Breaking the grip of big money: Candidates expected to raise $300 million for Nov. elections

By Tim Wheeler

This article was reprinted from the May 30, 1998 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

"Money is like a drug that is taking over American democracy," said Ryan McPherson, a spokesman for Public Campaign, a group that advocates public financing of federal elections. "Big money rules. It's not democracy but an oligarchy of cash."

Jarvis Tyner, a vice chair of the Communist Party USA, said the domination of money in U.S. politics "hearkens back to the days when only people of wealth and property could vote and hold office."

Tyner added, "Now we have a system which permits a tiny, wealthy, corporate minority to completely dominate the election process and block independent candidates and parties from succeeding. This has got to change."

Both Tyner and McPherson were commenting on the estimated $300 million the Democratic and Republican parties will raise for this year's congressional elections, an all-time record. Already the two parties of Big Business have raked in a combined $94 million. At least twice that amount is expected to pour in by Nov. 3, while voter turnout is expected to hit a record low.

Public Campaign supports the Shays-Meehan bill, which would curb "soft" money which individuals give to political parties rather than candidates. Most "soft" money is used to buy negative ads such as the racist "Willie Horton" ad that destroyed Michael Dukakis' presidential bid in 1988.

The GOP leadership is adamantly opposed to any curbs on right-wing corporate contributions. They count on this war chest to preserve their slender majority control of the House and Senate. They refused to schedule a floor debate or vote on the bill until 200 members signed a petition demanding it.

A vote on this and other campaign reform measures is expected in June.

These same GOP leaders are strong supporters of legislation by Sen. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to sharply curb labor political action committees (PACs). Hypocritically called "paycheck protection," the law would require unions to get written permission from their members for payroll deductions used for political campaigning. The anti-labor measure - revenge for the highly effective political action of the AFL-CIO in 1996 that removed many ultra-rightists from office - is on the June 2 California ballot as Proposition 226.

The National Association of Business PACs, the Christian Coalition, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and other right-wing outfits have launched a Capitol Hill blitz to block the Shays-Meehan bill. The NRA and the tobacco corporations are among the biggest contributors to the GOP and ultra-right candidates.

Steve Stockmeyer, chief lobbyist of the business PACs outfit, told a reporter they have asked corporate contributors to bombard Congress with messages demanding defeat of Shays-Meehan. "We're spending money to protect the right of 20 million Americans to participate in the political process in the way they choose," Stockmeyer said.

Rep. Shays retorted, "It's not a matter of their voices being denied. It's a matter of disclosure. The truth is, right now they can say outrageous things about anybody and they have no accountability."

Becky Cain, president of the League of Women Voters, told the World, "We had the most expensive election ever in 1996, a 73 percent increase in campaign spending and we had the lowest voter turnout since 1924. Money drives the system. The litmus test for candidates is their ability to raise money, not their ideas or their desire to represent their constituents."

Instead of going to Congress to represent their constituents, Cain charged, politicians "are forced to spend most of their time chasing the almighty dollar to pay for their reelection."

Campaign finance abuse is one of the nation's most serious problems, she said. "It also affects the outlook of citizens. They feel shut out by this great wall of money between themselves and their representatives."

The heavy emphasis on television ads is also replacing the personal style of campaigning. "We no longer have a stress on grassroots organizing, door-to-door canvassing or phonebanking in which candidates and their supporters speak directly to the people," Cain said.

Studies show that a registered voter is 22 times more likely to cast a ballot on Election Day if he has been personally contacted. "So far this year, the voter turnout in the primary elections has been running about 25 percent, which is abysmal," she said.

"It is something Congress can do when they return from recess," Cain said. "They can vote to approve the Shays-Meehan bill." At the same time, Cain said, the bill is no "silver bullet" and other reforms are needed to make government accountable to the people.

Robert Richie, executive director of the Center for Voting and Democracy, told the World his group, too, endorses the bill but warned that more basic changes are needed. He cited proportional representation, which would enable candidates of independent third parties to win election. "The winner-take-all system discourages voter participation because the candidates really don't care how many people turn out as long as they win," Richie said.

Under proportional representation, as contained in a bill introduced by Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.), seats in Congress would be allotted according to a party's share of the popular vote. Thus, even candidates and political parties that receive less than a majority vote could receive a share of the seats in the House and Senate.