Today housing advocacy groups from 22 cities and 17 states are launching a campaign to force the presidential candidates to address the specific topic of foreclosures.

Hollywood isn't the only place in California with lots of campaign money. The Bay Area also has many deep pocket donors -- especially in the Silicon Valley, the home of many tech billionaires.

Elections come and go and many issues change, but one seems to remain: electronic voting. Two years ago, four years ago, eight years ago -- the story's been about the same: the machines don't seem ready for primetime, but we're using them anyway.

Commentator and economist Patrick Anderson puts that theory to the test.