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Show Money, Politics and Campaign Reform by Kelly Burton sibility of campaign reform passing this session. Lawrence J. Goodrich, staff writer of the Christian Science Monitor stated: Each party has again shown it can block reform efforts it believes threaten its ability to raise money and give the advantage to the other side." He went on to explain that "While a majority of senators-all 45 Democrats and seven Republicans-support the McCain-Feingold, ... the measure do[es] not have the 60 votes needed to end debate under Senate rules" (1998). Vocalizing his frustration with the latest efforts to block the legislation, Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) stated, '"We don't have a campaign-finance system anymore.'" He continued, '"We currently have a system in which the loopholes are bigger than the law'" (quoted in Goodrich 1998). Co-author of the measure, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), made his feelings known regarding this latest set-back. He said, '"We will never give up on this issue. Sooner or later we will sit down in a bipartisan fashion and fix this and restore the confidence of the American people'" (quoted in Goodrich 1998). Minority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) shares McCain's sentiments that the battle for reform is far from over. He insists, '"People who think they can quietly kill this effort are wrong. One day we will succeed. We will not give up'" (quoted in Goodrich 1998). Conclusion For now, the American people have again been denied any chance to see the passage of any significant reform before the next round of elections. The next elections may just bring about more record-breaking spending and dwindling numbers of voters. It would seem in light of the latest efforts to pass campaign reform, that Dan Froomkin's (1997) assumption that "money ... determines the very basics of our democracy: Who runs, who wins, and how they govern," is an accurate assessment of the inner workings of Washington and of the legislators we elect to protect our interests. As author Richard N. Goodwin (1992, 173) so eloquently asserts, "Government has become a barren arena where debate over great principles and the quest for serious solutions have been replaced by unremitting jockeying for political advantage," and as a result leaves the American people to "increasingly, and sensibly ignore the flood of banalities that resound through the once noble chambers of national discourse. Perhaps some day the American people will see the passage of significant reform. The reality is that in order for that legislation to pass, the reform of the campaign finance system must be placed in the hands of those who do not benefit directly from leaving things as they are. References AllPolitics. 1997. "Campaign Reform-Reform Proposals." Bedard, Paul. 1995. "GOP Sells Access for Less." Washington Times, July 19. "Campaign Reform." 1995. Washington Post, February 20. Christian, Spencer. 1996. Electing Our Government: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Vote Count. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. Cleland, Max. 1997. "Campaign Finance Reform Needed." Congres-sional Record-Daily, March 19. Drew, Elizabeth. 1983. Politics and Money: The New Road to Corruption. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. Durbin, Richard J. 1997. "Comprehensive Campaign Finance Reform." Congressional Record-Daily, March 19. Filibuster Kills Campaign Finance Law." 1998. USA Today, February 26. Froomkin, Dan. 1997. "Big Money: the Cost of Winning." Washington Post, September 15. Goodrich, Lawrence, J. 1998. "Campaign-Finance Reform: Still Alive?" Christian Science Monitor, February 26. Goodwin, Richard N. 1992. Promises To Keep: A Call for a New American Revolution. New York: Times Books. Jenkins Jr., Kent. 1997. "Showdown over Reform." U.S. News & World Report, October 13. Lewis, Charles. 1996. The Buying of the President. New York: Avon Books. Mann, Thomas E. [1996] 1997. "New Campaign Finance Reform Proposals for the 105th Congress." Brookings Institution, [December 17] May 7. McCain, John. 1996. "Campaign Finance Reform." Congressional Record-Daily. June 24. Mutch, Robert. 1988. Campaigns, Congress and Courts: The Makings of Federal Campaign Finance Law. New York: Praeger. Palda, Filip. 1994- How Much Is Your Vote Worth!: The Unfairness of Campaign Spending Limits. San Francisco: Institute for Contemporary Studies. "Senate Releases Fund-Raising Report." 1998. USA Today, March 6. Smith, Bradley A. 1995. "Campaign Finance Regulation: Faulty Assumptions and Undemocratic Consequences." Cato Policy Analysis. No. 238. September 13. Sweet, Lynn. 1995. "The President's Price List: Party Selling Perk Package." Chicago Sun Times, June 30. The White House at Work. 1997. October 7. 26 |