A Win for Campaign Reform

This article appeared in the December 29, 2003 edition of The Nation.

December 11, 2003

In a 5-to-4 decision as we went to press, the Supreme Court upheld nearly all the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act's provisions. It would have been a major setback if the Court hadn't agreed with the law's banning of national party soft money and restrictions on electioneering ads. However, with 95 percent of Americans not giving any money and the bulk coming in $2,000 checks from a tiny, wealthy elite, big money still dominates the electoral process. Candidates and communities without access to wealth are still essentially excluded from meaningful participation. Exhibit A: Bush's Rangers and Pioneers. More reform is needed.

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