|
LITTLE ROCK – Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and
Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) visited the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock campus last week to promote campaign finance
reform legislation that is to be introduced in the Senate
this legislative session. The bi-partisan team held an informal
discussion with approximately 500 audience members, explaining
the intricacies of the bill and addressing concerns.
 The
primary focus of the bill is to ban soft money in federal
elections. Soft money is money given to a political party,
not an individual candidate, by a corporation, individual,
or labor union. The political party then uses the money to
fund specific candidates’ campaigns. There is currently no
limit on the amount of soft money that can be given to a political
party.
Senator
John McCain promots his campaign finance reform bill
in Little Rock.
(Photo:
Doc
Bradley )
|
Although
most audience members expressed some degree of support for
the measure, not everyone in attendance saw its value. Several
questions were raised on the constitutionality of prohibiting
contributions. (Some courts had initially ruled that campaign
contributions were protected as free speech under the First
Amendment). McCain responded to these concerns by stating
that recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions held money to be
a property right and not a free speech right.
McCain
and Feingold contend that soft money is destroying the U.S.
political process. They argue that it allows rich individuals,
corporations, and labor unions to possess too much control
and influence over how legislators vote and effects what legislation
is brought before Congress. “This is a first step,” McCain
said. “We can’t address issues such as health care, reforming
the tax code, and defense spending until we get big money
out of the political process. If you really want reform, you’ve
got to take the big money out.”
McCain
also maintained that campaign contributions to political parties
from affluent individuals, corporations and unions are preventing
the parties from being responsive to the American people.
Addressing the students in the audience, Feingold added, “This
is about your future, help us take your democracy back.”
Senator
Russ Feingold explains his co-sponsored McCain-Feingold
campaign finance reform bill.
(Photo:
Doc
Bradley )
|
Joan
Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy organization Public
Citizen, and Scott Harshbarger, president of Common Cause, an
organization dedicated to campaign finance reform, also spoke
at the event.
“Soft
money has more than doubled in the last ten years.” Claybrook
said. “It’s powerful, it gets into your veins and you get addicted,
you can’t stop. Nothing can get on the floor of the Senate or
the House with money in politics. It dictates what will be passed,”
she added.
Arkansas
Reps. Vic Snyder, Marion Berry and Mike Ross were also present
for the event, along with members of Sen. Blanch Lincoln’s staff.
All are in favor of the bill. Arkansas legislators not in attendance
were Tim and Asa Hutchinson. Neither of the two has made a commitment
to support the McCain-Feingold bill, drawing speculation from
across the state that McCain and Feingold’s visit was intended
to pressure them into support.
Tim Hutchinson’s
backing in Senate may be crucial. A similar measure was killed
in Senate last legislative session, and the vote is expected
to be close again this time. 
|
)
)