GOING ON . AS WE LOOK AT WHAT IS IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE FACTS
           THAT WE CANNOT REMAIN THE ONLY BUYING NATION IN A WORLD OF
           SELLERS, THAT WE CAN FOUGHT BE IMMUNE TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN
           THE PACIFIC RIM, THE SOVIET UNION, AND PERHAPS JAPAN AND SOUTH
           AMERICA. THE TROUBLING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THERE. WE CAN FOUGHT
           FOR EVER BE IMMUNE, OUR ECONOMY CANNOT, FROM WHAT IS GOING ON
           IN THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE SEE AS WE BROADEN OUR PERSPECTIVE

           A FOREIGN POLICY THAT IS IN SHAMBLES IN MANY RESPECTS. WE SEE
           THAT WE ARE LOSING THE RESPECT, IN MANY WAYS, THAT THE UNITED
           STATES HAS HAD AROUND THE WORLD. IT IS EVIDENCED BY OUR
           TROUBLED COALITION WITH REGARD TO OUR COALITION WITH IRAQ. A
           VERY TROUBLING POLICY WITH IRAQ WHERE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE
           AMERICAN'S NATIONS LEADING FIGURES ARE AT ISSUE. IT IS AT ISSUE
           WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COUNTRY LIKE NORTH KOREA WITH WHICH WE ARE

           SUPPOSE TODAY HAVE A NUCLEAR UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT AS
           THEY SEND MISSILES ACROSS JAPAN. WE ARE TOLD BY THE RUM FELLED
           COMMISSION THAT ROGUE OUTLAWED NATION WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY
           WITHIN A FEW YEARS THE CAPABILITY OF LAUNCHING A MISSILE TO HIT
           THE COULDN'T NAL UNITED STATES CONTAINING BLOJ -- COULDN'T NAL
           UNITED STATES CONTAINING BIOLOGICAL OR NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES. I
           THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH SOMEWHAT OF A
           PERIOD OF READJUSTMENT IN THEIR THINKING. BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT

           ONLY THAT BUT WE HAVE VERY MUCH OF A TROUBLED PRESIDENCY. WE
           HAVE SEEN FOR SOME TIME NOW THAT WHILE NOBODY HAS BEEN PAYING
           MUCH ATTENTION TO A LOT OF THESE THINGS, THE LEVEL OF CYNICISM
           CONTINUES TO GO UP IN THIS COUNTRY. WE SEE THE PEW REPORT THAT
           SHOWS THE CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY  IS LOW.
           WE SEE THAT THIS LACK OF CONFIDENCE IS EVEN GREATER AMONG OUR
           YOUNG PEOPLE. A LOT OF PEOPLE USED TO ATTRIBUTE THE GROWING

           CYNICISM AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE -- SOMEWHAT AFFECTED BY THE
           ECONOMY AS IT GOES UP AND DOWN -- FUNDAMENTALLY THE CYNICISM
           GROWS A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY BECAUSE OF WATERGATE, IRAN-CONTRA,
           BECAUSE OF VARIOUS OTHER THINGS. THE ASSASSINATIONS FOR ONE
           GENERATION THAT WE SAW IN DR. KING AND THE PRESIDENT AND SO
           FORTH. BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW IN THESE REPORTS IS THAT THE
           CYNICISM AND THE CONCERN IS THE GREATEST AMONG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
           WHO HAVE NEVER WITNESSED OR HAD TO EXPERIENCE MANY OF THESE
           THINGS. SO IT MAKES IT EVEN MORE TROUBLING. SO ALL OF THIS GOES

           TO THE POINT OF NOW THAT WE SEE THE NEED FOR STRONG LEADERSHIP,
           AFTER WE HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO DESTROY THE CONFIDENCE THE
           AMERICAN PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE HAVING IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS
           COUNTRY, WHO IS GOING TO LISTEN TO OUR LEADERS?
           I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW, AND PEACE AND
           PROSPERITY WE CAN GO ON AUTOPILOT FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT IF OUR
           PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE DISTRUSTFUL OF THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT AND

           CYNICISM LEVELS RISE, ESPECIALLY AMONG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, WHEN
           TH PENDULUM SWINGS BACK AS IT INVARIABLY DOES, AND WE NO LONGER
           HAVE PEACE AND WE TO LONGER HAVE PROSPERITY, WHERE IS THE
           LEADERSHIP GOING TO BE AND WHO IS GOING TO FOLLOW THE
           LEADERSHIP OR THOSE OF US IN WASHINGTON WHO STAND UP AND SAY
           HERE IS THE WAY, HERE IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. THIS IS THE WAY
           OUT OF THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE BEEN IN PROBLEMS BEFORE AND WE CAN
           GET OUT OF THIS ONE IF YOU FOLLOW US. WHO IS GOING TO FOLLOW US?
           THAT'S A QUESTION YET TO BE ANSWERED. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE

           HAVE DONE TO OUR INSTITUTIONS UP HERE, IN MANY CASES BY OUR OWN
           ACTIONS IN MANY CASES FOR OTHER REASONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE
           ANSWER TO THAT. AND WHEN THE TOUGH TIMES COME AS THEY
           INVARIABLY WILL IN THE SHORT-TERM OR THE LONG TERM, I ONLY HOPE
           THAT WE ARE STRONG ENOUGH IN OUR INSTITUTIONS IN THE PRESIDENCY
           AND THE CONGRESS AND THE RPECT FOR OUR COURT SYSTEMS, TO BE
           ABLE TO LEAD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHERE WE NEED TO GO. MR.
           PRESIDENT, THAT'S WHY THIS ISSUE THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING TODAY

           IS DOUBLY IMPORTANT. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE VERY FUNDAMENTALS OF
           OUR GOVERNMENT. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY WE FINANCE CAMPAIGNS
           IN THIS COUNTRY. THE WAY WE ELECT THE ELECTED LEADERS WHO IN
           TURN ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAD US. WHEN WE NEED THAT LEADERSHIP. AND
           I MUST SAY THAT IN MY OPINION, THAT WE NOW HAVE THE WORST
           CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD IN THIS COUNTRY.

           IN FACT YOU CANNOT CALL IT A CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM AT ALL. IT
           IS A SITUATION THAT IS AN OPEN INVITATION TO ABUSE. IT IS AN
           OPEN INVITATION TO CORRUPTION. IT IS AN OPEN INVITATION TO
           CYNICISM. AND AFTER THE SCAN TALL OF THE 1996 CAMPAIGN, IF WE
           DON'T DO -- SCANDAL OF THE 1996 CAMPAIGN, IF WE DON'T DO
           ANYTHING ABOUT IT, THE LEVEL OF CYNICISM I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER
           IS GOING TO BE EVEN HIGHER. IF PEOPLE THINK NOW WE HAVE GOTTEN
           OVER THE HUMP AND EVERYONE LOVES CONGRESS NOW, YOU WAIT UNTIL

           THAT ECONOMY DIPS A LITTLE BIT AND IT WILL ALL COME BACK TO THE
           TREND THAT ITS BEEN FOLLOWING FOR A LONG, LONG TIME NOW. IT IS
           A SCANDAL WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT IS A SYSTEM NOW THAT AFTER ALL
           THIS TIME HAS COME TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS NO LIMITATION ON
           BIG CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS, OR BIG LABOR CONTRIBUTIONS, AND WE
           ARE SPENDING MORE AND MORE AND MORE TIME GOING AFTER MORE AND

           MORE AND MORE MONEY FROM FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE
           MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IS FUELING OUR SYSTEM. THE SAME PEOPLE
           THAT COME BACK BEFORE US WANTING US TO EITHER PASSION OR DEFEAT
           LEGISLATION. MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE SAID EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN
           IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, I SAY HERE AGAIN TODAY, THAT IS A
           SYSTEM THAT CANNOT LAST. THAT IS AN INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEM
           THAT CANNOT LAST OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME. SO NOW BECAUSE OF
           THAT SYSTEM EVERYBODY IS ONTO IT AND THE RACE IS ON AND WE ARE

           SEEING THE MILLIONS GO TO TENSE OF MILLIONS AND THE TENS OF
           MILLIONS GO TO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS BEING PUT IN BY THE
           LARGE CORPORATIONS AND THE LARGE LABOR UNIONS AND THE LARGE
           VESTED INTERESTS WHO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF DOLLARS. AND IT MAKES
           ME WONDER WHAT THE SMALL DONOR, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BEDROCK OF
           MY PARTY, WHAT THE SMALL DOUGH NOR PERCEIVES HIMSELF IN ALL
           THIS. WE ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH CHECKOFF FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL

           SYSTEM RIGHT NOW. THE CHECKOFF FROM A TAX RETURN FOR PUBLIC
           FINANCING. THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO FAIL. VOTER TURN OUT NOW IS
           AT AN ALL TILE LOW. WE ARE GETTING DOWN THERE WITH SOME OF THE
           BANANA REPUBLICANS -- BANANA REPS. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE
           FACT THAT THE AVERAGE GUY SEES THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT

           TO DO WITH HIM OR HER. THE IRONIC PART ABOUT IT, MR. PRESIDENT,
           IS THAT THIS IS NOT EVEN A SYSTEM THAT WE CREATED IN THE UNITED
           STATES CONGRESS. WE COULDN'T HAVE. NO ONE WOULD EVER COME IN
           HERE AND OFFER A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CREATE A
           SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TODAY. WE CAN DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT
           FURTHER IN A MOMENT. SO THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS -- WE HAVE HAD A
           LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE AMENDMENT AND THE
           DETAILS OF THE LEGISLATION, AND SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE

           BROADER PRINCIPALS INVOLVED -- BUT THE CRUX OF IT ALL HAS TO DO
           WITH WHETHER OR NOT WE THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE
           UNLIMITED CORPORATE LABOR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLITICAL
           CANDIDATES AND INCUMBENTS, AND TO HAVE THOSE CONTRIBUTORS COME
           AND TRY TO GET LEGISLATION PASSED AFTER THEY HAVE GIVEN US ALL
           THAT MONEY. I THINK ASKING THE QUESTION ANSWERS IT WHEN YOU PUT

           IT OUT LIKE THAT. I THINK IT ANSWERS ITSELF. I THINK THE ANSWER
           IS NO. WE DON'T WANT THAT, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE GOT.
           WHY DO I SAY THAT I THINK WE DON'T WANT THAT WHETHER PEOPLE
           SEEM TO BE SO AFRAID OF REFORM?
           WELL, IT'S BECAUSE THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE HISTORY WE HAVE
           INDICATED THAT WE DON'T WANT THAT, BECAUSE WE OURSELVES LEARNED
           SOME THINGS, SOME TIMES, FROM HISTORY, AND WE LOOK AROUND THE
           WORLD AND SEE SEE THAT YOU KNOW, ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO

           SCHOLARS WERE SAYING THAT THIS IS A SORT OF THING THAT BROUGHT
           DOWN THE ROMAN EMPIRE. THE VENECIANS IMPOSED STRICT LIMITATIONS
           ON CONTRIBUTIO AND MONEY THAT WOULD GO TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
           THEY HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IF DONORS HAD FAVORS TO ASK THEY WERE
           NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE ANYTHING. WE HAVE SEEN THAT POLITICAL
           INFLUENCE MONEY BROUGHT DOWN ENTIRE POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN TIMES
           PAST IN JAPAN AND ITALY. WE HAVE SEEN CORRUPTION THIS SOUTH

           KOREA, MEXICO, IT IS ALL AROUND US. AT THE END OF THE LAST
           CENTURY INFLUENCE BUYING SCANDALS. THE WATER GATE CAMPAIGN
           FINANCE SCANDAL. TIME AND TIME AGAIN. SO WE HAVE SEEN THAT AND
           WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM FROM OUR REAL
           WORLD EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES SURPRISED THAT A
           CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN LIKE MYSELF WOULD FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT

           CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. AND THEY SAY WHY WOULD THAT BE?
           AND I SAY WELL THE SAME REASONS BARRY GOLDWATER WAS FOR
           CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE
           TWO. I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT UNTIL THREE OR
           FOUR YEARS AGO, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM. I
           WAS NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE OR HOLDING OFFICE. BUT I DID
           PROSECUTE CASES, I DID DEFEND CASES, AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH

           THE IDEA THAT IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS, YOU HAVE TO
           BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW THOSE DECISIONS ARE INFLUENCED. IF
           YOU -- IF YOU ARE A PURCHASING AGENT, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN'T
           TAKE FAVORS FROM SOMEONE WHO YOU ARE CONSIDERING TO BUY
           SOMETHING FROM. IF YOU ARE A LOAN OFFICER AT A BANK YOU CAN'T
           TAKE FAVORS FROM PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING FOR A LOAN.
           PEOPLE GET PROSECUTED FOR THINGS LIKE THAT ALL DAY WHETHER OR
           NOT IT WAS THE ARE REAL REASON THE LOAN WAS MADE. THE POINT

           BEING THAT THE ANALOGY IS NOT PERFECT, BUT THE POINT BEING IS
           THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE
           GRATUITY LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY. REGARD LAST OF WHETHER OR NOT IS
           BOUGHT FIGURE. SOME PEOPLE AND SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU JUST
           CAN'T GIVE GIFTS TOO BECAUSE WE ARE FIND FULL OF THE
           APPEARANCES OF THAT. WE EVEN DO THAT WITH REGARD TO OUR OPEN
           ACTIVITIES. WE HAVE PASSED GRATUITY LAWS THAT PERTAIN TO

           CONGRESS  SO THAT NOW YOU KNOW, A FRIEND CAN'T BUY YOU DINNER.
           HE CAN GO OUT HERE AND RAISE $100,000 FOR A COMMITTEE THAT IN
           TURN IT WILL GO TO YOUR BENEFIT. HE CAN BUNDLE A FEW HUNDRED
           THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR YOU, BUT HE CAN'T BUY YOU DINNER. SO WE
           ARE PAYING LIP SERVICE TO THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE TO BE SOMEWHAT
           MINDFUL OF MONEY GOING TO THOSE WHO ARE IN POSITIONS OF

           DECISION-MAKING POWER. WE RECOGNIZED THAT IN 1907 WHEN AS A
           CONGRESS, AS A NATION, WE PROHIBITED CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS.
           WE RECOGNIZED IT AGAIN IN 1943 WHEN IN THE SAME MANNER WE
           PROHIBITED LABOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND SET UP PLIT ACTION
           COMMITTEES. WE RECOGNIZED -- POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE.
           RECOGNIZED IT FURTHER WHEN WE SET UP THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF
           $5,000 LIMITATIONS AND $5,000 LIMITATIONS ON PACS. SO FAR AND

           SO FORTH. YOU CAN ARGUE OVER THE ALBERTA'S, I THINK THE AMOUNTS
           ARE RIDICULOUSRY LOW, THE HARD MONEY LIMITS OUGHT TO BE RAISED,
           THAT THE A DEBATE FOR ANOTHER TIME, THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE
           BEEN MINDFUL OF THAT. WE ADDRESSED THAT. WE ALWAYS SIDE SAID IN
           THIS COUNTRY IT IS A BAD IDEA TO HAVE WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS
           GIVING LARGE ALBERTA'S OF MONEY, UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO
           POLITICIANS. IT IS A BAD IDEA TO HAVE BIG CORPORATIONS WHO ARE
           USUALLY INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, GIVING UNLIMITED
           AMOUNTS TO POLITICIANS OR BEG LABOR UNIONS. AND YET THAT'S WHAT

           WE HAVE. BY THE SAME STOKE ENWE ARE FIND PULL -- MINDFUL OF
           THAT ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO OUR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AND
           PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. THAT'S WHY WE SET UP A PUBLIC FINANCE
           SYSTEM FOR OUR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. IT IS IN SHAMBLES NOW
           BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT AN ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO IS NOT DOING HER
           JOB AND HAS A UNIQUE, SINGULARLY UNIQUE WAY OF INTERPRETING
           LAWS. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE SET UP A SYSTEM TO
           TAKE OUR CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT OUT OF THE MONEY GRUBING

           SYSTEM. IF YOU AGREE TO TAKE PUBLIC FINANCING THEN YOU GET
           PUBLIC MONEY, AND THE PUBLIC AS TAXPAYERS ARE WILLING TO RUN
           THOSE CAMPAIGNS ON THEIR OWN MONEY. ON THEIR DIME. IN ORDER TO
           KEEP THEIR CANDIDATES ABOVE, SEPARATE AND APART FROM HAVING TO
           RAISE LARGE ALBERTA'S OF MONEY FROM
{END: 1998/09/10 TIME: 12-15 , Thu.  105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}