As the campaign heats up, we hope Brown and Warren will continue to resist the pull of third-party cash.
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., left, and Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren.We don’t blame voters for greeting politicians’ campaign pledges with a healthy dose of skepticism.
But every once in a while, they surprise us.
Take incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren, who swore back in January that they would keep super PACs and other interest groups out of the Massachusetts Senate race.
Six months later, the candidates have been as good as their word.
While viewers across the nation have been bombarded with negative ads financed by shadowy third-party groups and super-wealthy PACs, Brown and Warren have stood steadfast against the tide with their "People's Pledge." Instead, the Bay State rivals have taken responsibility for their ads and, so far, have confined their messages primarily to their personal stories and their philosophical view of governing.
The pact works like this: If a third-party ad runs in violation of the pact, the candidate who would benefit from the ad has to pay to charity an amount equal to half the cost of the advertisement. The agreement was tested early on when two outside groups spent relatively small amounts on Brown’s behalf. Following the breach, Brown donated $1,000 and $34,545 to the Autism Consortium following the breach.
Even without outside help, Brown and Warren are raising plenty of money on their own and the widely watched race between the two is shaping up to be one of the costliest in the nation.
As the campaign heats up, we hope Brown and Warren will continue to resist the pull of third-party cash.
And as they continue to hone their television, radio and online advertisements, we hope they’ll offer begin to offer some specifics about legislation they would support and propose if elected.
We also hope the voters will make a pledge to pay attention when the candidates meet one-on-one in a series of upcoming televised debates. Those forums will offer voters a better chance to size-up the candidates.
Brown and Warren made their bargain; now it’s our turn.
