Newport-Mesa congressmen vote against reform bill

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- The campaign finance reform legislation passed by the

House of Representatives on Thursday is blatantly unfair to the

Republican Party, one of Newport-Mesa’s congressmen said.

“It’s going after areas that have been most helpful to Republicans,”

said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who represents Costa Mesa.

Rohrabacher voted against the Shays-Meehan bill, which would ban

so-called soft money, as did Rep. Chris Cox, whose district includes

Newport Beach. Cox was unavailable for comment.

Soft money consists of contributions made outside the federal limits,

including large individual or political action committee contributions

and direct corporate or union contributions. This type of money is often

used for political campaign ads to circumvent the current limits.

If President Bush gives the bill his seal of approval, it will

monumentally change the landscape of political fund-raising, established

in the post-Watergate reforms of the 1970s.

While the bill was co-sponsored by a Republican and supported by 41

House Republicans, Rohrabacher called the legislation a fraud.

“It was designed in order to give the liberal establishment and labor

unions leverage so they can win future elections,” Rohrabacher said.

In addition to preventing national political parties from raising soft

money, the bill would also increase the size of contributions that can be

given directly to candidates for federal office and impose new

regulations on broadcast advertising by interest groups that target

candidates in the days before a general or primary election.

The legislation parallels a similar bill the Senate passed in April,

reversing the usual order of campaign finance reform efforts. In the

past, reform legislation was approved by the House but thwarted by

Republicans in the Senate.

Both parties have benefited from soft money in the past -- last year,

the Republicans raised $97.4 million, and the Democrats scored $62.7

million. But Rohrabacher said the new legislation favors the Democratic

Party.

“Reform is when you set down fair guidelines that will increase the

competitiveness of both parties, instead of attacking mainly one side,”

he said.

Rohrabacher voted for both of the two failed Republican alternatives

that the party offered, which contained tighter limits on political

donations. Critics charged these options were merely designed to splinter

the reform coalition.

The congressman, who said he has never accepted any soft money, added

that he isn’t concerned that his vote against the popular measure will

hurt his chances for reelection in November.

“Our voters will decide if they support me or not based on what I want

the government to do or not to do,” Rohrabachersaid.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .