both primary and election (winner was Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, also a Navy flyer) was over $285 million.
Dark money is frighteningly newsworthy now as campaigns surpass others for being “most expensive.” The rich shouldn’t be a louder voice in our politics, undoing a working democracy’s power of one person, one vote.
The Concord Monitor’s June 12 letter by David Detour of Weare promotes U.S. Senate candidate, Democrat’s side, of Karishma Manzur. He writes: “She follows facts, not political convenience.” “She understands that big money in politics is distorting our democracy.” “She is committed to banning congressional stock trading, increasing transparency, and restoring power to voters.” She’s Granny D’s type candidate. Losing affordable health care, fair worker wages and strong unions with acceptance of a big-money-spent status quo is not good for our prospects. Detour emphasizes that Manzur will “defend our Constitution, uphold human rights, pursue a foreign policy” minus our treasury going to war contractors. I myself, will vote for Manzur on Sept. 8 because Congressman Pappas, good on many issues, could not bring himself to say “genocide” about Gaza. Due to taking AIPAC money? He is obligated to Israel? That can be dark money doing its crooked work.
Locally, I am just acquainted with Tom Brennan, of Concord, running for our New Hampshire State House as a representative candidate. On this topic of dark money, he worked in the D.C. office of Common Cause, with a focus “on getting dirty money out of our politics.” He was a speech writer for 1992’s New Hampshire presidential primary’s winner, Senator Paul Tsongas. Brennan supports public school education and would work for affordable housing. These are human needs. Those accepting dark money may never recognize such a to-do list as Tom Brennan’s that is about the people being served by those elected.
Lynn Rudmin Chong lives in Sanbornton.