Filibustered again

Senate should pass campaign finance bill

While most of the buzz in Washington, D.C., focuses on President Bill Clinton's unbecoming behavior, others on Capitol Hill continue to take care of day-to-day business. Last week, campaign finance reform legislation was once again blocked in the Senate.

In a disturbing show of partisan politics, the Senate failed to reach the necessary 60 votes to stop a filibuster organized by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.). The sponsors of this legislation, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rusell Feingold (D-Wisc.) should not be discouraged by this all-too-inevitable outcome, and continue to reintroduce their bill.

The McCain-Feingold bill attempts to revamp the way this country finances political campaigns. By banning the unlimited, unregulated amounts of soft money that special interest groups, rich individuals and corporations give to individual candidates, this legislation attempts to keep special interests from affecting what should be politics for the people.

Already in this election cycle, Senate and House Republicans and Democrats undoubtedly have spent millions of dollars in soft money for campaign ads. This is a perfect case of special-interest money unfairly affecting the political process. Television and radio advertisements, along with the expenses of regular campaigning is no doubt expensive. But selling out to the highest bidder is not what the people elected officials to do. Even though distracted and overwhelmed with scandal, lawmakers need to see the urgency of this legislation.

Last month, the House overwhelmingly supported the Shays-Meehan bill - a similar campaign finance reform bill - and it is past time for the Senate to follow suit. Claiming that regulating soft money in effect regulates free speech, opposition to the McCain-Feingold bill have rested on the First Amendment platform since the first introduction of the legislation. Since that time, it has been filibustered numerous times, and it seems as though the Senate is not in favor of setting up a system of rules and regulation that would ensure fair campaign practices.

With the public's growing revulsion of politicians and politics, and the opening of a preliminary investigation into Vice President Al Gore's 1996 fundraising techniques, it is time for comprehensive and effective legislation.

Last year, the American public watched as the Senate spent a year investigating alleged 1996 campaign abuses. Such large amounts of time, money and effort should not end so anti-climactically - the nation needs campaign finance overhaul. Now more than ever, politicians need to begin rebuilding trust in elected officials and the political system in general.

Fifty-two senators have pledged their support to the McCain-Feingold bill. Only eight short of defeating a filibuster, McCain and Feingold should not stop here. On a short road to becoming a "do-nothing" Congress, it is time to take on some serious legislation and get something done - something other than discussing White House scandal. There is no more appropriate place to start than ensuring that the next group of lawmakers got to Capitol Hill fairly.

09-18-98