Older man starts relationship with younger woman. Younger woman's family fears she is being abused. Her grandfather, who happens to be a prominent state senator, seeks the help of a businessman known to be on the fringes of organized crime to intimidate granddaughter's boyfriend. Months later, after turning down a $5,000 bribe from an undercover federal agent, senator says: "Anytime (aforementioned businessman) needs anything, anything, within my power, that I can do, I will do." Senator is charged, pleads guilty, says sorry, resigns leadership post, but does not resign senate seat. Senate convenes special committee to see if punishment is necessary.

There's more, a lot more, but those are the basic facts. However, one element of the story that was recently disclosed was that the aforementioned businessman - James Galante, a Danbury, Conn. garbage executive - bundled $38,000 campaign contributions to three PACs in 2002, one of which benefited DeLuca. ("Galante faces new charges of illegal campaign contributions," Associated Press October 12, 2007.)

We, that is the Clean Up Connecticut Coalition, have always said that the corruption trail starts on the campaign trail. Before anyone ever tries to influence, corrupt or out-and-out bribe elected officials, they always go through the legal route to courting power: Campaign contributions. Apologists for our nation's current method of electing leaders need only look to Connecticut to see evidence that a political machine that depends on campaign contributions will spawn scandal after scandal. Connecticut has had six scandals in eight years with all but one that involved legal campaign contributions.

In response, Connecticut passed the strongest campaign finance law possible. Is it going take a similar plague of scandals to pass campaign finance reform in Washington?