John Edwards has been vocal on the campaign trail about the need to pass full public financing of elections and seriously address the corrosive influence private money has on our political process. With his announcement today that he will suspend his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination we felt it was only right to say something, and urge the remaining Democratic and Republican candidates to make support for full public financing of elections part of their message.

From Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly:

“Senator Edwards raised serious issues of who controls Washington in his presidential campaign – and his message reverberated in both parties’ nomination contests. He leaves the race having elevated public awareness about the inextricable link between private special interest money in politics and how responsive government is to those most in need of a helping hand.

“The remaining Democratic candidates – Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – have already joined him in his call for public financing of elections to put voters ahead of big campaign donors. Republican presidential candidates ought to follow suit and leave aside the empty rhetoric and band-aid fixes in favor of Edwards’ call for real reform and empowering voters.

“While Edwards is leaving the race for the White House today, we are hopeful that he will continue to engage the public with the same clarity of message and purpose to end the stranglehold wealthy donors have on our government.”