Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe marvels at the irony of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attacking oil and gas companies for skyrocketing prices while taking thousands in campaign contributions from these same companies. Campaign cash from the oil industry keeps presidential and congressional campaigns alike churning -- it's no wonder debate about their policies seems so conflicted.

The USA Today spends some time in an editorial today highlighting the ever-increasing role of money in the political process and the need for full public financing of elections for Congress and a fix for the presidential public financing system.

There is an interesting pair of articles in Business Week contrasting both the fundraising and organizing styles of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as they duke it out for the Democratic presidential nomination. The two campaigns really provide a marked contrast in terms of how they view the engagement of small donors -- and even non-donors -- on the internet and how that has been reflected in their fundraising numbers.

I get the sense that somebody had fun writing this New York Times editorial chiding presidential candidates John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton -- along with the extravagantly expensive campaign process -- for not doing more to preserve the presidential public financing system and get a tighter reign on out of control raising and spending.

Hillary Clinton seems to be collecting a lot of donors from an unusual demographic: a transient group of immigrants in New York's Chinatown. This article in the Los Angeles Times is interesting in its exploration of why this population gives such large sums relative to its income, what forces are compelling this surge in donations by a population that seldom votes, and how social pressure and hope for personal gain fuel political giving.

Candidates, we have a very special offer for you today. Behind door number one: you can show your support for public financing of elections by opting into the presidential public financing system, and in turn cast doubt on the viability of your candidacy! Behind door number two: you can speak in support of public financing but run a traditional campaign and be charged with hypocrisy! What'll it be?