Durbin Calls for Public Financing of Elections

The Hill says that Sen Durbin is moving for the granddaddy of all political reform:

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Sen. Chris Dodd, the ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee, said yesterday that they will push for public financing of federal elections.

The revelations follow public financing proposals that two senior House Democrats unveiled late last month. ***

Durbin, of Illinois, is the second-ranking member of the Senate Democratic leadership, and Dodd, of Connecticut, is the most senior Democrat on the committee with jurisdiction over regulation of campaign finance.

Durbin told The Hill that while he supports the lobbying reform proposal endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), he believes that current campaign fundraising practices must also be addressed to tackle the problem of corruption. Specifically, Durbin said he is measuring the level of support for a public financing bill within the Senate Democratic caucus.

“I’m reaching out to the caucus to find out the level of interest,” he said.

Alas, Sen. John McCain, Republican Senator from Arizona, dismissed the proposal with a flat “no.”

Wouldn't Sen. McCain have looked much less intemperate and foolish if he had kept his communications with Illinois other Senator that short and simple?