`Straight Talker' Puts Spin on Bush

0 Comments | Insight on the News, March 6, 2000 | by Sheila R. Cherry, | Diana Ray

Like his Democratic counterpart Bradley, McCain has made campaign-finance reform a mainstay of his campaign arsenal. But, Makinson points out, both have been raising money from wherever they can get it, and some of McCain's top contributors are telecommunications lobbyists who have business before his Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. So far, says Makinson, "voters seem willing to give him [McCain] the benefit of the doubt." The memory of the Keating 5 scandal is faint and the public doesn't seem to care about old news.

When McCain drew criticism during the New Hampshire primary for interceding with the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of a lobbyist with business before the Commerce Committee, which McCain chairs, the issue was diffused more by his deft handling of the allegation than its lack of merit, Makinson says.

In his drive to catch up with rival Bush's war chest of more than $70 million, McCain's reform message often is at odds with his fund-raising methods. The Arizona senator seems to have all but ignored his celebrated efforts to ban the practice of bundling campaign contributions.

By law, individuals and organizations each are restricted to a single $1,000 contribution directed to a given campaign. But when individual contributors associated with the same organization allow their donations to be bundled, or sent to a candidate's campaign collectively on behalf of the organization, they frustrate the restrictions. McCain-Feingold proposed banning the practice. Indeed, McCain attacked bundling as unethical. But according to McCain supporters, the senator has accepted bundled contributions. In a Gay Financial Network Webzine article in February, Kevin Ivers, press spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay and lesbian political-action group, reported: "John McCain, in this cycle, has received $40,000 in contributions from our members through our PAC. No other presidential candidate has received any contributions.... With McCain, it has all been bundling. We have made no direct contributions."

Federal election records indicate that the McCain campaign also has accepted bundled contributions from the employees of telecommunications giants U.S. West and BellSouth Corp., the media group Viacom Inc. and software giant Microsoft Corp. According to a CRP news release, the international investment bank of Goldman, Sachs Group Inc. has given bundled contributions not only to the McCain campaign but to Bush, Gore and Bradley as well.

Columnist Nelson tells Insight that he does not see a conflict of interest. "He's not a hypocrite. These are the rules. You can't ask Mother Teresa to come and run without money. She'd run and she'd lose. He's campaigning according to the rules he wants to change."

Common Cause, a liberal lobby group, echoes that perspective. Its legislative director, Meredith McGehee, tells Insight, "Anyone who has participated in the system is tainted because it is the system that is corrupt. Unless someone new comes in, they can't claim sainthood. My measure of the hypocrisy is what amount of political capital is being spent, and John McCain passes. He has very clearly taken on his party. President Clinton talks a good game, but never in his entire presidency did he spend political capital."