Since the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 6116/1826) passed out of the House Committee on Administration last Thursday, opinion leaders and activists are talking about this historic advancement for the legislation. Here's what they're saying. Andy Stern & Mark McKinnon with an op-ed in Politico: "It might be an understatement to say that we don’t agree on a lot of things. Yet there is one major tie that binds us: concern for the way that special interest money taints and colors all that Congress does -- particularly in the minds of ordinary Americans. This pervasive view makes it impossible to rebuild public trust in the institution at a time we need it most." For the whole op-ed, click here.  Sam Waterston penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post:  "With Fair Elections, constituents don't have to wonder if their elected officials are standing up for them or their big money donors when casting their votes on Capitol Hill. Congress would be accountable to them, not wealthy donors or lobbyists."  To read the full opinion piece, click here. Harvard Law School Professor and founder of Change Congress, Lawrence Lessig,  with an op-ed in the Washington Post: "Our Framers intended a Congress "dependent upon the People alone." We instead have a Congress dependent upon "the Funders" primarily. Whether or not it buys us fairness, the Fair Elections Now Act would at least offer the possibility of trust: trust that money is not unduly influencing the results."   For the full op-ed, click here.  Business leader and philanthropist, Steve Kirsch, had an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News calling for Fair Elections: "As the cost of campaigning continues to skyrocket, this will only get worse. I should know -- I'm often on the other end of fundraising calls. And while I'll continue to give to candidates I believe in, members shouldn't be spending their time calling me -- they should be focused on the many challenges facing our country. They should be listening to the concerns of their constituents and working to craft policy that benefits them."  Read the full op-ed by clicking here.  Common Cause Hawaii Executive Director, Nikki Love, had an op-ed supporting Fair Elections published:   "Under a Fair Elections system, we would know that elected officials are spending their time on important issues facing us, and not collecting money at $1,000-per-plate fundraisers or dialing for dollars from well-funded donors."  To read the whole op-ed, click here. A letter to the editor praising Fair Elections co-sponsor, Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), appeared in California:  "It's clear that Rep. Joe Baca is taking steps to end any questions into his foundation (Re: "Baca: Fund all for good," Sept. 11), and his support for the Fair Elections Now Act shows that he's interested in fixing another problem: our broken political system."   For the full letter, click here.