LTE: Campaign money colors our trust

Good letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120415/OPINION/304150060/Campaign-money-colors-our-trustGov. Terry Branstad has asked us to believe that finely textured ground beef is safe and perfectly good to eat. He has also accepted large campaign contributions from the company that produces the beef. Is the governor being sincere in his exhortation that this ground beef is perfectly fine, or does he just want the campaign contributions to continue?The problem is we don’t know. Branstad tells us he is sincere, but how can we know for sure?This is rife in our political system, and we have learned to no longer trust the motives of politicians. There is a fine line between campaign contributions, bribes and extortion. Campaign finance reform is at the heart of any reform that will let us start trusting elected officials.— Diane Leonard, Waukee