Editorial: Campaign finance-reform futility  Proposals to keep
money away from politicians focus on symptoms, not causes.
It's always a problem in a democracy to deal with special
interests. On the one hand, the First Amendment protects "the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances." This guarantees people
can organize to protect themselves against punitive taxes and
regulations.  The right to redress also allows groups – such as
corporations and unions – to organize to get special favors,
among them taxpayer funding of their projects or regulations
that hurt opponents. Since the 1974 "Watergate Reforms" and
subsequent legislation, campaign contributions for federal
offices have been regulated and limited by the Federal Elections
Commission. Similar state laws regulate campaigns in California.
Article Tab: image1-Editorial: Campaign finance-reform futility
Despite these reforms, special interests are more powerful than
ever. Indeed, the very co