| WASHINGTON - October 30 - There's a proposal afloat at the Federal Election Commission that would make it easier for parties to take advantage of the soft money system in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It's a surprisingly bad idea that deserves to be deflated when the Commission meets on Thursday.
The FEC, without even the opportunity for public comment, is poised to go below and beyond the Democratic party's cynical request for an advisory opinion in this area by actually changing their rules altogether. It's like adding injury to insult.
This is a time when public confidence in the integrity of government really matters. That confidence is fragile enough without the FEC widening the very loophole that gives big corporations, labor unions, and the wealthiest of individuals greater sway on Capitol Hill.
We've already seen how so-called economic stimulus legislation passed by the House became a gravy train for campaign donors. Even the Wall Street Journal complained that this bill was "chock full of corporate goodies and feckless rebates."
The parties claim they are raising less money from corporations, union treasuries, and fewer unlimited contributions from the wealthy in the last month. It's the kind of money that they shouldn't be raising and laundering into federal campaigns in the first place.
The FEC shouldn't be sympathetic to the parties' complaint, which really boils down to the notion that it's harder for the parties to use the soft money system to get around the law these days. And the FEC has no business making it easier.
###
|
