The effort could spark a battle within the state party because chairman Doug Horne says other executive committee members have raised concerns. I really don't understand the import of what he's proposing. Horne said party leaders fear a budget could be used for strategic advantage by opponents. It would be a foolish move to let the Republicans know what we're doing. I'm not interested in having us show our hand.
Soft money represents unlimited and largely unregulated campaign donations to the party committees.
It is viewed as the bane of the current system because political parties can spend the money on issue advertisements to help a candidate, whose spending is limited by campaign finance laws. Gore has pledged that if he wins in November his No. 1 legislative priority will be campaign finance reform, eliminating soft money as the centerpiece. Greg Wanderman, the state party's executive director, said he's confident the committee will reach a compromise, finding a way to oversee the budget without giving it away to Republicans. He sees no conflict between Gore's campaign finance reforms and the way the party handles funds. Horne said campaign budgets change from day to day, depending on the opposition's strategy.