ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 1996 TAG: 9604090064
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
PRESIDENT Clinton again flunks the red-face test.
Less than a year ago, recall, he was embarrassed when the Democratic National Committee shamelessly offered special access to him and other White House officials in exchange for fat-cat contributions for his re-election campaign. That was wrong, he said - vowing the Democrats wouldn't continue such fund-raising practices.
He must have had his fingers crossed when he said it. In the DNC's current catalog of special strokes for special folks, there are intimate ``salon dinners'' at private homes with Cabinet members, other senior administration officials and the party's congressional leaders the night before the party's presidential gala next month. One of the dinners will be at Vice President Gore's mansion.
These tete-a-tetes, of course, are not for the hoi polloi, but for those who contribute at least $50,000 or raise $100,000 for the party. Other party favors for big givers include ``trustee status'' at the Democratic National Convention this summer, ensuring them VIP treatment and plenty of opportunities to schmooze with policy makers.
Granted, it's customary and expected, and Republicans, too, sell access to their elected elite. But during his 1992 campaign for the presidency, Clinton promised to stop the crass sellout by elected leaders to ``cliques of $100,000 donors'' - and many voters believed he was serious.
As president, Clinton also regularly scolds Americans for being so cynical about their government. But a principal reason for that cynicism is that it's all too clear how the money culture works: Those able to make six-figure political contributions can buy influence that ordinary citizens don't have.
The privileges offered high rollers will doubtless continue as long as federal candidates can skirt campaign-finance laws via the ``soft money'' system. Soft-money contributions - often in amounts that would be illegal if given directly to a candidate - are those which corporations, unions and wealthy individuals funnel through national political parties, evading federal oversight and restrictions.
Such contributions would be banned under campaign-finance reform bills now before Congress, but it doesn't appear President Clinton is still keen for reform.
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICSby CNB