The Center for Public Integrity has released a report concluding the cost of a campaign in 2006 is eleven times that of one in 1976 - a period during which the cost of living went up only three times.  What's driving this spike?  The huge chunk of money devoted to media and media consultants - and it's turned candidates into, in the words of Sandy Bergo, "telemarketers."

Bergo directed the study for the Center, which put the cost of all 2004 federal elections (presidential and congressional) at around $4 billion - $1.78 billion of which went to campaign consultants, almost two thirds of which was media-related.  The Center expects campaign costs in 2006 to go up about 12% from the previous cycle.  With spending at such an accelerated rate, candidates have no choice but to lock themselves in that little white room and get on the phone, getting close to big donors to build up the war chest that allows them to make big advertising buys - the primary means of communication with most of their consitutuents. 

These numbers will keep heading north unless a viable alternative is available that gets candidates off the money treadmill and past the 30-second soundbite and back at the door of the voter - isn't it time we made a change?