Campaign Reform Battle Opens
W A S H I N G T O N, March 19 -- — A bitter fight over campaign finance reform got under way on Capitol Hill today, as senators opened debate on whether to ban or limit massive contributions to political parties.
In the first act of what promises to be a two-week political circus, the leading supporters of campaign finance reform, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., marched to the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties to push their legislation to outlaw soft money — the large, unregulated contributions by corporations unions and wealthy individuals to political parties.
"Every special interest in this town that uses money in order to buy access and influence is apoplectic about the prospect of losing that influence," said McCain, who made his longtime call for campaign finance reform the centerpiece of his White House bid last year.
It was his unexpected popularity as a presidential candidate that forced the Senate's Republican leadership to take up McCain's signature legislation, after successfully blocking it with filibusters and other procedural moves for six years.
Supporters argue that the public believes votes in Congress are for sale under the current system.
"Day by day, with every vote we cast, people wonder, 'Was it the money?'" Feingold told his colleagues from the Senate floor.
Opponents Say Bill Would Infringe on Free Speech
Its critics argue the McCain-Feingold bill would cripple political parties and infringe on free speech. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the leading opponent of the measure, pointed to polls showing a soft money ban near the bottom of the list of the public's priorities.
"They're not particularly interested in campaign finance reform," he said. "It ranks right up there with static cling."
Last week, President Bush released his own set of its own principles for campaign finance reform, and hinted he would
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