Meredith October 22, 2003 Herald Volume XVVI, Issue 9 McCain promotes judicial campaign reform and voter education at benefit lunciieon TIFFANY ADAMS Editor in Chief United States Senator John McCain held a bene fit luncheon to pro mote Judical cam paign reform and voter education. Proceeds from lunch benefited the North Carolina Public Campaign Financing Fund. In a recent visit to North Carolina, coordinated by the North Carolina Center for Voter Education and the Alexandria, Vii^inia-based Reform Institute, United States Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) held a benefit luncheon at Meredith College. The luncheon was intended to promote judicial campaign reform and voter education, and to raise funds for the newly created North Carolina Public Campaign Financing Fund. The fund pays for a non-partisan voter guide and helps fmance appellate Judicial candidates who accept strict fundraising and spending limits. Dr. Maureen Hartford, president of Meredith College, gave a welcome address to those in atten dance at the luncheon. Hartfield said having the event on Meredith's campus allows the College to accomplish its mission to create a community in which students can "leam' from the past, prepare for the future, and grow in their understanding of self, others, and commu nity. To these ends, Meredith strives to develop in students the knowledge, skills, val ues, and global aware ness necessary to pursue careers, to assume lead ership roles, to continue their education, and to lead responsible lives of work, citizenship, leisure, and service (Meredith College mis sion statement)." McCain began his speech by explaining there has been a recent grass roots movement, as indicated by its approval from the legislature, that strongly supports a man date for free air time for candidates 30 days prior to elections. He said in some states candidates receive millions of dollars from special interest groups. Such con tributions create the appear ance of influence from spe cial interest groups on the rule of law. McCain said the judici ary is currently the most esteemed branch of govern ment, and voter education guides will help con stituents know more about all candidates. Judicial campaign reform will increase voters' confidence in the rule of law, he said. In this respect. Judicial Campaign Reform is important because the rule United States Senator John McCain Photo courtesy ofncjudges.org website. of law is the most difficult to reach and at the same time, the easiest to corrupt. "You can pass laws but it is difficult to have laws enforced by honest judici ary," he said. McCain cited the coun try of Georgia as an exam ple of political corruption. He said, Georgia has no judicial system; therefore, it is difficult to know if the elections are fair because there is no way to enforce law. "There are all kinds of special interests that want to influence the judicial system. That is why Judicial Campaign Reform is so important," said McCain. In addition to speaking on Judicial Campaign Reform, McCain spoke on the relationship between Federal Communication Commission ownership of media stations and political free speech. There is an increasing concern over [media concentration [regarding political cam- [paigning. "It is unhealthy for one major conglom- ierate to own all media joutputs," he said. McCain addressed a [wide array of questions from the audience rang ing from FCC ownership :o celebrity politics and he recent elections in 'alifomia. A member of he audience expressed oncem over the politics f celebrity fame is a threat to political cam paigns as well. McCain noted the overwhelming unpopularity of Governor Davis in California as the main source of support for Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Was [the California election] a good thing for democracy? I don't know, but it sure was fun to watch," McCain said. He said the major vul nerability in the McCain- Feingold Bill concerns the requirement that advertise ments must be funded in the same manner the candi date is funded. McCain said the Federal Elections Commission opened loop holes in existing laws regarding campaign fmance that allowed for ways around those laws that restrict campaign funding. McCain is the nation’s leading legislative advocate for campaign finance reform, and one of the chief architects of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), a sweeping cam paign finance reform law that was recently passed by Congress. BCRA outlaws soft money and places more emphasis on political advertising. McCain said, "Now the battle for campai^ fmance reform shifts from the fed eral to the state level." The Honorable Edwin G. Wilson, Jr., president of the NC Center for Voter Education, addressed the audience prior to McCain's speech explaining the pur pose of the benefit. Following his remarks. Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Broadcasting Jim Goodmon spoke on the need for judical reform and the role the media plays in campaigning and voter edu cation. See McCain Page 2 On the inside: Campus Letters to Features the Editor Page 7 Page 8

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