WASHINGTON — Vice President Al Gore plans to propose a massive overhaul of the nation's campaign finance system today, including the creation of a public endowment to pay for presidential and congressional general election campaigns.
In a proposal that he says would be sent to Congress on the first day of a Gore presidency, he would also ban so-called soft money from campaigns and force wider disclosure of lobbying activities.
The vice president plans to unveil the proposal during a campaign speech at Marquette University in Milwaukee, with Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), who along with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), has been at the forefront of stalled efforts to rewrite the nation's campaign finance laws.
As evidence of public dissatisfaction with lobbying and the influence of wealthy contributors to politicians has grown--most recently with the support McCain's insurgency bid received in the race for the Republican presidential nomination--Gore has been struggling to find a way to take advantage of it.
At the same time, he has, with unflagging energy, chased after massive contributions for the Democratic National Committee, even as he bemoaned the need for private cash in politics and sought to limit his own political exposure stemming from the fund-raising abuses of the 1996 presidential campaign.
Recognizing his own liabilities, Gore was expected, an aide said, to describe himself as "an imperfect messenger," and say, according to a text:
"I know first-hand what is wrong with the way we fund our political campaigns. I care very deeply about the integrity of our politics--and of course my own integrity as well. My commitment to changing America's campaign finance laws is both personal and profound."
As described by a senior Gore advisor, the proposal represents "Al Gore's plan to restore faith in American democracy."
It would:
* Ban what are now the unlimited and largely unregulated contributions to political parties known as soft money that have ballooned in recent years. Donors and politicians sought ways to get around the contribution limits that were imposed a quarter century ago to restrict corporations from purchasing influence in the creation of public policy.
* Force lobbyists to disclose each month the names of politicians they made contributions to and the lobbying activities in which they engaged.
* Challenge Congress to post on the Internet the information, which would be collected monthly.
