What is it about Democrats that drives them to obsess over election procedures, public finance, controlling the airwaves, “campaign finance reform” and the like?

We have witnessed an assault at the national level by Democrats: First they tried to overwhelm organizations like Family Research Council and American Life League into silence with new grassroots lobbying rules. They are seeking to tighten the already outrageous McCain-Feingold campaign finance scheme. And then there is the plot to restrict the free speech rights of conservatives by re-imposing the “Fairness Doctrine” over print and broadcast mediums.

And remember the incessant whining over stolen elections and voting violations?

Clearly Democrats will do just about anything to control the debate, to hold power, when they find free competition too disadvantageous.

It seems Idaho Democrats have finally caught the wave.

The Lonely Seven of the Idaho Senate have introduced a bill (SB1037) to bring “fairness” back to Idaho elections. (Translation: let’s change the rules so needy Democrats have a better shot at winning legislative seats).

SB 1037 is called the “Idaho Fair Elections Act”, implying that our centuries of experience with the ballot box have been little more than a sham. (How foolish we Idahoans have been not to elect more liberals! What other explanation could there be for the pathetic history of Democrats in Idaho? If not their message and pro-abortion values – then there must be something wrong with the process!)

This legislation would set up a 7 member commission to distribute public campaign dough to candidates for statewide or legislative office. They would acquire this money by sticking a ten percent surcharge on all traffic fines in the state.

The fact that Democrats would forcibly extract campaign monies from Idaho citizens does not even cause them an embarrassing pause in pushing the bill: In their Statement of Purpose, Senate Democrats claim that this scheme creates “an alternative, voluntary method of financing electoral campaigns.”

But it turns out that it is only “voluntary” for candidates. The rest of us will be forced to pay the printing bills for Democrat liberals to publish their campaign propaganda.

Certainly the GOP will kill this measure – but be prepared for a high-toned whine all winter long over how “mean-spirited” Bart Davis and Company can be.