I'm with you, Sg, Todd, and others. Do away with private funding, and you do away with a sizeable amount of the corruption in the system. Term limits would rid us of any incumbents who may have become infected with the slime bug during their tenure. I know the smear campaign strategy is well-established, and despite my amazement, it must be working, but I like to think that less influence from private interests could translate to more attention being given to the GOOD things candidates want to do, as opposed to the BAD things they (may) have done.

On a side note, I was watching TV with my oldest (12) on Saturday, and an ad for our good friend and neighbor Patty Murray came on. As is the custom, Rossi took a savage beating, without so much as an opportunity to respond (until the next commercial break, anyway, where he got his come-uppance). My daughter sat there shaking her head. I asked her what was on her mind, and she replied, "Dad, those people are jerks!"

I love that kid....