Congress can throw up obstacles to a WTO deal by refusing to change the law requiring China to undergo annual legislative approval of its access to the U.S. market. But for some the prospect of donors traipsing through the historic Kennedy home brought to mind the controversial overnight stays in the White House's Lincoln Bedroom, rides on Air Force One and coffee with President Clinton that the Democrats provided big contributors during the 1996 presidential campaign. The outreach to the well-heeled, Smith said, represents no retreat on the part of Democrats on the need for campaign finance reform. In order to reform the system, Democrats need to win back the House of Representatives,'' he said. And the rules as they're now written encourage campaign organizations to seek checks with as many zeros as possible.
Republicans are by no means under-nourished, however, when it comes to campaign cash.
But in both elections, Democrats managed to pick up seats. Various Kennedys running for office over the years frequently have rewarded donors with visits to the Hyannis Port compound, which first gained fame when John Kennedy was elected president in 1960. But this year's DCCC-sponsored retreat marks the first time the home will be used for a major, national campaign contribution drive.