McCain Urges Reform at Forum

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a last-minute plea for his campaign-finance legislation in a speech at the Kennedy School of Government last night.

With the bill he is co-sponsoring with Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) scheduled to go to the Senate floor today, McCain argued the need for reform to a crowd of at least 800 college and graduate students, Kennedy fellows, and guests.

Among those in attendance were Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry, a Democratic supporter of the McCain Feingold bill, and W. Mitt Romney, who challenged Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 of Massachusetts in Kennedy's 1996 re-election bid.

In an interview with The Crimson, Romney mentioned his esteem for McCain's integrity and his wartime service, calling him an "independent voice among Republican leaders."

"I think the years he spent in a Hanoi prison taught him to be impatient and get to the truth," Romney said.

In her introduction of McCain, Sheila P. Burke, executive director of the Kennedy School and former chief of staff for retired Republican Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, praised McCain for his tenacity.

"He is a man of strong convictions," Burke said. She predicted that, regardless of Senate opposition, he would continue to pursue campaign-finance reform.

While his legislation does not appear likely to receive a vote, McCain promised to persist in his quest to clean up the fundraising system whatever the outcome of today's deliberations.

He cited the recently passed telecommunications bill as an example of legislation marred by political consideration for special interests.

"The bill didn't encourage competition, didn't create jobs, and gave consumers fewer, not more, choices," McCain said. The outcome was not deregulation but "re-regulation by another name."

McCain attributed Americans' cynicism about politics and government to their rising awareness of the influence of wealthy donors and their corporate counterparts.

He stressed the damage done by politicians who think "it safer to sacrifice the national interest than offend some special interests."

After speaking for about 40 minutes, McCain answered audience questions on a wide range of topics. Asked about his reaction to Harvard's policy of not allowing military recruiting on campus, McCain expressed disappointment but said he does not think government ought to mandate campus recruiting.

In answer to an inquiry about Attorney General Janet Reno's letter earlier this week absolving President Clinton of most of his alleged illegal fundraising activities, McCain said he is worried about the "integrity of the Justice Department."

McCain said there has been a pattern of statements denying wrongdoing that are then repudiated by new evidence of impropriety.

Senator Kerry addressed the issue in an interview with The Crimson following McCain's remarks. Kerry said he knows of "no evidence whatsoever that the President engaged in fundraising that violated the law" and refuted McCain's reference to new videotapes that implicate Clinton.

Before departing last night, McCain stated that product-liability reform is next on his legislative agenda and did not rule out seeking the Republican presidential nomination after running for re-election in 1998.