“A U.S. District Court judge has declared a portion of an Arizona program that gives candidates public money for their campaigns unconstitutional — and she has given the system’s defenders 10 days to convince a higher court otherwise. Judge Roslyn Silver ruled Wednesday that a portion of the state’s 12-year-old Clean Elections system should be shut down. But her 10-day delay in implementing the ruling gives the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission time to appeal. Unless the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issues a delay of its own, the ruling could throw races now under way for 2010 elections into chaos. Silver said a portion of the Clean Elections system that gives participating candidates extra public funds to match funds raised by their competitors violates the First Amendment, because it causes other candidates to limit their own campaigning, fundraising and the spending of their own money.” (01/21/10)