The New York Times knows the score: while praising several of the campaign finance reform proposals of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, they urge progress on public financing of elections as the way to not only moderate the influence of wealth, the incredible influence of entrenched incumbency on elections.

 

Arguing that the real goal of campaign finance policy is to create more competitive elections -- enabling more people to mount serious campaigns -- the Times lays out its challenge to Spitzer and the state legislature:

 

[T]he only way to inject substantially more competition into the process is through public financing. It is time for Governor Spitzer and legislators to look at the way other states — including Maine, Arizona and Connecticut — have managed to bring public money into campaigns. Instead of every dollar coming with a request for a special interest favor, these systems provide public dollars aimed at encouraging candidates to work for the public interest.

Spitzer has already been on the record numerous times in support of public financing, it's good to see this accountability from the media in terms of keeping the importance of this reform visible and part of the debate.