2014 NM Senate debate: on Government Reform

Allen Weh: Political spending is free speech: don't limit it

Dark money came about as a result of two incumbent senators trying to protect incumbents. The "Incumbent Protection Act," otherwise known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, restricted the ability of outside challengers and groups to raise money. As a result of its passage, an increased number of 527s, named for their IRS designation, began to spend money on political speech.

Now there's another effort by another incumbent Senator, Tom Udall. This time it goes so far as to amend the Constitution. The founding fathers did not limit the First Amendment by outlining specific types of speech. Most importantly, its purpose was to protect political speech. It is the height of arrogance for someone to think he has the right to change a founding principle of the freest country in the history of the world.

Tom Udall: Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees

"I'm just so encouraged now that we're going to be able to--without filibusters--put people on the courts in an orderly way," Udall said. Filibuster reform has long been a marquee issue for Merkley (OR) and Udall (NM). Now, they're looking to expand their change to filibuster rules governing legislation--but that's going to be a much harder sell.

Udall recalled that he campaigned on the idea when he was first elected to the Senate in 2008. Once he was sworn in, he said he began thinking "immediately" about how to most effectively go about campaigning for such a radical change in an institution that runs on tradition.

Critics say they led a movement they don't even understand--they have only served in the majority, and don't appreciate ways that the filibuster has been used to benefit the country in the past.