Luke Wachob
What happens when you ask two octogenarian ex-senators to explain how wonderful things used to be? A predictably nostalgic fairy tale that bears no resemblance to the past, has no relevant impact on present policy, and provides no guidance for the future.
That’s the gist of a recent op-ed in The Hill by J. Bennett Johnston and William Brock. Drawing on their personal experiences in Congress, the two former senators argue that the 1976 Supreme Court decision Buckley v. Valeo seriously damaged American politics and created today’s world of big donors and bigger super PACs.
Johnston and Brock prefer the system set up by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of the early 1970s, which was partially struck down by Buckley. That act included limits on campaign spending and a prohibition on independent expenditures. “This system worked,” they write, “and we’re extremely proud to have earned our seats in this manner.”
A quick look at the historical record, however, shows neither Johnston nor Brock ever actually ran a campaign during the short period when independent expenditures were banned and campaign spending was limited.
