Big Three give less "soft money" to political parties

In 1997, General Motors Corp. stopped making such contributions because it said there was no way to know how they were being spent. Now, Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG have followed suit.

Soft money describes contributions made for general party activities, such as get-out-the-vote campaigns and party membership drives. There are no limits on such contributions.

''It's really difficult to keep track of where those funds end up,'' GM's Washington spokesperson Bill Noack said. ''We didn't feel it was appropriate to make those kinds of contributions ... I think we're doing the right thing.''

The reduced giving so far has not hurt relations with lawmakers, said GM's chief lobbyist in Washington, Andrew Card.

''We have to work harder than a lot of our competitors to have some of our public policy concerns heard,'' Card told Booth Newspapers in a story yesterday. ''But I can tell you candidly, it has not presented any impediments to my ability to do my job.''

The two major parties expect to raise more than $500 million in soft money by next November's election, double the amount raised in past campaigns. Proponents say soft money strengthens the political parties, while critics say it gives the appearance of buying access to lawmakers.

11-09-99