Not this time. Even the cleanest politician has little luck refuting such a charge because it's impossible to prove a negative. When Bennett and Gorton asked McCain to prove a positive, to show the trail of corruption his Web site so luridly described, he demurred. It's time to move on. This exchange doesn't validate or invalidate the arguments for or against soft money in politics, but it does serve notice to politicians who toss about accusations of corruption as if they were confetti.
Corruption is definable and criminal.
Gore's strategy is to get ahead of former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley among Democrats who favor arms control. To do so, he has to spend campaign funds on the television spots. Every Democratic operative I've talked to expects Gore to receive help during the primary from labor unions and other Democratic constituencies that will produce for him pro-Gore issue spots. While not the same as a soft money donation, these independent expenditure advertisements are a second cousin and will no doubt win from Gore the same kind of gratitude a donation to the Democratic National Committee might elicit. And, of course, many of the same unions and interest groups expected to help Gore in the primaries already donate soft money to the DNC and will do so again.