Washington — The Senate signaled support for the soft money ban at the heart of campaign finance legislation backed by Sen. John McCain on Tuesday amid fresh indications that President Bush would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
On a vote of 60-40, the Senate rejected a move by Sen. Chuck Hagel to limit the loosely regulated donations customarily five or six figure checks given the political parties without outlawing them.
"Our principal goal has been for a long time to get rid of soft money," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., exulted afterward. "This was the vote that got rid of soft money."
The vote came as Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., confirmed reports that Bush had told him he was prepared to sign the bill if it clears Congress, despite longstanding misgivings about the elimination of soft money. In an interview, Burns said he and the president on Monday had a "private conversation" aboard Air Force One that Burns was reluctant to discuss. But asked whether reports circulating about Bush's remarks were true, Burns answered in the affirmative.
Separately, one Bush adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House is letting lawmakers know the president would be willing to sign a ban despite his refusal to embrace it during last year's presidential primary competition with McCain.
"He does believe that individuals should be able to give (soft money) donations, but he wants to balance that philosophy with his desire to sign campaign finance reform legislation," said one presidential adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The midday Senate vote on soft money was one in a series of tests confronting McCain, Feingold and others struggling to hold their coalition together as they press for final passage.
Within hours, attention turned to the next issue as Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., advanced an amendment to raise the 27-year-old limits on the contributions that donors may make to candidates, PACs and some other organizations.
Thompson proposed raising the limit on a single donation from $1,000 a year to $2,500, and would lift the limit on total donations from one individual from $25,000 a year to $50,000.
"This bill is about lessening the influence of money in politics. It's not about increasing" it, Feingold said.
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