Senate Takes Up Campaign Finance Reform Debate

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Sep. 26 -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott kicked off the campaign finance reform debate on the Senate floor this morning, to the delight of Democrats. Enjoy this moment of togetherness because the truth is the two sides don't trust each other.

"I think we need to start off making it clear what's going on here," said Lott (R-Miss.), the first senator to speak. "A lot of what's going on is an effort to change the subject. Oh, gee whiz, the Government Affairs Committee has come up with some things that are real problems. Gee, why won't the attorney general appoint an independent counsel? We have to have another subject on the griddle here. But that's OK, that's fine, finally we'll maybe shed a little light on what's going on here. " (256K wav sound)

Following Lott, the chamber's leading Democrat, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, declared, "This is not a Republican problem or Democratic problem but an American problem, an American problem evidenced by grand jury investigations, by special counsel investigations, by congressional investigations. The investigations go on and on. If we don't deal with it, the cynicism will rise, the participation in democracy will fall, and we will all be the victims," he said. (320K wav sound)

Debate today focused on a bill authored by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin. All 45 Senate Democrats back it, as does President Bill Clinton. (352K wav sound)

This morning, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania announced support for the legislation. But only three other Republicans are openly supporting the measure: Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, and, of course, McCain.

What the bill would do

Last year Republicans killed the bill with a Senate filibuster. Forty-six Democrats but only eight Republicans voted for it, six votes short of the 60 needed to close debate.

So, to make the bill more difficult for Republicans to oppose, it's been stripped down.

The centerpiece is still a ban on unregulated "soft money" to the national parties. They no longer would be able to take money from corporations, labor unions or the rich giving oversized amounts.

Also, it would regulate so-called "issue ads" that attack candidates. Such ads could only be paid for with money fully disclosed and subject to the usual limits for campaign ads if they mention any candidate's name within 60 days of an election.

Stripped from last year's bill to meet GOP objections: There are no spending limits for congressional campaigns and no new restrictions on political action committees (PACs).

And of course, there is no provision for public financing of congressional elections in this or the original, because Republicans are solidly opposed.

'There is no perfect reform'

"It is not perfect reform, there is no perfect reform," McCain said today during debate. "We tried to exclude any provision which would be viewed as placing one party or another at a disadvantage. Our purpose is to pass the best, most balanced, most important reforms we can. All we ask of our colleagues is that they approach this debate with the same purpose in mind," he said.

Leading the opposition to McCain-Feingold has been GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. He said Americans' free speech rights were being jeopardized.

"The reformers persist in promoting the notion that it is somehow desirable for the federal government to determine how much political discourse we are going to have in our campaigns in this country," McConnell said. "You hear them say time and time again -- you heard it this morning and we'll hear it next week -- that we're spending too much in American politics. Now remember what the Supreme Court says that means we're saying. They're saying we're speaking to much."

Gingrich, Clinton get in the act

Even if the measure passes the Senate, it still must get House approval, and Thursday Speaker Newt Gingrich told reporters his chamber would debate the McCain-Feingold language. But he said the bill would be a "disaster for this country," while predicting, "I do not think it'll pass the House."

Gingrich touted what many Republicans favor -- lifting limits on individual contributions to campaigns, accompanied by restrictions on union giving, which mostly goes to Democrats.

Sources tell CNN that the president called a handful of Democratic and Republican senators Thursday night to express support for McCain-Feingold and asked how he could help rally support.

Clinton plans a major push for the legislation and his strategy includes calling wavering senators and opponents of the measure to try to pressure them.

'Black Friday'?

Passage of the bill would no doubt be seen as a crowning achievement for Feingold, a first-term senator elected in 1992.

"For opponents of campaign finance reform, for those Washington interest groups whom I like to refer to as the Washington gatekeepers who join with the senator from Kentucky [McConnell] in opposing any changes to our current system, it is September, it is a Friday in September, and we hope for all of those who have declared this bill dead over and over again that today will be remebered for them as Black Friday," he said during debate.

Thompson, who chairs the Senate probe of alleged fund-raising abuses in the 1996 election cycle, and whose committee held hearings on campaign finance reform earlier this week, appealed to Republicans to consider the impact of soft money.

"What we have had in this country, and in this last presidential race, is people sitting in the White House -- and it could have come from a Senate office or a congressional office or any place of power -- but sitting in the White House, making calls to individuals saying 'I think it'd be a good idea if you send us $50,000 or $100,000. And they feel that it would probably be a good idea from their standpoint to send it on. And for those who are worried about the coercive nature of big government, chew that one over for a little while."

Only debate was scheduled for Friday, with a possible Senate vote on Monday.

CNN's John King, Candy Crowley and Brooks Jackson contributed to this piece

In Other News:

Friday Sept. 26, 1997

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• Gore To Challenge GOP To Pass Campaign Finance Reform
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