Six months into the special legislative session to enact campaign finance reform, there appears to be no deal in sight. This, despite two successive state Supreme Court races (and another on the way) competing to be the most expensive, outrageous and false -- and upcoming state legislative elections likely to be another orgy of special interest and third-party spending.

Yes, the Legislature has had to focus on two other important items -- a budget repair bill and legislation to implement the Great Lakes compact. But that's no excuse. Ostensibly, the key holdup to campaign reform is an objection to public financing, mostly in the GOP-controlled Assembly. Those opposing this apparently prefer ...