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