Reforming Campaign Finance Laws

I read with interest Edwin Chen’s Oct. 13 news analysis, “A Hard March Through Campaign-Cash Jungle.” Although I have found Chen’s reporting on the issue of campaign finance reform to be very fair, informed and insightful, I write to take issue with just some of the characterizations offered in this particular piece.

It is wrong to assume that because President Clinton had not discussed with his staff the idea of calling for a special session of Congress to consider reform legislation, that I would somehow conclude that the president’s commitment to meaningful reform was less than genuine. Not only was I not disappointed that Rahm Emanuel was not aware of this idea, I enjoyed telling him it was the president’s idea in the first place. Actually, throughout the year of our effort to pass the McCain-Feingold bill, the White House officials assigned to work on campaign finance reform have been steadfast and extremely helpful. In fact, as much as any other factor, it was the surprise threat of a special session last month from the president that finally compelled the Republican Senate leadership to schedule our bill for consideration.

Rather than questioning the sincerity and commitment of those who have publicly endorsed the McCain-Feingold proposal, those outside of Washington should be questioning those who are filibustering this critical legislation, defending the status quo and advocating less regulation of money in our political system.

I believe President Clinton will continue do everything he can to see the bill become law. This fight is not ending, it is just beginning.

SEN. RUSSELL FEINGOLD

D-Wis.

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* It seems that the president of the United States cannot solicit campaign financing from his office or from his bedroom but he can do so from a public telephone booth. How silly can we get!

As long as money is necessary to run for a public office, candidates will solicit it and special interests will provide it, silly laws about “soft” or “hard” money notwithstanding. Any real reform to campaign finance abuses will have to reduce significantly the need for the money. Here is how we can achieve this:

* Reduce the duration of presidential and congressional campaigns to no more than three months.

* Provide free or low-cost television and radio time to legitimate candidates. Financing of this should be willingly made by us taxpayers. At, say, $10 per person, we can provide a budget of $2.5 billion per national election. This is a small price to pay to preserve our precious democracy.

* Have all state primaries on the same day.

* Eliminate presidential national conventions.

We live in the age of instant communication and speedy jet travel. Let us adapt our elections to our new technology.

RENO S. ZACK

San Dimas