Campaign Reform Bill Killed

Re “Campaign Reform Bill All but Killed for Year,” Feb. 27:

The Republican Party has now officially killed campaign finance reform “with no apologies.” Now both parties are returning to the orgy of fund-raising from the wealthy and well-connected. I will concede that trade unions are also part of the lobbyist crowd, although anyone who looks at the actual figures knows that labor is outspent by a minimum of 10-to-1 by corporate givers. As even one Republican senator admitted: “We don’t have a campaign finance system any more. The loopholes are bigger than the laws.”

It may be good news that national campaign reform in the form of the McCain-Feingold bill was defeated, since it was so watered down anyway it would have provided only an illusion of reform. Better legislation is picking up steam at the state level. Whichever party you belong to, however, you might consider: 1) voting for any candidate who gets behind serious campaign reform and 2) refusing to vote for any candidate who tries to buy the election with his or her own funds. Real reform will require not only public financing and limitations on funds but also time-limited campaigns with free access to the public media including TV, radio and the press.

GENE ROTHMAN

Culver City

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The Senate blocked efforts which would have limited 1st Amendment rights by defeating the campaign finance reform bill. The measure would have curtailed constitutional free-speech rights and increased governmental control over campaigns but was killed when supporters of the bill were unable to muster the 60 votes required to shut off a filibuster led by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). McCain-Feingold’s defeat assures that nonprofit groups can continue to communicate critical election information to their members concerning the views candidates have on political issues.

Supporters of these restrictions on free speech have vowed they will pursue such reforms in the future. “The 1st Amendment doesn’t allow us the latitude to categorize certain kinds of speech as offensive and other kinds of speech as laudable,” said McConnell. “What the reformers want to do is shut everybody up.” Thanks to the efforts of individuals like McConnell, lawmakers will hear your voice, and that of your favorite organizations, loud and clear.

JIM GREAVES

Santa Barbara

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The Feb. 27 Times contained stories about Republicans killing campaign reform again this year (after spending millions of taxpayer dollars bashing Democrats during hearings last summer), “independent” prosecutor Kenneth Starr hauling his critics before a grand jury to grill them on their “contacts with the news media” and the resurgence in the theory of a universal repulsive force. Coincidence? I don’t think so. People are just becoming more wise about the repulsive force inherent in the GOP’s empty moral space.

STEPHEN McMANUS

Leucadia