[E. Pluribus Unum]

Why should someone outside your Senate or House congressional district be able to contribute to a candidate whom he is not allowed to vote for when his contribution may exert much more influence than your vote?

Because it is a free country?

[yoe]

Rep. Nick Smith retracted his statement...’arm twisting and back scratching’ is unfortunately the way Washington works, nothing new here except the biased media thinking they had a story – what did they report about Memogate?

McCain’s shallow finance reform bill was nothing more than the pleadings of a spoiled brat trying to gain media attention for his bruised ego – the bill did not reform the foreign aid used by the Clintons and others for campaign financing. Special interests have inflicted undue influence over our politicians for eons...I agree with this gentleman, stop all outside influence/money from our elections be it foreign or domestic. Repeal the McCain/Feingold CFR bill and do a bill that makes sense and put teeth in it!

[proxy_user]

How could you do this? Some guy sitting in a foreign country could simply mail political pamphlets directly to voters in the US. His pamphlets would be protected speech under US law, and in any case the Post Office has no power to open mail and see what it contains (leaving aside the issue of whether anyone there can read).

[FairWitness]

Why not make it illegal to contribute to any candidate for any office you can't vote for?

Reverse poll tax?

Seriously, as long as Kent Conrad, or any other Senator or Representative, can cast a vote that significantly affects my life and money, even though I live in a different state, I believe I should have the right to affect his (or hers, especially Hillary!) election/re-election.

[Dutch Boy]

I agree. If you are giving money to a candidate you can not vote for it a bribe not a contribution. Look at the Hillarty Clinton situation. Had she been confined to collecting money soley from NY residents she wouldn't have had enough to make a tv commercial. BTW it shows. She has done little to NY except embarass the state with wild and fantasy filled ravings about the mega evil GWB.