BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: DougR
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 11:57 PM

So what about the Shamrock, Bobert? Is it still there? If so, Carole can join us if she wishes!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:05 PM

Now, I just signed a non-compete contract with my ol' buddy, Doug. But that was on another thread. Does than count? Where's a lawyer when you need one (as if one should ever "need" a lawyer...nevermind). But this one seems like a mob reaction in that we see a lot of Democrats also trying not to get any of that nasty stuff on them either. Like I have said before and reserve the option of saying again: We won't move forward from this grain of sand on the time line with a governemnt comprised of not much more than two rival fraternaties running the joint.

DARE.... TO THINK... OUT OF THE BOX........

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: CarolC
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 09:22 PM

"instant karma's gonna get you... "

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: DougR
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:59 PM

'Tis as I thought then. :>)

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 01:10 PM

Here fishy fishy DougR. Here fishy fishy DougR.

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: DougR
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 01:09 PM

Gee, another "Guest" posting a political thread! I'm shocked!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:27 AM

Good one! Bet there's a song in that one!

Subject: RE: BS: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: paddymac
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 09:57 AM

So where's the music in all this? Gee. How could I not see it. It's time to "face the music!"

Subject: Republican Rats Leap from Enron Ship
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 09:21 AM

From today's Washington Post:

Campaign Bill Heads For a Vote In House Petition Forces Action On 'Soft Money' Ban _____Campaign Finance_____

• Campaign Finance Bill Nears Another Key Moment in House (The Washington Post, Dec 30, 2001) • Campaign Finance Petition Sails (The Washington Post, Aug 1, 2001) • For Black Caucus, Big Stake in Soft Money (The Washington Post, Jul 21, 2001) • Shays, Allies Seek Vote on Finance Bill (The Washington Post, Jul 19, 2001) • Shays: Campaign Finance Effort 'Not Going Away' (The Washington Post, Jul 14, 2001) • More News

_____Recent Articles_____

• Andersen Officials Grilled on Shredding (The Washington Post, Jan 25, 2002) • New Players On an Old Stage (The Washington Post, Jan 25, 2002) • For Gramms, Enron Is Hard to Escape (The Washington Post, Jan 25, 2002) • NSC Aided Enron's Efforts (The Washington Post, Jan 25, 2002) • 'You Were Right' (The Washington Post, Jan 25, 2002) • Special Report: Enron Probe

_____More on Enron_____

• Timeline of Collapse • Graphic: Key Dates • Special Report: Accounting Industry • Stock Quote and News • Historical Chart • Company Description • Analyst Ratings

_____Enron and Politics_____

• India Connection: A chronology of administration dealings with Enron's Dahbol Power Plant in India • Key Political Players • Administration Discussions • Graphic: Democrats' Share

_____Video_____

• Bush on Enron • Post's Babington, Hilzenrath • Post's Milbank • Post's Hilzenrath

_____OnPolitics_____

• Latest Political News • E-mail Updates

E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version Subscribe to The Post By Juliet Eilperin and Helen Dewar Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, January 25, 2002; Page A01

Legislation to curb the influence of special interest money in campaigns received a powerful boost yesterday as its supporters in the House gathered enough signatures to force a vote despite the wishes of House Republican leaders.

Lawmakers credited the unfolding scandal surrounding Enron Corp. -- which gave millions of dollars to congressional and presidential candidates -- with advancing the effort to ban unlimited "soft money" donations to parties.

The Senate passed such a measure last spring. But House GOP leaders, who oppose the measure because they say it favors Democrats and raises possible constitutional problems, have refused to let it come to a vote in their chamber.

In a rare defiance of leadership, supporters of the legislation gained the upper hand yesterday when two more Republicans and two Democrats added their names to a "discharge petition," bringing the number of petitioners to 218. Under House rules, leaders now must bring the bill to a vote, possibly within a few weeks.

The vote could represent the best chance in years to overhaul campaign finance regulations, which have come under increasing criticism as both parties have found ways to evade the rules' intent. Supporters of the bill caution, however, that they still face substantive and procedural hurdles -- including the adamant opposition of powerful figures such as House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

"This is an extraordinary day, and I think it will lead to some tremendous good for our country," said Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), co-author of the bill.

If it passes, the legislation would mark the first major revision of campaign finance laws since the mid-1970s changes prompted by the Watergate scandal. President Bush has not promised to sign the legislation, but White House spokesman Ari Fleischer reiterated yesterday, "The president has made it very clear to Congress that they cannot count on him to veto campaign finance reform."

In a closed-door GOP meeting yesterday morning, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) warned colleagues of the approaching showdown. With Democrats poised to regain control of the House if they can gain six seats in November's election, the political stakes are huge, Hastert noted.

"Six people wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for soft money," Hastert said, according to a participant.

The bill, sponsored by Shays and Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), would ban the massive soft money contributions that corporations, unions and wealthy individuals make to political parties. These donations totaled nearly $500 million in the last election. Much of it funded negative commercials couched as "issue ads" to evade spending limits that apply to each candidate's official campaign.

The measure also would restrict ads by independent groups that target federal candidates in an election's closing weeks.

The House has passed similar legislation twice before, in 1998 and 1999, but a Senate Republican-led filibuster blocked it from becoming law. When Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) pushed their version through the Senate early last year, House leaders came under renewed pressure to bring legislation to a vote. The Shays-Meehan bill is similar to the McCain-Feingold measure.

In addition to potentially crippling amendments, the Shays-Meehan measure faces competition from a rival bill sponsored by Reps. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.). Under their proposal, Congress would limit soft money contributions to $75,000 for each national party committee and would prohibit the parties from spending that money on issue ads. State and local parties would be exempt. Those who want to ban soft money say the Ney-Wynn bill would allow national parties as much as $225,000 in such donations annually.

Hastert had scheduled a vote on the competing proposals in July after gaining support for the Ney-Wynn version from some black Democrats. But the effort collapsed when Hastert crafted a floor procedure that Shays and others said would effectively scuttle their bill.

Since then, Shays and Meehan have been gathering the 218 signatures needed for the petition. Only 11 such petitions have succeeded since 1967.

Several House Democrats, as well as most Republicans, were reluctant to add their names. Meehan, who personally escorted Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) to the well of the House yesterday so she could sign the petition, said there were "many individual acts of courage behind those signatures."

Wisconsin Rep. Thomas E. Petri, one of two Republicans to sign the discharge petition yesterday, said he informed Hastert this week that he thought the GOP was better off addressing campaign finance "earlier rather than later."

"I feel I've served my party as well as my country," Petri said. "The Enron debacle brings to life for a lot of people the concept of soft money. Until now this was an inside-the-Beltway game."

Several senior Republicans, however, said they are determined to stop the Shays-Meehan bill.

"I would rather defeat so-called campaign finance reform than pass legislation that stops the voices of citizens' First Amendment rights to speak out, obliterates the political parties and hinders crucial get-out-the-vote efforts which are so important to the American election process," Ney said. "Supporters of this legislation will attempt to say that passage of their bill will stop the next Enron meltdown, Buddhist temple fundraiser or Keating Five scandal, but their rhetoric does not match the reality."

Proponents of the Shays-Meehan bill face the challenge of passing it without significant changes so the Senate can accept it. Otherwise, the two chambers would enter negotiations to reach a compromise, which could doom the bill.

Staff writer Dana Milbank contributed to this report.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company