This New York Times correction hilariously drives home the money-in-politics problem

Every so often, we get a revealing glimpse into just how important money is in our political system, and in Congress in particular. And on Oct 8, we got a particularly amusing one, when the New York Times had to run a correction because it vastly understated how much time the speaker of the House has to spend fundraising: "An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to how frequently the House speaker typically travels to raise money. It is three weekends a month, not three weekends a year."

It's amusing to think about a world where the speaker of the House would only have to spend three weekends a year fundraising. The reality, of course, is far different. Hauling in money from wealthy donors is a key part of the job description and a constant, unceasing pressure. For instance, in the first half of this year alone, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) raised a staggering $28 million for Republicans in his chamber.