Nowhere is the juncture between campaign-finance reform and the making of legislation seen more clearly than on the China trade issue. I am convinced that were it not for the enormous amounts of soft money flowing into my party's coffers, many of my fellow Republicans would avoid doing anything like helping construct the Clinton legacy. It is not, after all, as though there were deep and widespread support for permanent MFN among the Republican faithful. Among Republicans, those who oppose permanent MFN hold a slight edge in the recent polls. Among the hardcore GOP base, the party faithful who actually vote and do the heavy lifting at the grassroots level, the opposition to rewarding China's bad behavior is doubtless even greater.
Money is the only explanation.
The China lobby has showered millions of dollars in soft-money contributions on both parties. This is how the soft-money system corrupts and distorts our political process and why I supported fair campaign finance reform during my presidential campaign. There are good reasons for the public's skepticism toward the China deal. Despite a decade and more of liberalized trade with China, the human rights situation is worsening by the State Department's own admission. Corporate America, of course, dismisses such legitimate concerns.