Reply #27: When I gave money to the likes of the HRC [View All]

and to other activist groups I certainly did so with the idea that they would affect public policy, no less than why I gave money to Dean. Full disclosure, finances and Dean's flame out preclude me from reaching the $200 threshold so I am not on any list. But, the principle remains. I have no problem with the governmnent knowing who is giving what money and to whom. I have no real problem with them releasing some of that information to the public. I have a big problem with them doing so in the way they did here. I see no public purpose in having addresses and maps to donors' houses on the internet for all to see. The only thing this does is have a chilling effect for some people who may have otherwise given money. In a Presidential campaign $200 is not a lot of money and buys no influence at all. Yet a person giving that amount is treated like one of Bush's pioneers. The pioneer is likely immmune from pressure and lives in a gated community. The $200 giver isn't likely to be in that position.