Campaign finance reform devotees characterize the sheer size of a contribution as evil in and of itself. The presence of a quid pro quo is not mandatory. Only the potentialfor some sort of mischief need exist. Gun control advocates tell us that somehow a lifeless object is the source of the problem rather than human action. In the case of a crime that involves gun usage, laws which merely regulate conduct are deemed insufficient.
New laws aimed at gun ownership are suddenly desirable and urgently needed.
But here is the rub. Legislation in either area runs counter to the express language of the Constitution. No place in the Constitution authorizes Congress to regulate money given to candidates. Furthermore, the First Amendment protects so-called issue ads asfree speech. Proponents of campaign finance reform know that soft money cannot effectively be banned without closing the issue ad loophole.