I think you're wrong there ER. Yes, you can allocate a portion of your yearly tax return to the Presidential campaign fund that all candidates can dip into but individual contributions to specific candidates have no tax exempt status to the best of my knowledge.

I hope I'm wrong in this because when I put 50$ this year into John Edwards campaign coffers it was with the assumption that there'd be no benefit to me other than philosophically. What's funny is that the reason I contributed to Edwards in spite of knowing he really had little chance was because he bought into the clean elections contribution model. My money was an act of encouraging that and Edwards actually was extremely successful in raising money in this manner. My guess is his lack of success compared to the two front runners was more a function of his goofy smile or the fact that he blinked way too much.

I'm now saving for my next contribution until the Democratic nominee is decided and then I'll contribute some to whoever that is. If it's Obama it'll be an easy check to write. If it's Hillary I'll hold my nose.

However, this next election to me is primarily about one major issue - not Iraq, the economy, or who will do the best job when a new hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast. One or more Supreme Court justices will die or retire during the next President's reign and there is no way I want a McCain or any Republican for that matter making the decision as to who to replace them with. Roberts and Alito are corporate shills and one or two more of those on the Court will have more effect on the course of our country in the upcoming decades than any other thing that occurs.

Art