Isn't today's issue of the Oregonian wonderful? On page 1, the O reports that Governor Kulongoski and Senate Republicans will try to raise money for their campaigns while the Legislature is in session, in violation of a 25+ year old voter-approved ban on lobbyists giving money to legislators during the session. The law is not enforced because in 2001 Attorney General Hardy Myers opined that the law violates the state constitution's free speech clause.
Inside, on page C1 (the front of the Metro section), the O reports that Karen Minnis, speaker of the Oregon House, and Jeff Merkley, the minority leader, are proposing a campaign finance reform plan to restrict candidates from spending campaign money on personal expenses, in response to Dan Doyle's campaign finance troubles which forced him to resign his seat in the House last week.
Note the contrast: the politicians are concerned with how candidates spend money; the public is concerned with how candidates raise money, and from whom. Isaac says, spend the money how you will; if you waste it on yourselves, you probably won't get re-elected. But be open about who's giving it to you and don't link contributions too obviously to legislation; else some day you'll find that the voters have enacted the NASCAR Campaign Finance Reform Act, requiring you to put stickers on your bodies (like the stickers and logos on racecars) with the names of your biggest sponsors.