Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Mitt Romney found that money isn't everything in a political campaign. But certainly he did not think the more than $42 million of his own fortune that he spent running for president would come back to mock him during a Supreme Court argument.

During yesterday's oral argument in Davis v. Federal Elections Commission, Washington lawyer Andrew D. Herman cited the former Massachusetts governor to show that self-financed candidates are not always rewarded by voters or their parties.

The court's transcript tells the story.

MR. HERMAN: And certainly the public was not particularly interested in Mitt Romney, who spent a significant amount of money on his own behalf, and many other spectacular flameouts.

(Laughter.)

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: I'm not sure we need characterizations of the political candidates --

(Laughter.)

MR. HERMAN: I apologize.

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: -- in this forum.

-- Robert Barnes