Mega Donors More Important than Most Politicians

Peter Beinhart: “The media, for the most part, still treats elected officials as the key players in our political process. They get most of the scrutiny. Mega-donors, by contrast, are permitted a substantial degree of anonymity. Now that must change. If Adelson or the Koch brothers or their liberal equivalents can single-handedly shape presidential campaigns and congressional majorities, their pet concerns and ideological quirks deserve more journalistic attention than do those of most members of congress. It’s no longer enough to have one reporter covering the ‘money and politics’ beat. Special correspondents should be assigned to cover key mega-donors, and should work doggedly to make their private influence public.”