Politics

Bush Joins Campaign Finance Fray

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 15, 2001 / 12:48 PM EST / CBS

Just days before the Senate takes up two weeks of debate on campaign finance reform, President Bush formally weighed in on Thursday, reports CBS News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts.

The White House said Mr. Bush was sending his "principles" on campaign spending legislation to Congress, where the so-called "paycheck protection" for union members could doom any bill this year because of opposition by Democrats who depend heavily on labor for funding.

Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters the president still hewed to the same principles that he laid out during last year's presidential campaign:

Banning unregulated "soft money" donations by unions and corporations, but not individuals, to political parties.
Requiring immediate disclosure of political donations.
Barring involuntary contributions, whether by unions donating members' dues without their explicit permission or by corporations donating shareholders money without their assent.

Campaign finance champion Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the president's proposal doesn't reform anything.

"If you don't ban individual soft money contributions," said McCain, "then you'll have more Denise Rich – over $1 million contributions to the DNC – the appearance of purchasing a pardon."

McCain, who lit a fire under the issue in the 2000 GOP primaries, would eliminate all soft money, leaving only so-called "hard-money" donations, which carry strict limits.

Democrats were all on board McCain's bill when it had no chance of passing. Now, on the eve of debate, cracks have appeared in the coalition. After voting for McCain's bill five times, Sen. John Breaux, D-La., had a sudden conversion, claiming the measure would leave Democrats, who lag behind Republicans in raising hard money, at a disadvantage.

"I think any reform has to treat both parties fairly if it's going to be real reform," said Breaux.

McCain said he was undeterred by the news that Breaux would not support his bill.

A couple of Democrats "may be getting a little nervous, or maybe even looking for an exit sign," McCain said. "We always knew this was going to be tough."

Breaux has thrown his support behind yet another plan from Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel. Less sweeping than McCain's, the Hagel bill would allow soft money, but impose some limits and disclose who's giving.

"The problem we have in my opinion is this dark black hole of undisclosed, unlimited, unaccountable millions of dollars that play in the system and nobody knows who they are," said Hagel.

Critics of the Hagel bill say it is nothing more than a Trojan Horse designed to kill the McCain proposal; something to give senators political cover while they vote what was a loophole into law.

According to the Federal Election Commission, Republicans took in $244 millioand Democrats $243 million in soft money in the 2000 election. Republicans raised $447 million in hard money, well above the $270 million raised by Democrats.