Editorial: Campaign reform is on hold

When Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., succeeded Newt Gingrich as the House Speaker, the conventional wisdom offered by Washington pundits was that Hastert would be a teddy bear compared to Gingrich's grizzly style. Hastert may be softer around the edges, but the bottom line is he is continuing many of Gingrich's controversial tactics, including a move to delay a vote on campaign finance reform.

In an effort to thwart the GOP leadership's obstruction, conservative House Democrats have launched a petition drive that would require a vote on overhauling campaign finance reform laws. By late Wednesday, the petition had 185 signatures -- all Democrats -- of the 218 that are required to force a floor vote on the bill. The Republican leadership has been urging GOP House members not to sign the petition, but Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., who was a co-sponsor of last year's legislation, said it would be a mistake if the "Republican members of Congress allow themselves to be dragged to the altar kicking and screaming."

But that is exactly what the Republican leadership is in danger of doing if it fails to act promptly. Hastert's comments on this issue have been anything but encouraging. "I expect some kind of campaign finance reform bill will come forward sometime this year. But I can't tell you when," Hastert said obliquely at a news conference on Wednesday. Hastert's refusal to give a green light for a floor vote any time soon would be a death knell for the legislation.

The key to giving the legislation a fair shot to become law is to get it to the Senate promptly. The House last year passed the campaign reform bill decisively, 252-179, but the bill died in the Senate since there wasn't enough time for senators to get 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

The bipartisan proposal offered by Shays and Martin Meehan, D-Mass., would ban "soft money" -- the unregulated contributions made to political parties -- that is used to skirt existing limits on campaign donations made to candidates running for federal office. In addition, the bill would restrict issue ads -- those that claim to "educate" voters that actually advocate either a candidate's defeat or election -- so that they could only run within 60 days of an election.

The mad dash to raise campaign funds for the 2000 elections is already starting. It's time for Congress to act now and enact campaign finance reform, helping to clean up the sorry state of elections in this nation, which place more emphasis on raising money than they do promoting a contest of ideas.

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