On Nov. 21, the members of the House of Representatives took another giant step to ensure their re-election. The name of the bill they passed (by a vote of 220-207) was Campaign Finance Reform. Of course, Congressman Bill Orton voted for the "incumbent protection plan."
Campaign reform? What a joke. One of the conservative congressman from Wisconsin, Steve Gun-der-son, said, "What we're doing here tonight isn't reform, it's fraud." Even a Democrat from Oklahoma conceded, calling it an "incumbent protection plan," and a Massachusetts Democrat Martin Meehan said the reform was "more cosmetic than substantive."One of the biggest problems is the support of incumbents by special interest groups. These groups contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars through Political Action Committees. Any campaign finance reform must dramatically change or limit PAC contributions, or it simply doesn't go far enough.
Lee Workman
Provo