Justin Webb's America

Buying a White House run?

• Justin Webb
• 12 Nov 07, 09:30 PM GMT

A pungent contribution to the campaign fun from Mark Salter of the McCain team. He told the AP: "Mitt Romney once promised not to self-fund his campaign, and ever since has been busy robbing his kids' inheritance to do just that. If hypocrisy were an Olympic sport, Mitt Romney would be a multiple gold medal winner."

Which is worse, I wonder: funding your campaign with your own hard-earned dough or getting others - each possessing his or her own agenda - to put their cash your way?

Americans respect the rights of individuals to spend their money as they see fit and plenty of independent-minded Americans might still rally behind a Michael Bloomberg run next year; but should someone be able to buy their way into the running? Should there be a ban on the amount of your own money you can use (or borrow) to get a seat at the table? Might President Bloomberg be just the fellow to do this?

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