Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409210051
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The odds could be significantly improved, however, if President Clinton lives up to the word of his new Democratic top-gun Tony Coelho and ``aggressively'' pushes Democratic leaders in Congress to quit stalling and get on with it. Now. This year.
Clinton, unfortunately, has paid almost no attention to campaign-finance reform since he promised during his '92 presidential campaign that it would be a ``priority.'' House Democratic leaders also have labeled it a ``priority'' - for at least two years.
But they've been unwilling to compromise with the Senate on reducing special-interest and political action committee contributions that profusely flow to congressional incumbents.
Never mind that meaningful campaign-finance reform might help restore Americans' confidence in the political process, and so possibly reduce anti-incumbent sentiments that now abound.
With big money (for them) at stake, Congress seems more willing to take its chances that the public won't notice that it did nothing - again - to reform a corrupting system.
If it fails to act, expect excuses and blame-shifting, such as: Clinton forced Congress to deal with too many other big issues: the crime bill, health-care reform, etc. Never mind that major health-care reform was shot down in part by moneyed special-interest gangs - the same ones that virtually ensure their voices will be heard above the crowd of ordinary folks by writing big checks for congressional campaigns.
by CNB