Having Your Campaign Reform And Eating It, Too

Democrats provided most of the political oomph, and votes, to pass campaign finance reform. Now they have replaced a pro-reform Democratic FEC commissioner, Scott Thomas, with one opposed to McCain-Feingold.

The drive to remove Thomas reflects growing ambivalence toward the new law among many Democrats, not to mention overt opposition by some pro-Democratic groups, including organized labor. Many unions object to provisions that bar the use of soft money to finance “issue ads” 30 days before primary elections and 60 days before general elections.

Thomas, who has spent his career as an FEC intern, lawyer and commissioner, had sought reappointment. He was backed by self-described campaign finance watchdog groups and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chief sponsor of the law.

“I have a hard time understanding why Senator Daschle, who helped pass McCain-Feingold, would want to put on the commission a dedicated opponent of campaign reform, someone who would use his position not to enforce the law but to weaken it,” McCain said.

I have a hard time with Senator McCain’s having a hard time with this behavior, which is becoming a pattern. After all, Daschle, Gephardt, Lieberman, Kerry, and other Big Dems voted to support the war in Iraq, and have been criticizing it ever since.