Norman Hsu, who was convicted of fraud in 1992, was arrested last week for skipping his court date. Within the last few years Hsu has turned himself into a major figure in Democratic circles, donating over $1 million to the democratic campaign this past year. It is unclear where Mr. Hsu's funds have come from. How does a bankrupt fugitive turn himself into a million dollar political supporter?

This particular case of political campaigns accepting money from illegitimate sources was not surprising and not necessarily a big deal. True, accepting shady money is wrong, but it would not be inaccurate to say that much of the money collected by Republican and Democratic parties alike in the past, and on smaller scale elections (such as for mayor or senator), was done on less than legitimate terms. What if the issue here runs deeper than an episode where a businessman tries to buy his way into social acceptance and legitimacy? What if the problem here is that the political process itself is not as democratic as we would like to believe?

Part of the American Dream is that anyone born in the United States could grow up to become the President, but is that true? Of course it's not. The Constitution aside, your ability to run for president and win is based heavily on your financial status and social connections.

When running for president you must have enough money to support you throughout the primaries as well as the general election. While there is a $4,600 cap on the amount that each private individual and business may donate to a campaign ($2,300 each for the primary and general election), there is no limitation to the amount of money a candidate can invest in his or her campaign from his or her own pockets. This "rule" is not exactly fair. Talk about inequality of opportunity-right from the starting line, moneyed candidates have a huge advantage over their poorer counterparts.

No matter how wealthy a candidate is, a political campaign is always hungry for more money. To get more money, you fundraise. Political frontrunners scramble for money from social interest groups, wealthy individuals and businesses. And individuals are eager to fill the coffers of politicians in return for political favors-a practice that in and of itself stands on shaky moral ground. So is it really surprising that some individuals break the rules in their bid to curry favor with politicians? That the Hsu case is newsworthy is a question of the extent, not the nature, of Hsu's actions.

Despite what Hsu did, these loopholes, in and of themselves, suggest that all political fundraising is fundamentally flawed. In this specific case it is only a big deal because Hsu was caught.