Michael Bennet pushes sweeping plan to remake political system

[brooklynite]

Politico

Sen. Michael Bennet sprang onto the national stage in January, when the usually low-key Colorado Democrat went viral shouting about the 35-day federal government shutdown and Ted Cruz’s “crocodile tears.” Now, Bennet, a 2020 presidential candidate, is out with a plan to fix that system he once ranted about.

Bennet is calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists, a prohibition on political gerrymandering and a push for ranked choice voting. Bennet is also supporting a laundry list of long-desired Democratic reforms, including automatic voter registration, D.C. statehood and greater transparency around super PAC fundraising and spending.

Many of his proposals are already popular with other Democratic presidential candidates. But Bennet says he’s setting himself apart by putting these plans at the center of his campaign, arguing that reforming the American government is essential because “so much of what we want to get done, from climate to health care to changing the tax code, is going to require us to reform the way this democracy works,” Bennet said in an interview with POLITICO.

“There’s not an alternative mechanism for us to resolve our disputes and move the country ahead,” Bennet said. “If we need to clean it up the way Teddy Roosevelt cleaned it up when he became president, before we can do a lot of this work, that’s something we need to do.”

[empedocles]

1. Good

[SouthernProgressive]

2. We don't need a constitutional amendment to deal with CU.

The manner in which M/F was written made portions of it unconstitutional. This area of campaign finance reform needs to be addressed again. The way they attempted to do it isn't the only way. The SC even told them that. This is the dirty little secret about CU. No one is dealing with it. It's also a bit simplistic to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn CU.

Second, I don't want a lifetime ban on members of congress becoming lobbyists. Lobbyists are an extremely important part of a representative republic. I can understand a time period where they can't lobby but not a lifetime ban.

Ranked choice voting can go pound sand. It's damn near a poll tax.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. Something's got to be done about money in politics.

It's disgusting how much it has gotten out of control. I understand why he wants to have a lifetime ban on Congress members becoming lobbyists. The corruption is so pervasive and obvious that it inspires drastic action to stop it. I would really like to see government-funded elections and stop allowing government workers from receiving any kind of gift or contribution.

[loyalsister]

4. The lifetime ban is a tough sell

Every phone call, every letter, every cent donated to non-profit advocacy groups is a form of lobbying.
A lifetime ban on lobbying efforts by former members of Congress would be a clear violation of free speech. Former office holders were denied a right to participate in Democracy after they serve, why would anyone run for office?