Hightower Lowdown

Some say that trying to reform America's money-corrupted political process is as futile as trying to teach table manners to a hog—the effort only wears you out and annoys the hog.

But citizens in Maine and Arizona have already passed grassroots initiatives providing for dramatic reform—the public financing of elections.

Candidates of any party can finance both their primary and general-election campaigns with public funds, provided they forgo taking special-interest money. Not only does this help get corrupt money out of the process, but it also means a regular person can run for office again.

Maine and Arizona have run two election cycles under clean-money laws, and the results would warm the cockles of the coldest cynic's heart:

There have been more challengers to incumbents than ever before, with more women, Latinos, and Native Americans running
and winning—and half of the challengers using the clean-money option say they would not have run without it.

Because this system creates more choices, offering fresh faces and new ideas, voter turnout is ratcheting upward.

And—here's the big one—public financing is working: 59 percent of Maine's legislators and 36 percent of those in Arizona have now been elected without taking any tainted money, and publicly funded candidates in Arizona last year won seven of nine statewide offices, including the governor and the attorney general.

If you want clean elections, call Public Campaign: 202-293-0222.