Resign to run?

Reading my favorite NFL blogger he rambled into what I think is a positively brilliant idea:

In the spring, as a dozen Democratic and Republican officeholders were crisscrossing the country campaigning for presidential nominations yet still receiving taxpayer money for jobs they were making no pretense of performing, TMQ declared there should be a federal resign-to-run law. Several states now have resign-to-run laws: They prevent officeholders from taking tax-funded salaries while not doing their jobs. Why is it assumed that saying the words, "I am running for president" makes it OK for a senator to pull in $200,000 or so per year in pay and benefits, yet perform no duties? If you told your employer you would not perform your duties for a year because you were running for president, yet still expected full pay, your employer would say two words that are not "Merry Christmas." Now we're down to four White House-seeking freeloaders, and both parties look bad. All three senators are billing the federal taxpayer to self-promote around the clock; the governor is billing her state's taxpayers to self-promote around the clock. Either presidential candidates should be required to resign to run, or at least anyone who declares for the presidency or vice presidency should have his or her public salaries and benefits suspended.

This is a brilliant help to our system because it guarantees new blood will be injected while these others are off running for office. It's not a panacea, but it's a move in the right direction. Now to find a way to get it enacted.

Update
A corollary that comes from this would be a move to fixed public financing for all federal elections. Perhaps along the lines of:

• The government provides X amount to each candidate nominated by the major parties.


• Y amount to each candidate from a minor party based on the trend of the party's votes in the previous three elections.


• Candidates may not spend any more than that unless it comes from their personal account with all such disclosures publicly divulged via the FEC.

Naturally, X and Y would vary for each office. President would get much, much more than senator which would get more than congressperson.