The executive branch: How the president’s donors are paid in full:  The president has the ability to draft legislation and then present it to congress for a vote.  Most notably, President George W. Bush asked congress to take a look at his Economic Stimulus Plan.  He claims that it would give businesses tax breaks and bailouts in order to help them pay off creditors, and prevent them from laying off thousands of workers.  However, under the original draft of the plan that was passed by the House of Representatives, large amounts of money would have ended up in the hands of very few, namely, those who had donated substantial funds to the president and the republican party(1).  For example, Chevron Texaco has given the republican party more than $5.2 million since 1990.  Under Bush' stimulus plan, they stood to receive around $572 million in the form of a retroactive tax cut.  Enron has given $5.5 million during the same period, and they stood to receive $254 million.  General electric stood to receive over $600 million in return for there contributions of less than $2 million.  The list could go on extensively.  It seems obvious that the money spent to get a candidate elected is much less than the eventual pay backs.

If this is not bad enough, the package approved by the House also gives a tax break on foreign profits to companies such as Merrill Lynch and Citigroup.  Not only is this problematic because of the large returns these companies receive from their investments into certain candidates or political parties, as the Washington Post reported, "it's hard to see how this measure would do anything to stimulate the American economy.''  This bill directly demonstrates the powerful impact that can be made by large donations to political parties.  Not only will candidates reward their donors with large pay backs, they are even willing to do so at the expense of our nation during its time of need.

Congressional Branch: Where profits meet partisanship:  The influence of donors works similarly in congress.  Just as the president, a congressman can submit legislation for vote.  Also in the same way, the legislation is often based upon the wishes of a congressman’s donors.  Members of congress can show the influence of their donors by adding various amendments - that may seem totally irrelevant - to legislation that is often urgently needed (disaster relief aid, for example).

This is when the need for campaign finance reform becomes most evident.  The aforementioned Economic Stimulus Package was passed by the republican majority in the House of Representatives, most of whom share the same donors as the president.  That version of the bill was defeated in the democratic-controlled Senate.  When donors exert their influence over the legislative branch, congress becomes full of partisan bickering.  The entire process begins to take on the tone of  "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours," until one side ends up ahead.  The needs of the people are never placed first.