The Montgomery Advertiser has a feature that's sort of a point/counterpoint between family members. Today's edition is a debate on public financing of elections between Mel Cooper Sr., retired executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission and his son, Mel Cooper Jr., president of an online consulting firm. No offense to Jr. on this one, but we have to agree with Dad.

He's strongly in favor of public financing, and the presidential public financing system that's been the subject of so much recent debate:

Son, I knew the moment you brought this issue up that we disagreed on public financing of elections, and this time I'm on the side of the majority of Americans. The last poll conducted on this issue by the Mellman Group for the Public Campaign organization showed that more than two-thirds of those surveyed favor campaign finance reform which would provide full public financing of candidates in both primary and general elections.

They go through what a public financing program actually costs taxpayers, what the presidential candidates have said about the issue, and whether a candidate can support Clean Elections but choose to opt out of the presidential public financing program. Here's Cooper Sr.'s rationale for his support:

I'll take the last word on this issue by pointing out my reasons for supporting public financing of elections. In addition to curbing the clout of incumbents at election time as mentioned above, it will reduce the impact of special-interest money, thereby curbing the influence of wealthy donors over our political leaders. Just think how few members of our present Alabama Legislature would survive if challengers who otherwise could not campaign because of limited funds had the same campaign funds.


Third, it gives our politicians more time to devote to their legislative or executive duties and far less time in soliciting campaign contributions. And finally, I agree with one of my favorite presidents, John Quincy Adams, who declared, "The presidency of the United States was an office neither to be sought nor declined. To pay money for securing it directly or indirectly, was in my opinion incorrect in principle."

Getting the last word is fun!