THE US: Supporters and opponents of campaign finance reform in the House of Representatives yesterday scrambled desperately to win over the few undecided members on a Bill which has been resuscitated by the Enron collapse.
For the first time in years the prospect of real reform of the much-abused system appears to be really on the cards, and the betting is that President Bush will find the political climate deeply hostile to a veto. Yesterday his spokesman said that although the president is unhappy about much of the Bill he would probably sign it.
The House Republican leadership, backed sotto voce by the White House, has sought to portray the so-called "Shays-Meehan Bill", which bans the use of unregulated "soft" money, as an attack on the right to free speech. Groups like the National Rifle Association and the National Right to Life Campaign say a ban would prevent their "issue" advertising.
But, fearful of the tide that seems to be favouring the legislation, Republicans are also putting down an alternative, milder Bill and, simultaneously, a number of "poison pill" radical amendments to the Shays-Meehan measures which would push the legislation even further. In this way they hope to enlist Democrats who regard the proposed legislation as insufficiently tough and at the same time to make the Bill too radical for the centre ground.
The Republican sponsor of the Bill, Mr Christopher Shays, describes such moves as "cynical" and says: "I hope they don't think their constituents are so stupid."
Supporters of the Bill have also been tabling their own amendments to win over that centre ground. One puts off the Bill's effect until after this year's elections; another allows higher cash donations to candidates facing millionaire opponents who use their own cash; while yet another eases curbs on voter turn-out advertisements, a sop to doubting African-American members.
The Bill, a counterpart of which, the McCain-Feingold Bill, has already been passed by the Senate, had languished in a procedural limbo until Enron collapsed. The Bill's supporters employed a rarely-used device to by-pass the dead hand of the House Majority Leader, Mr Richard Armey.
But they are confident they can win this time, courtesy of up to 43 Republicans who have in the past backed similar legislation. If the Bill is passed in a form similar to that of the Senate it goes straight to the President for signature. If amended substantially, the two houses must negotiate an agreed version.
Currently the soft money plays a key role in election campaigns and significantly favours Republicans - a total of $450 million was contributed in the 2000 campaign, roughly the same as hard money, and $240 million of it to Republicans.