Campaign Reform Boost

Arizona Sen. John McCain’s crusade to drive special-interest campaign dollars out of politics is in full forward motion again, boosted by Mississippi GOP Sen. Thad Cochran’s decision to join the reform side. McCain and his Democratic ally, Sen. Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, should use the added muscle to press for quick passage of campaign reform before the Senate agenda gets swamped with President-elect George W. Bush’s priorities.

With House approval virtually assured, a reform law could be enacted within days. The longer the reformers delay, the more difficult it will be for them to succeed. Bush still might veto or otherwise kill the legislation, but that would be an unpopular way to start a presidency.

The issue of so-called soft money in the Capitol and on the electoral trail was a major element of McCain’s Republican presidential primary bid last year and of the winning Senate campaign of Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington state. But no criticism was able to staunch the big-money flow. Although final tallies aren’t in yet, the latest figures show that the two parties raised nearly $500 million in soft money, which is technically not given to individual campaigns and thus is not subject to federal contribution limits. The haul was more than twice the amount raised in the 1995-96 election cycle.

The aim of the reformers is a total ban on these unlimited and unregulated contributions to political parties by corporations, labor unions and wealthy individuals.

McCain and Feingold have led the bipartisan drive to outlaw soft money and impose better disclosure requirements and limits on political campaign advertising. In the past, similar measures were approved by the House by a wide margin but were filibustered to death by opponents in the Senate. With the backing of the highly respected Cochran and the influx of new Democrats into the Senate, proponents of reform may have the 60 votes needed to cut off filibusters by GOP opponents.

Bush, who has steadily opposed McCain-Feingold, is likely to try to kill the measure with unfriendly amendments such as restrictions on the use of union dues for political purposes, which could curtail union support.

McCain and Feingold have promised to introduce a new bill as early as Jan. 22 and press for quick passage. It is expected to vary from the previous one on minor points of disclosure but preserve the key ban on soft money.

It is critical that the proponents of campaign finance reform act now before the incoming Bush administration buries the legislation under an agenda of its own. Americans are disgusted with the corrupting effect of the politics of special interests, and they should stand behind the reformers.