Sometimes I think (some) liberals get confused about legitimate complaints about "objective" media double standards - you know, Republican buckraking is FINE and Democratic buckraking is BAD - and "our" own standard, which is more along the lines of "Republicans are going to do what they do but that doesn't mean our side has to do it too." I tend not to support principled unilateral disarmament when it comes to campaign money. The designated hitter rule is dumb (shut up baseball nerds) but I don't expect a principled American League coach to make his pitchers bat. But lining your own pockets is, well, lining your own pockets. We can do better.
Nor do I think ex-presidents should be so pure that they live a life of poverty, but I think we've established that there are many ways an ex-president can earn an income (I mean, even more than that hefty lifetime pension) which at least look like work. A book deal with an obscene advance quite possibly will make its money back. 400 grand for a speech is, well,...
