Celebrate, but Stay Alert

The House of Representatives’ vote Thursday to drain “a swamp of special interest money” cleared the most formidable barrier to the proposed campaign reforms of the Shays-Meehan bill. Senate opponents who had threatened a filibuster appeared late Thursday to be giving up, not wanting to be publicly tarred as reform-killers. However, President Bush still hasn’t agreed to sign the measure into law. Celebrations are in order. So is readiness to continue the fight.

It was the Enron scandal that breathed life into dying campaign finance reform. The stories of the company’s byzantine influence-buying in the Capitol, including $3.5 million in unregulated campaign contributions over a decade, reinvigorated efforts to do away with the giant loopholes in current law.

In recent years, as politicians ceaselessly chased corporate, union and other special interest money, voters felt more and more powerless. Turnout, even in major elections, stagnated. Although the Senate passed its own version of campaign reform last year, by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), everyone knew the House was a tougher case. Until Enron.

The stakes now could not be higher. The bill, named after its tireless sponsors, Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), promises to purge much of the money that has corrupted politics. It would ban federal officeholders and candidates from soliciting “soft money,” which evades direct contribution limits but effectively is used to pay for campaign ads. It prohibits labor unions and corporations from running “independent” ads 60 days before a general election, 30 days before a primary.

As expected, all of California’s House Democrats (including Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, author of the apt swamp metaphor), voted for reform. Special marks for courage go to GOP Reps. Stephen Horn of Long Beach and Doug Ose of Sacramento, who gave their support. Contrast them with Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), who previously voted for reform but caved in and opposed Shays-Meehan in a key vote Monday.

GOP leaders, certain that the current pell-mell money chase gives them an edge over the Democrats, still want to kill Shays-Meehan. Even if the Senate passes it and Bush signs it, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has promised a court challenge. Is this the legacy McConnell wants to leave, that he litigated honorable reform to death?

The taint of monied influence on American democracy must be reduced. Campaign finance reform is not a luxury.

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To Take Action: Sen. Mitch McConnell, phone: (202) 224-2541, e-mail senator@ mcconnell.senate.gov; Senate GOP leader Trent Lott, (202) 224-6253 or senatorlott @lott.senate.gov; Majority Leader Tom Daschle, (202) 224-2321 or https://daschle. senate.gov/webform.html; President Bush, (202) 456-1414 or president@whitehouse.gov.