The Nation calls on progressives to protect and expand Arizona's system of public financing for elections: Arizona the new system has increased competition and diversity among candidates, reduced the money gap between challengers and incumbents, and freed its participants from the all-consuming money chase. Precisely because they fear Arizona's good example, a small group of developers, bankers and corporate lobbyists with conservative ties that run all the way up to Bush and Tom DeLay are attacking the state's pioneering system. They've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to put an amendment to the state constitution on the November ballot to nullify the law. Two of the big-money backers of this special-interest power grab are the Bush Pioneers, who have raised more than $100,000 for his campaigns, and the Illinois-based Golden Rule Insurance company, a longtime GOP ally. Their goal: to keep the same corrupt system that has brought us a prescription-drug bill tailored for HMOs and the pharmaceutical and insurance companies; the weakening of environmental rules to pay back oil and gas interests; and huge tax breaks handed over to corporations and wealthy individuals. Two of Arizona's top elected officials, Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano and Republican Senator John McCain, have endorsed the Keep It Clean campaign, along with nearly sixty groups, including the League of Women Voters, the AARP and the firefighters union. They need our support.