Schmootsie Says. . . .

This page maintained in memory of Schmootsie, who passed away in 2004, and was a funny and wonderful cat, and is greatly missed.

We should not choose our leaders based on their personal wealth or fundraising prowess. Other qualifications are more important. We should judge our candidates based on such qualifications as education, experience, creativity, and ideas for change. I believe that the reforms proposed by the majority of the Democrats in the House are good as far as they go. But they do not go far enough. We need to establish a system of public financing of Congressional campaigns and mandated media coverage of Congressional candidate forums and debates.

The existing system is not only undemocratic; it prevents us from enacting meaningful and desireable reform in a number of different areas. Corporate polluters and real estate developers contribute through their political action committees to the coffers of both incumbents and challengers, and thereby put a damper on any enthusiasm that members of Congress might have for protecting our fragile environment. In a similar way, the health care industry buys the attention and concern of members of Congress, squelching any initiative that members of Congress might otherwise have to reform our stressed health care system, and enact universal health care.

We need to provide for the public financing of Congressional campaigns, and we need rules that require television and other media to provide the candidates with free news coverage and low-cost advertising. It is essential that we do this, to preserve our democracy, our environment, and the health of our nation.

In her campaigns for Congress, Deborah has had only one fat cat - - Schmootsie. Here is Schmootsie, as seen by her surrogate mother, Deborah.

Watch this page for Schmootsie's (and Deborah's) views on the need for campaign reform.