The AFL-CIO is pushing for public funding for all federal campaigns, free television time for candidates and new limits on campaign contributions.
"Our political system is awash with dirty money, corporate money and foreign money," federation president John Sweeney said Monday in a keynote speech at the group's annual convention. "It is corrupting our elected officials and it is corroding the soul of our nation. And it is crowding out the participation and power of workers and their families."Little mention was made of a Senate inquiry into labor's political activities in 1996 or of the Teamsters election fund-raising controversy which has spread to the labor federation.
"It's a very serious matter and I hope it will be cleared up soon," Sweeney told reporters, adding that he was confident the AFL-CIO had done nothing wrong in regard to the Teamsters election.