Money Trumps Fair Politics

The arrogant manner in which Senate majority leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) choked off debate on campaign finance reform is an affront to American voters and the concept of fairness in elections. On Tuesday, Lott and his lieutenants gave the back of their hands to the majority of senators who voted for the bill and Americans who support reform. Under Senate rules invoked by Lott, the bill needed a super-majority of 60 votes to break a Republican-led filibuster. Is that fair play in what is supposed to be the world’s greatest deliberative body? Hardly.

Earlier this year, Lott pledged to set aside five days to debate the reform measure sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.). They were given three. And Lott led McCain to believe that he would get an up-or-down vote on the bill, requiring only 51 votes to pass the Senate. In fact, the Senate only got to vote on the procedure used to manipulate the debate. McCain could not hide his bitterness. “Maybe I shouldn’t have relied on people who said we’d have a fair and open debate,” he said.

At least in the House, members got to vote on a similar measure to ban political parties from soliciting campaign contributions with no limit, that form of fund-raising called “soft money.” The bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, 252 to 177.

McCain may try to revive his bill later by proposing it as an amendment to other legislation. We urge him to do so, as often as necessary. Of course his foes will be waiting with more parliamentary tricks to deny a vote. Big money not only is corrupting the American political system, it is holding the U.S. Senate hostage.