Public control of the political process requires public financing. The restoration of our American Democracy depends upon public financing.

"There is a very radical measure which would, I believe, work a substantial improvement in our system of conducting a campaign, although I am well aware that it will take some time for people so to familiarize themselves with such a proposal as to be willing to consider its adoption. The need for collecting large campaign funds would vanish if Congress provided an appropriation for the proper and legitimate expenses of each of the great national parties, an appropriation ample enough to meet the necessity for thorough organization and machinery, which requires a large expenditure of money. Then the stipulation should be made that no party receiving campaign funds from the Treasury should accept more than a fixed amount from any individual subscriber or donor; and the necessary publicity for receipts and expenditures could without difficulty be provided."

You need to figure out how to take on the interests, the special interests that are gigantic in their economic clout, who don`t want to see a change in the system. And that requires...public financing of elections. That would change the world.

I am an advocate... of public financing for years. That is the one way to get money out of politics. I believe that would be what we ought to be doing. If I am president, I will be leading on the issue.

I also believe that if we're serious about change, we need to have a real discussion about public financing for congressional elections. Because even if we can stop lobbyists from buying us lunch or taking us out on junkets, they'll still be able to attend our fundraisers - and that's access the average American doesn't have.

I believe we have to move, eventually in our country, toward a system of public financing that really works for candidates running for federal office. I will support that as president.

"Today the amount of money spent in top ten competitive Senate races averages $34 million per campaign - double what it was just four years ago. It takes a mountain of money - about $7 million on average - even to lose a Senate campaign. This is not sustainable," said Durbin. "People who say the public shouldn't have to pay for elections are missing the point: The American people already pay for elections - in ways that favor incumbents and special interests and in a Congressional agenda spawned too many times by those who finance our campaigns. Public financing will cost us only a fraction of what the current system costs."

"Five years ago today, the Senate passed the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reforms banning huge soft-money donations to political parties. Earlier this year, we passed lobbying reforms," said Durbin. "But the truth is, we can pass all the lobbying and ethics reforms in the world and it won't solve the real problem. Special interest money will always find new loopholes to work its way into campaigns until we change the system fundamentally."

"I am joining Senator Durbin in introducing legislation in the Senate to provide for public financing because I believe it will be a significant step in improving public confidence in the election process. The public is understandably very distrustful of what happens in public life when there are contributions by interested parties in the political process in terms of whether that influences our official decisions. I think that it does not, but there is great public skepticism on that question and I think public financing will go a long way to restoring public confidence in the electoral system."

“Yet this is landmark legislation, and not merely because Connecticut is the first state to enact such sweeping reforms through legislative action rather than by referendum, as was the case in Maine and Arizona. Equally important is the opportunity this bill lays before citizens who may have thought about public service but lacked the money to run for office or disliked the process of raising it for a campaign. I believe this legislation will encourage new voices in our political process, introducing fresh ideas and novel approaches.”

I got to spend time with voters as opposed to dialing for dollars, or trying to sell tickets to $250-a-plate fundraisers. This was much better.