Public Campaign Action Fund - maine

Romney on Reform

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:45:57 -0500

We've touched on former presidential candidate and former Gov. Mitt Romney's (R-MA) now he does/now he doesn't support for public financing of elections, principally in the context of his work as Governor to abolish the voter-approved Clean Elections system in Massachusetts. Here, Romney talks to PolitickerME before a speech at Maine Republican Convention, and comes out against public financing of elections, while saying he's not familiar with Maine's Clean Elections program.

Voters First

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:22:27 -0500

Hey, Maine's District 1, stop hogging the Clean Elections supporters! Seriously though, we put out a statement today on the high level of support for the Voters First Pledge, and full public financing of campaigns, among congressional candidates in the district in the wake of a dust-up between two candidates -- both supportive of Clean Elections -- over campaign fundraising. Read more about what's going on here.

Pingree Signs

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:08:43 -0500

Two years ago as President of Common Cause Chellie Pingree was asking candidates to sign the Voters First Pledge and commit to supporting full public financing of congressional campaigns. Now, as a candidate for Congress from Maine, where Clean Elections was passed in 1996, Pingree is signing on to Public Campaign Action Fund's 2008 Voters First Pledge. We look forward to seeing many more candidates take this pledge.

Millionaire's Decision

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:17:37 -0500

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has agreed to hear arguments on the so-called "millionaire's amendment" to the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (BCRA, aka McCain-Feingold). The millionaire's amendment exempts candidates facing wealthy self-financing opponents from certain federal campaign contribution limits established in BCRA. This article in The Hill notes that the ruling could impact the Clean Elections laws in Arizona and Maine.

Clean Elections Documentary

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:36:40 -0500

Frances More Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet and Democracy’s Edge has put together a mini-documentary in two parts on money in politics and Clean Elections, which features an extensive interview with Deborah Simpson, a Maine state legislator, community activist, single mom, and former waitress who ran using Clean Elections. Part one is available here, part two is coming later this month. Check it out!

Work for What Works

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:42:31 -0500

You may be familiar with the work of Jim Hightower, a writer, commentator and co-editor of The Hightower Lowdown. Hightower is a longtime proponent of Clean Elections, and in this article featured on AlterNet he paints a vivid contrast between the pay-to-play political culture of Washington, DC and the voter-driven politics of empowerment working in cities and states with Clean Elections.

Improving Maine's Law

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:00:07 -0500

This article in the Kennebec Journal covers a series of proposals being considered by Maine's legislature to improve its landmark Clean Elections law, passed in 1997, to respond to activities that transpired in the 2006 election that suggested some tweaks to the system might be in order.

Opposites Allied

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:18:48 -0500

Edgar Bronfman Sr., former CEO of Seagrams, and Deborah Simpson, a former waitress and current Clean-elected state legislator in Maine co-author this editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer on why they support Clean Elections. It's an excellent read.

TGI (Clean) F

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:19:01 -0500

Got plans on Friday? This Friday, the 20th, the PBS weekly newsmagazine NOW is running an hour-long special episode called "Votes for Sale?", which will spotlight the Clean Elections movement as it took hold in Maine and Arizona as well as talk about campaigns to win Clean Elections across the country, particularly the current Proposition 89 campaign in California. Check out a preview here.

Maine Govenor's Race Gets Boost

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:09:52 -0500

Public financing is crediting with creating the largest ever field in the Maine gubernatorial race -seven candidates with three (and possibly four) running Clean.