Report from Republican Street

McCain's message is more farsighted than the Dem's
opinion by Doug Collins

In the past, the fact that the Free Press address is on Republican Street was a bit embarassing to us, and we Free Pressers would compensate by joking about it. Well, it still is a bit embarrassing, but personally I'm less embarrassed recently now that John McCain, a Republican, is harping on the same issue I've been harping about for years: campaign finance reform.

I never thought it would be a Republican to be the first big-time mainstreamer to espouse this common-sense idea. I'm not running out to join the party, but at least it's got my attention.

The fact is that money in politics is the key problem that keeps our government in the pockets of the rich and keeps our country lagging in quality of life for the average Joe and Jane.

Bill Bradley's universal healthcare promises can never be realized in a political system in which big insurance companies wield so many political strings with their campaign donations. Clinton was elected on a similar healthcare platform in '92, but failed to achieve much of any healthcare reform after his election. The fact we Americans have to face is that campaign finance reform must be solved first and foremost. McCain is facing this glaring problem. No other viable presidential candidate in my living memory has even so much as mentioned this problem.

Gore's got the labor endorsement, but labor would benefit immensely with McCain's campaign finance reform. Right now, labor cannot begin to compete with corporations in giving to campaign coffers. Labor's been playing a losing game for years in this, and this needs change, but Gore's not asking for it.

Another plus for McCain is that he mentions the words "tax" and "class" in the same sentence. Unlike other tax cut plans we've heard about, which are usually stealthily aimed at giving big breaks to the rich, McCain's plan would cut taxes for lower and middle income people.

You don't have to move to Republican Street to start getting together and mobilizing to enact finance reform. You can be Republican, Democrat, Indy, or left-wing. Whether or not McCain ever becomes president, he won't have an easy time accomplishing this reform alone. It's time for non-partisan cooperation on this central issue.