TAKING MCCAIN-FEINGOLD TO COURT

The Supreme Court held an extraordinary four-hour session of oral arguments to consider the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. Few press reports noted how little has changed in politics since George W. Bush signed the law a year and a half ago. Soft-money contributions to the federal political parties, which ballooned to nearly $500 million in the 2000 election, have been banned, but that hasn't prevented everyone from Tom DeLay to Harold Ickes from forming supposedly independent committees that are expected to raise and spend hundreds of millions on the 2004 elections. Millions more will no doubt flow through state and local party committees, with the goal of affecting federal contests. Has the new law done anything to enhance the role of small contributors? In 2000 the percentage of federal campaign money raised from small donations (less than $200) shrank to 18 percent, from 31 percent in 1996. Two-thirds of Bush's funding in the 2000 primaries came from people writing $1,000 checks. Now, individuals can give as much as $2,000 to a candidate. So far, three-quarters of Bush donors have written him $2,000 checks. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the average contribution to major candidates for President in 2004 ranged from $598 for Dennis Kucinich to $1,520 for Bush. The Court should uphold McCain-Feingold, but only full public financing of elections can bring about real change in the campaign finance system.

STATIC ON BIG MEDIA MERGERS

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