US INFO correspondent Ralph Dannheisser outlines yet another benefit of being rich: election to public office.

The 2008 candidates are rich:

Chances are strong that the next U.S. president will be a millionaire. All three Democratic front-runners and all four of the top Republican contenders fall into that category.

And access to loads of campaign money is more important than ever:

Access to funding has assumed tremendous importance in this era of almost nonstop election campaigns and huge advertising expenses. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent in the current presidential campaign cycle.

Concord, NH. – Americans for Campaign Reform (ACR), who launched the “Just $6” grassroots movement for public funding, has announced its support for the Fair Elections Now Act that proposes voluntary public funding for all Senate races. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan legislation as a way to restore public confidence in the election process.

The legislation would create a voluntary system through which participating Senate candidates––those who establish their credibility by collecting enough qualifying contributions and who then pledge not to accept private contributions ––would receive public funds for primary and general elections. Participants would also be eligible for free media vouchers and discounted commercial advertising rates.