So it is not at all unusual when an issue cannot achieve 60 votes for it not to go forward. That s the norm around here. As it s currently written, the McCain-Feingold bill would ban the use of soft money, unrestricted contributions meant to build political parties but which, in practice, are used to support specific candidates. It also would restrict spending on issue advocacy ads, which highlight issues as a means of targeting particular candidates for defeat. No one in the Senate has endorsed the use of negative political advertising, but there is disagreement on how and whether it should be regulated.
Negative advertising is the crack cocaine of politics.
We re hooked on it because it works. We re hooked on it because we win elections using it. There s no accountability, no reporting. It s publicly not tied to any candidates. I d watch television.