If We Can't Get Big Money Out of Politics, Let's at Least Get Some Good Big Money Into It

The New York Times has run yet another major expose on Tom Steyer, the billionaire former Hedge Fund manager who has taken up investing in progressive political outcomes as a second career.

While I think most folks agree that we should be limiting the excessive amount of money flowing into politics, its at least nice to see that there is at least some cash flow coming from environmentally minded folks with an eye toward preserving a livable climate for future generations.

With a $50 million pledge to push for the revival of cap and trade on the political agenda, this is another reason to get bullish on renewables for the longrun.

According to NYT's map, he's going head to head with the Koch brothers in terms of directly backing candidates, and of course putting his money in the swing states where it will get the best bang for the buck.

Steyer's second career is an encouraging development for the environmental movement. But he's got a long way to go to catch up to the Koch brothers.