BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Most Tristate members opposed the two major campaign finance reform measures the House voted on Thursday.
But the one bill that emerged from the monthlong debate and goes to the Senate had the support of Reps. Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville, Ohio; Lee Hamilton, D-Nashville, Ind.; and Scotty Baesler, D-Lexington, Ky. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Marty Meehan, D-Mass.
"We all proved them dead wrong," Mr. Baesler, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky, said of the skepticism that campaign finance reform would never pass.
Opposing it were Republican Reps. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park; Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati; John Boehner, R-West Chester; and Jim Bunning, R-Southgate.
All the area Republicans except Mr. Chabot also opposed the major alternative to Shays-Meehan, the so-called "freshman bill."
The Shays-Meehan bill would ban "soft money," the unlimited contributions made by wealthy individuals and corporations directly to political parties. It also would regulate issue advocacy advertising by independent groups close to an election.
The freshman bill would have continued to permit soft money contributions to parties at the state level, while placing less stringent regulations on issue advocacy advertising.
Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Strickland both said they were bothered by the freshman bill's continuing to permit soft money at the state level.
"That is a huge loophole," Mr. Hamilton said.
Area Republicans said they considered Shays-Meehan to be constitutionally suspect in its attempt to restrict political fund-raising and activity.
"That might cause us to come back to the drawing board were this to become law," Portman press aide Brian Besanceney said.
The Republican leadership -- which includes Mr. Boehner, the Republican Conference chairman -- was accused of structuring the debate and votes in a way that would make it difficult to pass Shays-Meehan, a charge Republican leaders denied.
"We believe in allowing the House to work its will," Boehner aide Dave Schnittger said.
