By: David Donnelly and Adam Smith

Whether it was apologizing to BP, the Fair Elections Now Act passing out of a U.S. House committee, or the Supreme Court declaring that corporations were people when it comes to spending money in elections, 2010 was a big year for news about money in the political process. Here's our top ten list. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

The New York Times yesterday published a great editorial standing up for Arizona's Clean Election system, part of which is currently being debated in the Courts. According to the Times:

Public Campaign issued a press release today in response to the announcement that the U.S. Supreme Court would hear arguments in McComish v. Bennett, the lawsuit aiming to gut Arizona’s successful and popular Clean Elections program.

Maine Senate President Libby Mitchell (D), a gubernatorial candidate, thoughtfully defends the state's Clean Elections law in the Waterville Morning Sentinel.

"Maine voters created the system to reduce the influence of money in politics, and it has worked. Clean Elections candidates are free from special-interest contributions.

The Boston Globe (online) has a story on Maine State Senate President and gubernatorial candidate, Libby Mitchel (D), and the Clean Elections system in the state.

“If I qualify, there will be no more fund-raising and I will spend every waking hour campaigning around the state,’’ Mitchell, a Democrat who serves as state Senate president, promised the dozen attendees in Bangor. “I’ll never ask again. When you see me coming, you won’t have to run.’’

The Baltimore Sun has an editorial today that urges Maryland lawmakers to push ahead with Clean Elections legislation next session despite an unfavorable court ruling in Connecticut.

"The bottom line is that nothing in Judge Underhill's opinion should deter the Maryland General Assembly from moving forward with reforms next year."

An article in the April issue of Reader's Digest asks "How can your congressman serve you when he's constantly hunting for campaign cash?" The piece, which highlights Public Campaign, goes on to lambast the money chase, offering Clean Elections as a solution.

A federal court on Friday upheld Connecticut's ban on campaign contributions from lobbyists and state contractors, part of a large package of ethics and campaign reform measures passed following the conviction of former Gov. John Rowland.

When Gov. Rowland of Connecticut pled guilty to corruption charges in 2005, he acknowledged accepting bribes from contractors in return for awarding those contractors business with the state.

The millennials, those of us who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s got a lot of attention in the 2008 election cycle. Yes we were excited about the 2008 election, but were we actually going to cast our ballot on Election Day?

In 2007 in New Jersey, Clean Elections candidates won all nine seats in the state's pilot Clean Elections project. With the news that the New Jersey system may be on hold for the next election in 2009, one possible candidate says that may just keep him from running.