Show Me the Money!(attitudes of presidential candidates toward campaign reform) (Brief Article)

• Author: MANNING, STEVEN

THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES WANT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE EVILS OF MONEY IN POLITICS, BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM THEIR SPONSORS

Campaign finance reform. If those three words make you want to drop your head on your desk for a short nap, try this: draw a line through the phrase and write M-O-N-E-Y.

Or, to be more precise, S-O-F-T M-O-N-E-Y. What is soft money? An ingenious, but sneaky, kind of political contribution invented to get around limits on the amount of money political candidates can raise from individual contributors and from political action committees (PACs), which are organized lobby groups. About $250 million in soft money flowed into the 1996 election.

Political parties can raise unlimited amounts of soft money, which is supposed to be used to advocate a point of view on an issue rather than to tout a candidate. But the airwaves are now clogged with commercials, funded by soft money, that indirectly promote specific candidates.

DIALING FOR DOLLARS

Voters have said loud and clear that they want reform, and the leading contenders have responded. But meanwhile, all four--George W. Bush, Bill Bradley, Al Gore, and John McCain--have bankrolled their campaigns the old-fashioned way, by squeezing big money from rich backers. With an assist from the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity's report, The Buying of the President 2000, here's a guide to where the presidential candidates say they stand on the issue--and to their personal relationships with big-money interests.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R)

"Campaign reformers are asking Republicans to unilaterally disarm, which I will refuse to do."

POSITION: Ban soft money from unions and corporations; allow unlimited donations from individuals; outlaw lobbyists' contributions to Congress while it's in session.

THE RECORD: Refused federal matching funds so he can spend as much money as he wants. Top contributors include oil and gas companies, as well as law firms with ties to big business. Backed legislation favorable to oil industry in Texas, but says campaign donations had nothing to do with his decision.

JOHN MCCAIN (R)

"The influence of money is corrupting our ability to address the problems that directly affect the lives of every American. Without ... reducing the role of money in politics we will never have a government that works as hard for the average American as it does for the special interests."

POSITION: Leading national proponent of campaign finance reform. Tried unsuccessfully to get the...