The reformers' earmark.(COMMENTARY)

Washington Times, The, April, 2006

Byline: Bradley A. Smith, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES Earmark reform is the rage on Capitol Hill. With more than 10,000 earmarks going into budget bills, who can say that's a bad idea? Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, has been out front on the issue, and the liberal "reform" groups that backed his crusade for campaign finance reform - which didn't quite clean up Washington as advertised - have also called for earmark reform.

But there is one earmark that the reformers love - the federal government subsidy of presidential campaigns. The presidential campaign subsidy is not your usual earmark, in that it is written permanently into federal law. Each year, taxpayers can direct $3 of their federal income taxes to subsidize campaigns for president. Since...