Campaign Finance Reform Legislation

I am struck by the flexibility Rep. Elton Gallegly exhibits when it comes to matters of principle.

He signed on as a co-sponsor of the Shays-Meehan bill, the House version of campaign finance reform, months ago, and declared his position in statements and letters.

But when the House leadership bottled it up in committee, Gallegly’s “strong support for campaign finance reform” was not strong enough to move him to sign the petition to bring it to the floor of the House for a vote, because “as a matter of principle, I do not sign discharge petitions,” even for a bill he co-sponsored.

When the Enron debacle turned a spotlight on runaway campaign contributions, other representatives came forward to move the bill out of committee. It was debated long and hard on Feb. 13 and well into the next morning and was passed with a comfortable margin.

But Gallegly reversed his position, shifted his principles and voted against the bill he had co-sponsored. In other words, he felt that no reform was better than his own bill.

It would appear that Gallegly’s “principles” can be adjusted to suit the dictates of his party’s leadership.

If we are to believe the pronouncements of Speaker [Dennis] Hastert last week about the significance of this vote, you and I have just witnessed “Armageddon!” Wow! I never thought I’d live to see the day.

Mr. Gallegly, nothing conceived by man is perfect or lasts forever. Even something as simple as a zipper will break, but while it lasts it sure beats the heck out of buttons!

Robert H. Byrnes

Camarillo