Word: feingolds
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...amount of hard money individuals could give candidates and parties, and that compromise paved the way for the historic vote to ban the unlimited soft-money donations that parties could collect from corporations, unions and the wealthy. By the end of the week the Arizona Senator, his sidekick, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, and their merry band of china breakers actually had victory in sight--a victory that could lead to the most dramatic campaign-finance overhaul since the post-Watergate reforms of 1974. McCain-Feingold's reforms are so sweeping, in fact, that no one can be sure of what...
...McCain and Feingold, who brush aside such alarms, it was a moment for celebration, and not only because they were poised to win a lonely battle they had fought for years. The two weeks of debate that ended Friday surprised many veterans of the Senate's joyless forced marches. The debate was both civil and principled; people listened, and some even changed their mind, persuaded by new arguments and old loyalties to make a leap of faith. No one knew as the week went on how it would turn out; every day brought another threat to the bill's survival...
...will pass, though in modified form. Rather than focus on its obvious drawbacks—in particular, the way it strangles political speech—consider the legislation on its own terms, as a cure for what ails our democracy. Instead of returning government to the people, McCain-Feingold will reduce the accountability of our elected representatives and, in stark contrast to McCain’s lofty claims, undermine democracy...
...what exactly is the reason? Well, McCain says that everyone in Washington is corrupted by the campaign finance system as it stands, and so it’s unfair to single anyone out. McCain, however, is obviously not corrupt—nor is Feingold. Their hunger for special interest dollars doesn’t prevent them from making the tough calls and the right decisions, so what could be stopping all the others? Could it be that no one in particular is “corrupt,” that the situation is much more complicated? Could it be that...
...civil rights groups and, yes, corporations—are us, nothing more and nothing less. No matter what kind of laws Congress passes, citizens will band together and try to influence government as long as government tries to influence us. By banning soft money donations to political parties, McCain-Feingold will force money to shift from parties, which are broad coalitions that appeal to the center in order to build majorities and are accountable at the ballot box, to independent groups that answer only to their own members...