Dole Proposes Campaign Finance Reforms

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AllPolitics, Oct. 21) -- Seeking to keep the spotlight on Democratic Party fund-raising practices, Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole announced a "proposal to clean up campaign finance."

Speaking in Manchester Sunday, Dole outlined a four-point plan to counter what he said was a "major scandal involving the flow of foreign money into the Democratic Party," referring to recently disclosed contributions from Indonesian citizens.

"Number one on the agenda is to require that only American citizens can make a donation to a candidate or political party," Dole said. Dole said as president he would name a bipartisan committee to study ways to eliminate so-called "soft money" donations from labor unions and corporations to political parties.

His proposal would also end the use of mandatory contributions such as labor union dues for political purposes, Dole said. And, the Kansan said his plan would also reduce the influence of political action committees.

"We make these changes, we'll be close to ensuring that elections in America are open and honest," Dole said. "And I would simply ask President Clinton, will you join us in these common-sense reforms? And if not, why not?"

Democrats, reacting to the Dole proposals, argued that as Senate majority leader, Dole blocked many of the very reforms he is now championing with just more than two weeks left before the election.

"We agree that campaign finance reform is long overdue and should be dealt with in a bipartisan fashion," Clinton-Gore official Joe Lockhart declared in a statement. "But it's a little late and disingenuous for Bob Dole to promote campaign finance reform."

Dole, who has campaign stops scheduled today in Detroit and Kalamazoo, Mich., remained upbeat this weekend, though his new willingness to attack President Clinton was having little effect on public opinion polls which continue to show the president leading by double digits nationally.

In New Hampshire, a state in which Dole has a rocky political track record, the candidate declared, "I'm in New Hampshire because I want to win..." he told an audience. "I've placed second a couple of times. I want to place first for a change."

The president is also in the Midwest with stops planned in Detroit and Cleveland. Warning his supporters against overconfidence, Clinton nevertheless spent much of Sunday raising funds for congressional candidates.

"I'd like to celebrate, scream and shout, but it's not over yet," the president told supporters in Teaneck, N.J. "It's a long way from over."

Dole Proposes Campaign Finance Reforms

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