High-ranking Democrat to push for election reform

Dick Durbin planning to introduce legislation [1] for public financing of elections: 

Although the details of the legislation are still being pounded out, David Donnelly of the Public Campaign Action Fund [2] said that Durbin's bill would probably be modeled on the Arizona [3] and Maine [4] laws "which are working very well." In Maine, candidates who participate in the program have to begin by demonstrating community support by "collecting a minimum number of $5 checks or money orders payable to the Maine Clean Election Fund (qualifying contributions). After a candidate begins to receive MCEA funds from the State, he or she cannot accept private contributions," according to the Maine Ethics Commission [4]. 

This is one of those moves that progressives have been calling for since they discovered common sense.  There is perhaps no better first step in cleaning up our failed electoral system.  Consequently, there is probably no bill that has less of a chance of passing.  Nevertheless, Durbin is the highest ranking Senator to ever bring the issue to the fore, so who knows?