With frequent regularity here on Kos in various diaries and comments, we fume over how often so many Democratic Senators and CongressPersons (including those supposedly sympathetic to many progressive causes) cast their votes and influence on behalf of big corporate interests instead of the larger public interest. It's hardly news to everyone here that there's a strong link between campaign contribution sources and how most senators and congresspersons vote, and we rail against the betrayal, spinelessness, and corruption this represents. We are aware of how much aggregate money gets raised and spent in various campaigns these days.
DESPITE THIS AWARENESS, few of us actually do the simple math necessary to understand why it's so forbiddingly difficult for even good progressive-minded people to come anywhere close to consistently doing the right thing once they're in office. The mathematical tide inexorably works against progressive integrity - there are very few who could consistently stand up against it.
[The simple math even the most math challenged can quickly do follows below the fold]
THE FURTHER AWAY FROM THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE E.G. A SENATOR NEWLY ELECTED IN 2008 IS, THE MORE STUNNINGLY CLARIFYING THE FOLLOWING CALCULATION IS. Take your pick - Al Franken, John Tester...or anyone else still four to six years away from their next election.
Here's the key calculation even the most math-challenged among you can easily, quickly do: How much money does a sitting US Congressperson or Senator need to raise EACH DAY (weekends and holidays included) during their term of office, to raise a million dollars toward the next election cycle?
US CongressPerson: $1370 per day per million for two years;
Updated: to correct the amount needed per diem for six years to raise $10 million for a US Senate campaign (I mistakenly gave the figure for $20 million)
US Senator: $457 per day per million for six years. However, Senate campaigns are several times more expensive than typical US Congressional campaigns - so to raise ten million dollars (a relatively moderate amount thes days for a US Senate Campaign) that works out to $4570 per day, seven days per week for six years! Twenty million dollars has become a common amount for senate races in many states, which works out to $9140 per day.
How could even most of the best (and most progressive minded) among us retain our progressive integrity under such immense financial pressure? It's a miracle that we do indeed seem to have a few in Congress and the Senate who seem mostly able to do that - and shouldn't be any surprise at all that the majority of democratic CongressPersons and Senators are not able to.