To the Editor:

We welcome your Dec. 20 editorial “The Election Sabotage Commission” and your call for “truly independent” appointments to the Federal Election Commission.

The present convention of three Democratic and three Republican commissioners is not legally required. The statute merely states that no more than three of the six can be members of the same party.

We have urged President Obama to appoint one or more independents to the commission. While this would certainly upset the partisans in Congress, it would break the F.E.C.’s gridlock and provide representation to the 35 to 40 percent of the electorate, according to recent polls, who do not identify with any party, but consider themselves independents. They would welcome such a display of nonpartisan leadership by the president.

Jacqueline Salit
Harry Kresky
New York, Dec. 22, 2009

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