Feingold: Clinton, others trying to find ways around soft-money ban

By The Associated Press

07.22.02

Printer-friendly page

WASHINGTON — Sen. Russ Feingold said on July 19 that he and Sen. Hillary Clinton engaged in a heated argument over the impact a new campaign-finance law will have on Senate Democrats.

“You're not living in the real world,” Clinton argued during the closed-door meeting of about two dozen Senate Democrats on July 18, according to Feingold, D-Wis., the party's leading proponent of the law.

Clinton spokeswoman Karen Dunn declined to comment on Feingold's description of the July 18 meeting, but noted that Clinton had voted for the new campaign-finance law.

“Senator Clinton has the greatest respect for Senator Feingold's leadership and advocacy on this issue,” Dunn said.

At issue was the law's ban on soft money — large, unregulated donations to parties from corporations, unions and others. Clinton is worried the law is vague and will open Democrats to legal liability, Feingold said.

Feingold said a “core group” of five or six Democrats, including Clinton, D-N.Y., were trying to find ways to get around the ban. He declined to identify the others.

“It was a troubling display for a party that claims to be for trying to clean up the system,” said Feingold, an author of the law.

Dunn noted July 19 that Clinton and her GOP opponent, Rick Lazio, agreed to bar their respective parties from spending soft money on ads supporting their campaigns in 2000.

The July 18 exchange took place at a forum organized by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., pitting Fred Wertheimer against Robert Bauer.

Wertheimer is head of Democracy 21, which supports the ban on soft money. Bauer is the lawyer for the Senate and House Democratic fund-raising committees and has argued that soft money should still be allowed for several non-campaign purposes.

Daschle was among those at the meeting. Daschle spokesman Jay Carson called Feingold's comment about the Democratic Party “perplexing.”

“I think Senator Daschle's and the Senate Democrats' commitment to this can be seen in the painstaking work and blood, sweat and tears that went into getting this bill passed,” he said.

Feingold said Clinton later apologized to him on the Senate floor.

“I said it was a good show, and she said we should have sold tickets,” said Feingold, laughing.

The new law is scheduled to take effect after this November's election. Several groups have filed lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.

Related

Campaign-finance law sponsors to challenge FEC rules
Strategy targeting regulators' plan to enforce soft-money ban comes as Republican Party seeks details on its rivals' fund raising, ads as part of its bid to overturn new law.  06.26.02

GOP, state parties join fight against campaign-finance law
Republican National Committee's lawsuit argues soft-money ban unfairly imposes greater restrictions on political parties' speech than that of other groups.  05.08.02

Groups seek exemption from campaign law's ad restrictions
Meanwhile, congressional GOP group's attorney tells FEC free-speech issues must be foremost in commissioners' minds as they write ad rules.  08.28.02