Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-PA) testimony at the Senate Rules Committee hearing on the Fair Elections Now Act of which he is a lead sponsor gets a shout-out in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Article mentions in particular Specter's warning about rising campaign costs for which he cites the difference in costs for which he cites the difference in costs for when he initally sought his seat in 1980, and when he last ran in 2004.

I just got back from the Senate Rules Committee hearing on the Fair Elections Now Act and I'd say it was a positive opening for the bill as well as an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind it and dispel some myths about what public financing would mean for Congressional races. We'll have the video up shortly and Nick Nyhart, our President, will chime in later with his thoughts on offering testimony. Read on for a summary of the hearing.

The San Francisco Chronicle covers the visit of former Sens. Bill Bradley and Alan Simpson who are traveling the country drumming up support for public financing of congressional and presidential races and giving a candidates' perspective on the endless money chase that is the modern campaign.

The first quarter campaign finance disclosures from the Presidential field draws a trio of critical editorials on the subject of the "wealth primary" from The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and the The New York Times. All pose the essential question in one form or other: how much damage is this fund-race doing to our elections, and our elected officials?

The Chicago Sun-Times has a great article on the Fair Elections Now Act, praising its potential to reign in campaign spending and produce a Congress mroe responsive to the needs of constituents. Overall, a very clear explanation of the bill, and a pragmatic enumeration of its benefits.

Likening the Fair Elections Now Act to a campaign finance revolution, the Philadelphia Daily News heralds the work of Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) in introducing a bill that represents a simultaneously far-reaching and practical solution to the money in politics woes of Congress.