Topics in the News: Campaign Finance
John McCain on Government Reform
: Oct 21, 2007
The 527s need to be eliminated
Q: Let's talk about campaign finance preform, because for a lot of conservatives, I think that's your original sin, if you will. Romney says that it's restricted free speech and, worst of all, it hasn't worked because billionaire liberals give millions
of dollars to these so-called independent 527 groups. Even Fred Thompson, who was one of your main co-sponsors back in 2002, now says it was a mistake.A: Well, I'm grateful for Fred's support on that. It was McCain-Feingold-Thompson and we couldn't
have done it without him, so I'm very appreciative of his support.
Q: Yes, that was five years ago. He's not saying that now.
A: Look, there's millions of more small donors. The 527s need to be eliminated. But soft money was corrupting.
If anybody thinks that we need more special interest money in Washington, I'd like to meet them.
Q: So, bottom line, if you had it all to do over again, would you still go for McCain-Feingold?
A: Absolutely. You've seen the corruption in Washington.
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Source: FOX News Sunday, 2007 presidential interviews
Hillary Clinton on Government Reform
: Sep 23, 2007
Public financing would fix campaign donor problems
Q: Norman Hsu was a big fund-raiser for you, and now has come under federal investigation. Is this changing the way Washington does business?A: Well, I'm very much in favor of public financing, which is the only way to really change a lot of the
problems that we have in our campaign finance system. You know, as soon as my campaign found out that he was a fugitive from justice, we did return any contribution that we could in any way link to him.
A: Back in the 1996 campaign,
Johnny Chung plead guilty to illegally funding of money, under very similar circumstances. How do you convince the American people that you have changed?
A: Well, this is a problem for every campaign. I have more than 100,000 donors, the vast majority
of whom have given me less than $100. We're spending an enormous amount of time and effort raising money, mostly to be clear to go on television. It is not good for our political system. There has to be a way that public financing becomes the law.
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Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series
John McCain on Principles & Values
: Sep 17, 2007
Absent from Values Voter Presidential Debate
Q: You and other members of Congress filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin Right to Life for airing TV ads to encourage the public to lobby their senators to oppose the filibuster of the judicial candidates. Was it really your goal to gag and prevent groups
from being involved in the legislative process during the 60 days before a general election, and 30 days prior to a primary election, as your campaign finance reform law required?SEN. MCCAIN: [absent from podium]
MODERATOR: Silence. Next question.
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Source: 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate
Barack Obama on Government Reform
: Aug 8, 2007
No "bundled" money from federal-registered lobbyists
Q: You have taken a firm stand against accepting money from lobbyists, yet you allow them to raise money for you and "bundle" it. What's the difference between those things?A: No, no, I do not have federal-registered lobbyists bundling for me,
just like I don't take PAC money. People need to know who we are going to fight for. The reason I'm in public life, the reason that I am running for president is because of you, not because of folks who are writing big checks.
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Source: 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum
Barack Obama on Government Reform
: Jul 23, 2007
People know his "bundlers" because he pushed disclosure law
OBAMA: [to Gravel]: We don't just need a change in political parties in Washington. We've got to have a change in attitudes of those who are representing the people. And part of the reason I don't take PAC money, I don't take federal lobbyists' money is
because we've got to get the national interests up front as opposed to the special interests.GRAVEL: Barack Obama says he doesn't take money from lobbyists. Well, he has 134 bundlers. Now, what does he think that is? And, besides that, he has received
$195,000 from the head of a foreign-owned bank who has lobbyists in Washington.
OBAMA: Well, the fact is I don't take PAC money and I don't take lobbyists' money. And the bundlers--the reason you know who is raising money for me, Mike, is because
I have pushed through a law this past session to disclose that. And that's the kind of leadership that I've shown in the Senate. And that's the kind of leadership that I'll show as president of the United States.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Mike Gravel on Government Reform
: Jul 23, 2007
Obama avoids PAC money, but takes lobbyists' bundled money
OBAMA: [to Gravel]: We don't just need a change in political parties in Washington. We've got to have a change in attitudes of those who are representing the people. And part of the reason I don't take PAC money, I don't take federal lobbyists' money is
because we've got to get the national interests up front as opposed to the special interests.GRAVEL: Barack Obama says he doesn't take money from lobbyists. Well, he has 134 bundlers. Now, what does he think that is? And, besides that, he has received
$195,000 from the head of a foreign-owned bank who has lobbyists in Washington.
OBAMA: Well, the fact is I don't take PAC money and I don't take lobbyists' money. And the bundlers--the reason you know who is raising money for me, Mike, is because
I have pushed through a law this past session to disclose that. And that's the kind of leadership that I've shown in the Senate. And that's the kind of leadership that I'll show as president of the United States.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
John Cox on Government Reform
: Jul 2, 2007
Disclosure is best disinfectant for diseased campaign system
We need more statesmen to enter politics, not more career politicians. The 1974 limits on spending have only cemented protected incumbents, who win with large networks of contributors. Immediate disclosure--sunlight--is the best disinfectant
for a diseased campaign finance system. We must also have term limits for Congress, and repeal McCain-Feingold, which stifles free speech and has empowered liberal groups but has had no positive effects.
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Source: Campaign website, cox2008.com
John McCain on Government Reform
: Apr 2, 2007
527s are clearly illegal; reform intended for small donors
Some say McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform is an assault on free speech. When you see soft money that's now banned from going to the parties instead going to these 527s, which are even less accountable than the parties were, can you honestly say
that McCain-Feingold is working?A: We've strengthened the parties. There's millions more small donors. We have taken soft money, which was rampant in Washington, out of the game. The 527s are a violation of the 1974 law. The 527s are clearly illegal.
It's not a problem with law. It's a problem with the FEC who will not enforce the law. So, yeah, we made significant progress, absolutely, and I'm proud of a lot of the results of this. I lived in the environment where a powerful committee chairman would
call and say, "I need a check for seven figures from you, and by the way, your bill is up before my committee next week." That was routine operation in Washington, and we're still seeing manifestations of this kind of corruption.
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Source: Fox News Sunday: 2007 "Choosing the President" interviews
Fred Thompson on Government Reform
: Mar 11, 2007
Reasonable limitations on soft money
Q: You have taken some stands that conservatives may not like. For instance, you voted for John McCain's campaign finance reform.A: I came from the outside to Congress. And it always seemed strange to me.
We've got a situation where people could give politicians huge sums of money, which is the soft money situation at that time, and then come before those same politicians and ask them to pass legislation for them.
I mean, you get thrown in jail for stuff like that in the real world. And so I always thought that there was some reasonable limitation that ought to be put on that, and you know, looking back on history,
Barry Goldwater in his heyday felt the same thing. So that's not a non-conservative position, although I agree that a lot of people have interpreted it that way.
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Source: Fox News Sunday: 2007 "Choosing the President" interviews
Mike Gravel on Principles & Values
: Jan 1, 2007
Has campaigned in NH almost fulltime since April 2006
On April 17, 2006, Gravel became a declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2008 election, announcing his run in a speech to the National Press Club. Although Gravel's campaign has been little-noticed by
the national media, he has campaigned almost full time in New Hampshire, the first primary state, since his announcement and has won the endorsement of campaign finance reform activist (and New Hampshire resident and former Alaska resident) Granny D.
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Source: Wikipedia.org article, "Mike Gravel"
Rudy Giuliani on Government Reform
: Aug 10, 2006
Ardent supporter of campaign finance reform
Giuliani is an ardent supporter of campaign finance reform as well. As he was contemplating a run for the Senate in 2000, Giuliani told Wolf Blitzer that he was a "very, very strong supporter of
Campaign Finance Reform," adding that he'd been "a very strong supporter of McCain-Feingold for a long, long time now."
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Source: Tom Bevan, "Deconstructing Giuliani", RealClearPolitics.com
Tom Tancredo on Corporations
: Jun 6, 2006
Strong immigration stance costs PAC and corporate support
I get little or no support from business political-action committees, largely because many businesses and corporations depend on cheap illegal-immigrant labor to hold down their costs and increase their profits, thus denying better paying jobs to
American workers. In fact, one corporation in my district, First Data Corporation, even formed a PAC to ensure my defeat, telling a county commissioner that if
I didn't "shut up on the immigration issue," they might move the company out of the country.
Ironically, First Data owns Western Union, a company that makes millions of dollars from facilitating the transfer of funds from foreign nationals living in the US to families back home.
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Source: In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo, p. 11
Dennis Kucinich on Government Reform
: Aug 1, 2003
Public financing for elections
[Kucinich supports] comprehensive campaign finance reform and Clean Money public financing of the public's elections; ample free television time for candidates, coupled with the break-up of the media monopolies that restrict political debate.
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Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Dennis Kucinich on Government Reform
: Aug 1, 2003
Will not accept corporate PAC money
I am running my presidential campaign in line with [my] reform principles. I don't take corporate PAC money.
My campaign is financed largely through small donations, mostly through the Internet -- and propelled by thousands of volunteers. A true grassroots campaign.
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Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Mike Huckabee on Government Reform
: Nov 1, 2002
Limit campaign contributions, but no public funding
Q: Do you support limiting individual contributions to state candidates? A: Yes
Q: For PAC contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: For Corporate contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: For Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely
disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
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Source: 2002 AR Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Rudy Giuliani on Government Reform
: Oct 1, 2002
Debates on campaign finance reform miss the point on honesty
Debates on campaign finance reform miss the point. I favor it, but in the final analysis money will not make an honest man dishonest or a dishonest man honest.In politics, there is an outcry whenever an officeholder who has received campaign
contributions from a particular industry supports a position perceived as favorable to that industry. The implication is that, say, the tobacco industry's contribution "bought" the official's support or at least bought access. I would be the last to say
it never happens, but much more common is a company choosing to support those it views as sympathetic to its interests. At any given moment in my administration, someone who supported me was angry because I didn't do what they hoped I would do. If they
withdraw their support, you don't want them around anyway. There's no one thing you can do to establish the principle. All you can do is keep making decisions based on what you believe, and by your example, you will demonstrate your independence.
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Source: Leadership, autobiography by Rudolph Giuliani, p.222-223
Al Gore on Budget & Economy
: Feb 3, 2002
Bush’s policies made $4 trillion in surpluses disappear
Al Gore re-emerged in his home state tonight and unleashed a searing critique of George W. Bush’s policies on issues from the economy to the environment to campaign finance to health care. Gore even invoked former President Bill Clinton -
whom he steered clear of for much of the presidential campaign - in accusing Bush of squandering the last administration’s economic successes. “Not long ago, our economy was very strong because we made the right decisions,
decisions that reflected our values,“ Gore declared. ”Whatever anyone wants to say, I believe Bill Clinton and I did a good job on the economy.
But now, our economy is back in recession, an unbelievable $4 trillion in projected surpluses have disappeared in a single year and public investments in priorities like job training, school construction and health care are once again being slashed.“
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Source: Richard Berke, New York Times
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Oct 30, 2000
Promises weekly open meeting as President
“Power to the people” was Gore’s cry today as he trundled across the fading emerald farmland of Wisconsin in his ongoing struggle to blunt the appeal of Ralph Nader and keep traditionally Democratic states in his column. He promised he would hold an
average of one open meeting a week with ordinary people. He pledged not to add a single extra job to the federal government. And he returned repeatedly to his vow to make the overhaul of the campaign finance system his top legislative priority.
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Source: Katharine Q. Seelye, NY Times
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Oct 3, 2000
McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform will be first bill
GORE [to Bush]: If I’m president, the first bill I will send to Congress is the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. And the reasons it’s that important is that all of the issues like prescription drugs for seniors that is opposed by the drug
companies, will be easier to pass if we limit the influence of special interests. BUSH: I am not going to lay down my arms in the middle of a campaign for somebody who has got no credibility on the issue. I would support an effort to ban corporate
soft money & labor union soft money. I believe there needs to be instant disclosure on the Internet as to who’s given to whom.
GORE: You have attacked my character and credibility and I am not going to respond in kind. One serious problem is that our
system of government is being undermined by too much influence coming from special interest money.
BUSH: I want people to hear what he just said. He is for full public financing of congressional elections. I’m absolutely, adamantly opposed to that.
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Source: (X-ref Bush) Presidential debate, Boston MA
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Sep 30, 2000
Ban soft money and provide free broadcast time
Al Gore might well wish campaign finance reform had not raised its head. An acknowledged king of soft-money, he has not lived down fundraising issues from a Buddhist monastery and using White House telephones. Nonetheless,
perhaps to salve his conscience, he now said he would:Ban soft moneySet up a “Democracy Endowment” that would allow individuals, corporations and unions to contribute to a non-partisan trust used to help provide money for
any congressional candidate who agrees to spending limitsProvide of free broadcast time
Gore says that the first bill he will support and sign as president will be a campaign-finance reform bill.
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Source: The Economist, “Issues 2000” special
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Aug 18, 2000
Campaign finance reform will be very first bill to Congress
If you entrust me with the Presidency, I will put our democracy back in your hands, and get all the special-interest money - all of it - out of our democracy, by enacting campaign finance reform. I feel so strongly about this, I promise
you that campaign finance reform will be the very first bill that Joe Lieberman and I send to Congress. Let others try to restore the old guard. We come to this convention as the change we wish to see in America.
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Source: Speech to the 2000 Democratic National Convention
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Mar 11, 2000
Calls for soft-money ban; but won’t unilaterally disarm
Q: How are you going to contrast yourself with Governor Bush?
A: One is campaign finance reform. I’m still waiting for Governor Bush’s answer on my call to eliminate soft money from this campaign.
Q: You know he’s not going to do that.
A: That’s
the conventional wisdom. But I think some people are underestimating how strongly John McCain feels about that and underestimating the fact that the Republican Party at the grass-roots level doesn’t necessarily support Governor Bush’s position on this.
The support Senator McCain attracted was in part fueled by a grass-roots desire to get rid of soft money, and it comes from Republicans as well as independents and Democrats.
Q: Why not refuse to be part of those soft-money
fund-raisers, just as a symbolic move, if nothing else?
A: I am not going to unilaterally disarm. All Bush has to do to ban soft money is to say yes. And then soft money is completely eliminated from this campaign.
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Source: Press interview on Air Force II
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Mar 3, 2000
Supported “PAC participation in the political process”
[During his Senate campaign in 1984], Gore had sponsored legislation that limited PAC money, but that didn’t stop him from soaking up every PAC dime he could under existing rules. He caucused with PAC representatives, highlighting the votes he had made
in their favor. “I am a strong supporter of PAC participation in the political process,” he told PAC Manager, a PAC newsletter. “I need to raise large sums of money, and I have enjoyed getting involved with the PAC community.”
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Source: Inventing Al Gore, p.153
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Mar 1, 2000
Free TV and radio for candidates during campaigns
Q: Do you support campaign finance reform?
A: I proposed complete public financing of federal elections more than 20 years ago. I don’t accept PAC contributions in this race. I called two years ago for the elimination of so-called soft money
from campaigns. I proposed legislation 10 years ago to require broadcasters, radio and TV to give free time in election years to qualified candidates as a condition of their license. I will put this in the highest priority category and make it happen.
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Source: Democrat debate in Los Angeles
John McCain on Government Reform
: Feb 28, 2000
Replace battle of bucks with battle of ideas
Unless we restore the people’s sovereignty over government, unless we reform our public institutions to meet the demands of a new, we will squander our destiny. Toward that end, I have called for the reform of campaign finance practices that
have sacrificed our principles to the demands of big money special interests. I have spoken against forces that have turned politics into a battle of bucks instead of a battle of ideas. And for that I have been accused of disloyalty to my party.
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Source: Speech in Virginia Beach, VA
John McCain on Government Reform
: Jan 25, 2000
No term limits; they throw away the good with the bad
McCain hewed to his signature theme of campaign finance overhaul. When asked whether he supported term limits, he objected, “My problem is that we throw out the good people as
well as the bad.” But he said that overhauling the campaign finance system would have an effect similar to a term limit’s by ending the “the incumbency protection racket.”
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Source: New York Times, p. A17
John McCain on Government Reform
: Jan 6, 2000
Take away soft money & “hurt the unions bad”
BUSH [to McCain]: Your call for campaign finance reform will hurt conservatives & the Republican Party. McCAIN: The unions carry millions of dollars in checks and soft money down to the Democratic National Committee. Trial lawyers do the same thing.
We’ll hurt the unions bad if we take away their soft money. But what you’re saying is that we should continue what happened in 1996. That’s disgraceful. Chinese & Indonesian money came in to the campaign. We’ll never know about the breaches of security.
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Source: Republican Debate in Durham, NH
Al Gore on Government Reform
: Oct 28, 1999
Has supported bills like McCain-Feingold for 20 years
Q: What would you do to advance real campaign finance reform? A: I support the McCain-Feingold bill. I supported it before it was watered down. I think that [incumbent opposition to campaign reform] is causing serious problems for our
democracy. 20 years ago, I supported and proposed and co-sponsored in the Congress a bill to provide for public financing of elections. I support that today. I will fight to get the influence of big money out of our political system.
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Source: Democrat Debate at Dartmouth College
John McCain on Government Reform
: Sep 20, 1999
Influence peddling helps the Chinese Army
McCain presents himself as an independent voice for reform of the political system, and places his campaign finance ideas at the fore of his presidential bid. He regularly calls the current system “an elaborate influence-peddling scheme.” The McCain
campaign contends that “these lobbyists need to protect their self-interest so much that they’re willing to allow the Chinese Army to continue to make contributions to our political system,” according to McCain’s press secretary.
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Source: Jill Zuckman, Boston Globe, p. A3
John McCain on Government Reform
: Jun 30, 1999
Politicans poll, posture, & influence-peddle
“We have squandered the public trust. We have placed our personal and partisan interest before the national interest, earning the public’s contempt for our poll-driven policies, our phony posturing, the lies we call spin and the damage control we
substitute for progress. And we defend a campaign finance system that is nothing less than an elaborate influence-peddling scheme in which both parties conspire to stay in office by selling the country to the highest bidder,” McCain said.
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Source: CNN AllPolitics
John McCain on Government Reform
: May 10, 1999
Campaign Finance: ban both labor union & corporate donations
McCain said that unlimited “soft money” contributions by businesses to political parties give corporations an undue influence over legislation. What is needed is comprehensive finance reform: “I would support no campaign finance reform that did not
require that every union member give their permission before the union spends money on politics. That’s the good news. The bad news is I would also require that every stockholder give their permission” before businesses could make political contributions
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Source: CNN.com
Tommy Thompson on Government Reform
: Nov 1, 1998
Limit individual, corporate, & PAC political contributions
Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates: Individual?A: Yes.
Q: PAC contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance
information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you support an amendment to
the US Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring organizations that sponsor issue advocacy commercials to fully disclose their receipts and expenditures?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring
all out-of-state organizations that give money to Wisconsin candidates to obey WI campaign finance laws?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support limiting transfers of money between political action committees or campaign committees to $100?
A: Yes.
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Source: WI Gubernatorial 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Newt Gingrich on Government Reform
: Nov 1, 1998
Increase federal limits on individual campaign contributions
Indicate which principles you support regarding campaign finance reform. - Support legislation that would increase the federal limits on individual contributions.
-
Strengthen and enforce legislation that encourages full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information.
- Prohibit non-U.S. citizens from making contributions to federal campaigns.
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Source: Congressional 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Bill Richardson on Government Reform
: Nov 1, 1996
Prohibit PAC contributions; restrict campaign spending
Indicate which principles you support regarding campaign finance reform. - Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- Establish spending limits on congressional campaigns and provide public
funding for complying candidates.
- Pass legislation that would encourage full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information.
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Source: 1996 Congressional National Political Awareness Test