We face a moment of truth in the battle to clean up the corrupt system in Washington. 1996 produced the most scandalous election since Watergate. In 1997 the Thompson Committee documented and detailed this scandal and abuse - virtually all of which arose out of the soft money system.
Majority rule is a basic tenet of our democracy .
Nine out of 10 Americans strongly favor campaign finance reform and a majority of the Senate is on record for ending the soft money system. Those Senators who vote to continue soft money system and for the obstructionist filibuster will be protecting the corrupt status quo and putting their stamps of approval on the scandals of the 1996 election and the findings of the Thompson Committee. Republican Senators who voted for the obstructionist filibuster in October should instead now align themselves with Republican Presidents Bush and Ford, and Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole - each of whom has called for ending the soft money system. But let me make clear that this is not just a political issue. This is an issue about values for each United States Senator to be heard on.