Almighty Dollar

Without directly stating it, Ann Althouse makes an important point about the role of money in campaigns, including the current effort to recall Scott Walker in Wisconsin:

Work for pay is honorable, even in politics. A political campaign isn't carried out entirely through volunteers. But money in politics matters. In fact, Scott Walker's antagonists lambaste him for his connection to monied interests. Some folks stress getting the money out of politics. They rail about Citizens United and so forth. That's one way to go, the wrong way I think, because it's not going to work and it violates freedom of speech. But part of freedom of speech — key to the majority's opinion in Citizens United — is the public's interest in receiving information. In this light, what is crucial when it comes to money in politics is that we the public receive information about who's spending the money and where.

Thus, what I want is to know to what extent signature-gatherers are being paid. Who is being paid, how much, and by whom? I want to follow the money.

I do, too. I've long suspected that the reason why so many liberals, especially those who rail against the Citizens United decision, object to "money in politics" is just that letting everyone, including corporate interests, participate equally makes the job of liberals tougher to accomplish.

The other question that needs asking beyond "who's spending the money and where" is the question that never seems to get asked: why? What do Scott Walker's opponents hope to gain from a recall? The obvious answers are more money out of the public treasury and the ability to keep that money flowing. Which brings us to the governor on this side of the St. Croix, Mark Dayton. The Star Tribune reports that Dayton isn't impressed with the forecasted budget surplus in Minnesota:

Projections of a surplus rather than a deficit may have caught Gov. Mark Dayton by surprise, but that doesn't mean he's giving up on his signature issue of taxing the rich.

"I'm not dropping that," Dayton said of his proposal to raise taxes on millionaires. "We will come in with it as the lead in to the 2013 session, regardless of the outcome of the election."

I'm sure he's sincere about this. Which is why this election cycle will be so crucial for Minnesota.