Campaign cash keeps coming

It has been said the only certainties in life are death and taxes. But it seems you can add politician’s bigger and bigger pockets to the list. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is boasting of his fundraising prowess, announcing that he has raised $10.1 million during the first six months of 2022, shattering fundraising records. I’m not sure that is worthy of boasting about. Every election sees more money raised by the politicians than the one before. More money in politics means the politicians are that much more beholden to their donors. Evers has raised more than $20 million in campaign donations since January of last year, more than double what his predecessor, Scott Walker, raised during the first six months of 2018. Evers’ campaign says the money he’s pocketed shows Wisconsinites are ready to re-elect him as Governor. That is a stretch. The only measure that matters is the ballot box in November. Meanwhile, Evers’ republican opponents, Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch, won’t report their fundraising totals until Friday. Michels could sell just one of his mansions and put it toward his campaign to beat Evers’ totals. How much a candidate raises shouldn’t be something to brag about. I’d be more impressed if political candidates won office by not taking all that campaign cash, leaving them beholden to no one but the voters.