Word: lazio
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...welcome Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rick Lazio's Sept. 23 agreement to refrain from the use of unregulated "soft-money" contributions to their Senate campaigns in New York. No candidate would voluntarily refrain from using such contributions without a belief that the public wants big money out of politics. The agreement should therefore embolden politicians to call for the elimination of soft money in their campaigns as part of campaign finance reform. The thorny issues that still threaten the New York agreement, however, will pose equally strong barriers to reform at the national level...
...activites--are unlimited they are a favorite tool of special interests hoping to exert influence on the political process. An unprecedented $342 million of soft money has already been spent throughout the nation in this election year. But both sides in New York wanted the reformer's mantle, and Lazio's posturing at the first debate, although puerile, gave the issue added urgency. Clinton's delays may have hurt her credibility, but as she will be the more disadvantaged by the agreement--she had far more soft money at her disposal, and has raised less hard money than Lazio...
...from the issue that nearly broke the deal: expenditures by independent groups. Such "issue ads," paid for by groups such as the AFL-CIO or NRA, or even by individuals, could play a greater role in future campaigns as direct expenditures by candidates or parties decrease. Both Clinton and Lazio have asked such groups to refrain from advertising on their behalf, but there is no guarantee that the groups will do so. It is also unclear how widely this prohibition should apply: although Clinton was unrealistic in her demands that several groups supporting her be exempt from the deal...
...Brennan report comes at a moment when many voters are particularly tuned in to the issue. In the U.S. Senate race between Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio, soft money took center stage last week, when the candidates signed an agreement to stop accepting any unregulated contributions. And this week, campaign finance dogmatists Sens. Russ Feingold and John McCain challenged Gore and Bush to follow suit. Gore, who's seen by many as the ultimate master of dubious fund-raising practices, managed to simultaneously accept the challenge and take a swipe at his opponent. Bush demurred, saying he didn't think...
...seems unlikely the issue will prove a major stumbling block for Lazio. For the Clinton campaign, however, the danger is immediate and considerable: Not only has she raised questions about her commitment to a soft-money ban by hedging over the agreement, she's allowed Lazio to hijack an issue she once controlled. Lazio met her demands, gathered those signatures, and showed up at her doorstep like a proud cat presenting a hard-won mouse to its horrified owner...