“Enough already!  We’re sick and tired of big money funding divisive attacks.”

No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you are likely disgusted with the negative ads being paid for by big money players to attack George W. Bush and John Kerry.  If you’re a Republican, you’ve seen liberal groups spend millions of dollars to attack the President -- money that he says was raised illegally.  If you’re a Democrat, you’ve seen ads sponsored by 527s take John Kerry down several points in the polls.  If you’re a fair-minded independent, you’re fed up with big money on both sides and wish the race would get back to the real issues of the day.

Candidates, parties, and political action committees all participate in elections by legally raising limited contributions from individuals.  But these recent attack ads are funded by outside electioneering groups that skirt the system and take huge checks to influence election outcomes.  For instance, liberal millionaire George Soros has given $4.5 million to the Joint Victory Campaign, which funded former Clinton-man Harold Ickes to run attack ads against Bush.  Steven Bing, grandson of New York real estate player Leo Bing, gave $900,000 to the New American Optimists, formed to promote John Edwards.  Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens has given $2.5 million to anti-Kerry groups, including the Swift Boat Vets. And Chiquita Banana millionaire Carl Linder has given more than $1 million to electioneering groups that help Republicans.  

To add insult to injury, the IRS gives these groups a special tax break under section 527 of the code.  This is why the media have begun calling these electioneering groups “527 Committees.”

Everyone has a right to speak their mind when it comes to elections.  Millions of hardworking Americans have given small contributions to candidates, parties, and even some of the outside groups.  That’s great.  But it’s wrong when a loophole in the rules lets a few fat cats make their voice heard louder than others by giving huge contributions that are out of the league of what ordinary citizens can afford.

President Bush has joined John McCain in calling for an end to the current evasions of campaign finance law being done by these electioneering groups.   John Kerry says he sponsored legislation in congress that would have closed the 527 loophole. 

That’s a good start, but the rest of us aren’t waiting around hoping that whoever wins will really clean up the system. We’re calling on Congress and the Federal Elections Commission to close the 527 loophole and make the fat cat donors play by the same rules that candidates, political parties, and political action committees live by.  Sign our petition now!