I plead with you. I beg you. I implore you….give, give, give.

I have received countless letters begging for money from each political party. Perhaps it is because I have in the past supported both sides with contribution to individual candidates with whom I agree and like.

But the sheer volume of mail and email that is crossing my desk and computer screen is unbelievable.  And both sides are screaming the same thing.  THE OTHER SIDE IS OUTSENDING US.  THEY ARE GOING TO BEAT US IN NOVEMEMBER.  GIVE. GIVE. GIVE. OR AMERICA WILL FALL. 

I suppose this means the parties are running out of resources at an alarming rate because the races are so very tight. In Texas there is a real fight for the governor’s mansion as well as the Lt Governor’s seat at the head of the legislature. Even local district races are close.  And when races are close both sides pour money into them.  Win at all costs. 

In a recently poll, I saw that Wendy Davis had closed the margin to a very tight gap with her challenge to reining Attorney General of Texas, Greg Abbott.  And that is good. Because the two couldn’t be further apart on issues.  Finally the Democrats and Republicans have candidates (and both are quite articulate) able to identify and proclaim differences in their stances that are meaningful to voters. So don’t give me the old saw there is no difference in the two parties.  There is a world of difference between the Democratic Party and the GOP of today.  Huge differences.

The democrats represent the notion that every man and every woman are important and need a voice in today’s society. The Republican believe every corporation needs a voice in the government.  It really is quite that simple.

In Kentucky the polls are close for the U.S. Senate race between lifetime right-winger Mitch McConnell and his Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes. This time last year, Old Mitch was a shoe-in for returning his turtle scowl to D.C. But  Grimes came along and sang the right notes to the right song and the numbers say she is actually in the lead in this close dance.  And that has cash pouring into the state.  This from USA Today:

            LOUISVILLE — In May about 40 executives of the Wall Street investment firm          Blackstone wrote checks totaling more than $170,000 for the re-election     campaign of Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.
            And in late June, more than 100 trial lawyers with the firm Morgan & Morgan          gave at least   $106,000 to the campaign of McConnell's Democratic       opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, at a fundraiser near Orlando.
            Money is pouring into Kentucky from across the country in what some           experts predict will be the most expensive election in U.S. history for a U.S.        Senate seat.

The article calls out that Grimes gets more money from in-state than does Mitch.  Part of this is the fact that he has worked the NY-TX-CA fund raising circuit. It was like when Hillary was running for Senate in New York and she came to South Texas, a typically strong Democratic fund raising area, to get an infusion of cash for her charge to D.C.  I didn’t like that, either.  Who do Mitch and Hillary represent?  Who will Grimes represent?  If most of their funds come from outside the state to whom are they beholding?

 Not sure how I feel about all this cash from all over rolling into a state for political purposes. I like the money that is earmarked against McConnell, but even that doesn’t feel right when you consider it comes from other states. But then again, the argument may be made that the office of a U.S. Senator is more national than local when one considers the influence he or she wields in D.C. on all kinds of matters.

More from the USAToday article:

            A (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal analysis of $37 million in identified    contributions supporting the two candidates so far in the race shows about 85% has come from out of state.

(bold my addition.)

So, money from New York, Texas and California, as well as PAC’s in D.C. is actually at war in the Commonwealth. Not right.  Citizen’s United needs to be overturned. (But that is for another article on another day. Perhaps the entire Supreme Court needs to be overturned…but again another topic for another day.)

With all of this spend-to-win mentality, the pleas and promises are flowing like beer after a Baylor Football victory: quietly in the background, but still at a great quantity.  In the time it has taken me to draft today’s blog, my email has gone off a dozen times from both the left and the right pleading that I open my American Express card and donate, donate, donate.

Instead, I am going to stay on the sidelines. My money is resting and waiting for the 2016 run for the White House. I don’t have a horse in that race yet. I have already given to the candidates I wish to see win in this mid-term election. And I am not giving any more.

And no, Mitch didn’t get one red cent from me. But then again, neither did Alison.

Unless we change the laws about campaign finance in this country, I might have to rethink this retirement thing.  It is getting too expensive fending off the Cock (sic) Brothers and their buddies.

There is too much money floating around the campaigns today.

France has the right idea.  Six weeks of campaigning for all offices. And the top offices are limited in their spending. That’s it.  Ready, set, go. There is only so much media you can buy in six weeks, and with limited and controlled funds, only so many hands in your pockets once you win.

The excessive money flow into elections has to come to a screeching halt.  Now. Mitch McConnell doesn’t like this. And neither does Greg Abbott or most Republicans who have deep, deep PAC pockets from which to draw funds.  But let them lose this election and watch them clamor for campaign reform. It always happens. 

I say, may the best party win.  Not the best funded party. I want the one with the best ideas for America. And you can’t buy creative thinking with your PAC money. It actually takes brainpower.

My new book comes out today.
The story of a tainted food supply
and a corrupt government. Sound familiar?