Last updated on: 6/3/2009 9:19:00 AM PST
Should there be restrictions on campaign contributions?
Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position.
(Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by party; black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria.)
|
|
|
|
|
_____________________________________________
Should there be restrictions on campaign contributions?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chuck Baldwin, Founder and Minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, issued the following statement through his Communications Director, Mary Starrett, in an Aug. 11, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
"No. We call for a repeal of all federal campaign finance laws (i.e. McCain-Feingold) due to their violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."
Aug. 11, 2008 Chuck Baldwin |
|
|
Bob Barr, former US House Representative (R-GA), in a July 8, 2008 article titled "Bob Barr on Brody File: McCain Can't Be Trusted on Judges" on CBNNews.com, stated:
"I know that many conservatives for example say well we have to vote for McCain even though we don't like him because he'll give us different better judges. Well, ask people to think a little bit about what they're saying. John McCain gave us McCain/Feingold [S.27 "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2001"] which is the most anti-freedom piece of legislation in many many years. And John McCain appointed judges could be certainly expected to be of the same mindset that would support and uphold intrusion into the first amendment such as McCain Feingold."
July 8, 2008 Bob Barr |
|
|
|
|
|
|
John McCain, US Senator (R-AZ), stated in an article titled "On the Issues: Lobbying & Ethics Reform" on his official candidate website (accessed Jan. 8, 2008):
"Most Americans understand that competitive elections in a free country require money. Since campaigns require spending funds to communicate with voters, they know we can never take money completely out of politics, nor should we. Americans have a right to support the candidates and the parties they endorse, including financially if they so choose.
But what most Americans worry about profoundly is corporations or individuals with huge checks seeking the undue influence on lawmakers that such largesse is intended to purchase. That is why John McCain has fought to enforce long-standing prohibitions on corporate and union contributions to federal political parties, for sensible donation limits, disclosure of how candidates and campaigns are funded, and the diligent enforcement of these common sense rules that promote maximum public participation in the political process and limit opportunities for corruption."
Jan. 8, 2008 John McCain |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cynthia McKinney, former US House Representative (D-GA), issued the following statement through her Press Secretary, John Judge, in a Nov. 1, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
"Yes - corporations should not be allowed to donate or bundle."
Nov. 1, 2008 Cynthia McKinney |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ralph Nader, attorney, author, and political activist, issued the following statement through his Communications Director and Policy Writer, Loralynne Krobetzky, in an Oct. 20, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barack Obama, US Senator (D-IL), stated in an article titled "Ethics" on his official candidate website (accessed Jan. 8, 2008):
"In 1998, Obama joined forces with former US Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned most gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign finance regulations."
Jan. 8, 2008 Barack Obama |
|
|
|
|
|
|
INACTIVE CANDIDATES
(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear
below in black and white and in alphabetical order by party.) |
|
| Democratic Party |
|
Republican Party |
|
3rd Parties / Independents |
|
Biden, Joe
(Withdrew on
Jan. 3, 2008) |
None Found |
|
 |
Brownback, Sam
(Withdrew on
Oct. 19, 2007) |
None Found |
|
 |
Gravel, Mike
(Withdrew on
May 27, 2008) |
None Found
|
 |
Clinton, Hillary
(Suspended campaign
on June 7, 2008) |
Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
|
 |
Gilmore, Jim
(Withdrew on
July 14, 2007)
|
None Found |
|
 |
Imperato, Daniel
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008) |
None Found
|
 |
Dodd, Chris
(Withdrew on
Jan. 3, 2008) |
None Found
|
|
 |
Giuliani, Rudy
(Withdrew on
Jan. 30, 2008) |
Now Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
|
 |
Keyes, Alan
(No longer met criteria
on June 23, 2008) |
Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
 |
Edwards, John
(Withdrew on
Jan. 30, 2008) |
Pro
|
|
 |
Huckabee, Mike
(Withdrew on
Mar. 4, 2008) |
Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
|
 |
Kubby, Steve
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008) |
Con
|
 |
Kucinich, Dennis
(Withdrew on
Jan. 25, 2008) |
Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
|
 |
Hunter, Duncan
(Withdrew on
Jan. 19, 2008) |
Not Clearly
Pro or Con
|
|
 |
McEnulty, Frank
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008) |
Pro
|
 |
Richardson, Bill
(Withdrew on
Jan. 10, 2008) |
None Found
|
|
 |
Paul, Ron
(Withdrew on
June 12, 2008) |
Con
|
|
 |
Smith, Christine
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008)
|
Con
|
 |
Vilsack, Tom
(Withdrew on,
Feb. 23, 2007)
|
None Found |
|
 |
Romney, Mitt
(Withdrew on
Feb. 7, 2008) |
Now Con
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Tancredo, Tom
(Withdrew on
Dec. 20, 2007) |
None Found
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Thompson, Fred
(Withdrew on
Jan. 22, 2008) |
Pro
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Thompson, Tommy
(Withdrew on
Aug. 12, 2007) |
None Found |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Oct. 19, 2007; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
Hillary Clinton, US Senator (D-NY), voted Yes on the "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002" (H.R. 2356) on Mar. 20, 2002 according to an article titled "Major provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002" on the Federal Election Commission website:
"The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) includes several provisions designed to end the use of nonfederal, or 'soft money' (money raised outside the limits and prohibitions of federal campaign finance law) for activity affecting federal elections...
The BCRA increases limits on contributions made by individuals and some political committees; indexes certain contribution limits for inflation; prohibits contributions by minors to federal candidates and parties; and prohibits contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures and disbursements by foreign nationals...
The new law may raise the individual contribution limits for Senate and House candidates who are facing self-financed candidates if those candidates spend more than a specified amount of their own funds on the campaign."
Mar. 20, 2002  Hillary Clinton
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Edwards, former US Senator (D-NC), stated the following in a reply to a question posted on 10questions.com (accessed Jan. 9, 2008):
10Questions.com question: "...[W]ould you support a fair and clean election system that takes big money out of politics [and] that provides public funding for candidates who agree to spending limits and give up all special interest money?"
John Edwards: "Yes, I absolutely support that kind of public financing of political campaigns in America and would make it a priority as President. I actually believe that these powerful, well financed interests have entirely too much influence and control over this democracy. We have to take their power away from them. One of the ways, on behalf of the American people, and one of the ways we can take their power away from them is to publicly finance campaigns."
Jan. 9, 2008  John Edwards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Aug. 14, 2007; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, stated in a June 25, 2007 article titled "More on WRTL: Reaction Roundup" from The New York Sun online:
"I support this Supreme Court decision [Federal Election Commission (FEC) v. Wisconsin Right to Life Inc., June 25, 2007, ruling favors first ammendment rights of free speech, i.e. political ads or financial contributions, over FEC regulations.] which is a welcome victory for free speech and personal liberty. The ruling protects freedom to participate in the electoral process and recognizes political free speech is the foundation of our First Amendment rights."
June 25, 2007 Rudy Giuliani
|
|
|
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Rudy Giuliani's June 25, 2007 Not Clearly Pro or Con position, he has also expressed a Pro position as indicated by his Feb. 6, 2000 statement on CNN's Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer]
"I'm a very, very strong supporter of campaign finance reform. A very strong supporter of McCain-Feingold for a long, long time now."
Feb. 6, 2000 Rudy Giuliani |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ProCon.org emailed the Gravel campaign on Dec. 13, 2007 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Jan. 10, 2008. |
|
|
|
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, stated in a YouTube video titled "Huckabee on Campaign Finance Reform, and the Name Huckabee" (accessed Jan. 4, 2008):
"What are the points of a better campaign finance? Some people see it as public financing. I'm a little? maybe fearful of that...
Should there be some limit or cap on how much can be spent? Maybe so...
I'm at the point where restriction may have to happen, otherwise we are really going to drift ourselves into a nation where we have a ruling class and we have a servant class."
Jan. 4, 2008 Mike Huckabee |
|
Duncan Hunter, US Representative (R-CA), had the following voting record on campaign finance reform:
Voted No on the "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002" (H.R.2356) "To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide bipartisan campaign reform."
"H.R.2356," Library of Congress, Feb. 14, 2002
Voted Yes to H.RES.188, "Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R.2356) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide bipartisan campaign reform."
"H.RES.188," Library of Congress, July 12, 2001
Voted No to "Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1999" (H.R.417) "To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to reform the financing of campaigns for elections for Federal office, and for other purposes."
"H.R.417," Library of Congress, Sep. 14, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
ProCon.org emailed the Imperato campaign on Jan. 21, 2008 with this question. Mr. Imperato provided a response to this question and 26 others during a recorded 45-minute telephone interview with ProCon.org on Mar. 11, 2008. On Mar. 21, 2008 Mr. Imperato no longer met our eligibility criteria for inclusion on this site, and we stopped transcribing his verbal responses as of that date. |
|
|
|
Alan Keyes, former Assistant US Secretary of State, wrote in an article titled "Campaign Finance Reform," posted on the Alan Keyes official candidate website (accessed Apr. 3, 2008):
"The right of free association includes the right to associate our money with the causes we believe in, and to do so in any amount that we think is necessary to get the job done. For government to dictate what we can do under the rubric of 'campaign finance reform' is a total violation of our constitutional rights, and we should force our politicians to abandon it...
The first principle is that there will be no 'dollar' vote without a ballot vote. Only people who can walk into the voting booth and cast a vote for a candidate should be able to make a contribution to his campaign. This means no corporate contributions, and no union contributions, except from unions truly acting on the authority of members freely associating and intending to make a contribution. There must be no financial contributions whatsoever from any entities that are not actual, breathing voters.
The second principle is that when anyone casts a 'dollar' vote, it should be publicized immediately. The whole world should know who is giving how much, and to whom, so that the voters can enforce the result."
Apr. 3, 2008 Alan Keyes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Kubby, a Libertarian candidate and founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association, stated in a Jan. 10, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
"No. Political campaigns are an exercise of free speech, with a candidate or organization speaking on behalf of supporters. Restricting how much those supporters can contribute is essentially restricting the volume of their speech."
Jan. 10, 2008 Steve Kubby |
|
|
Dennis Kucinich, US Representative (D-OH), voted Yes on the "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002" (H.R. 2356) on Mar. 20, 2002; the Act is described on the Federal Election Commissions website (accessed Jan. 10, 2008):
"The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) includes several provisions designed to end the use of nonfederal, or 'soft money' (money raised outside the limits and prohibitions of federal campaign finance law) for activity affecting federal elections...
The BCRA increases limits on contributions made by individuals and some political committees; indexes certain contribution limits for inflation; prohibits contributions by minors to federal candidates and parties; and prohibits contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures and disbursements by foreign nationals...
The new law may raise the individual contribution limits for Senate and House candidates who are facing self-financed candidates if those candidates spend more than a specified amount of their own funds on the campaign."
Mar. 20, 2002 Dennis Kucinich
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank McEnulty, an Independent candidate and President of Our Castle Homes, in an Dec. 20, 2007 email to ProCon.org, stated:
"There are lots of restrictions on campaign contributions already. The gaping hole in the system is when it comes to contributions to political parties and political action committees. A person can only contribute $2,300 to my Presidential (or anyone's presidential campaign); however, they can contribute unlimited amounts to the political party, a PAC or some other special interest group whose true purpose is to support a candidate. Surely no one believes that someone who makes a huge contribution to the party of a candidate doesn't hope to influence that candidate or some legislation. Contributions to political parties and PAC's should be limited to the same amount as those to the Presidential candidates. I also believe that there should be an annual overall individual and corporate limit on total contributions to political entities regardless of how many 'different' ones a person or company wishes to contribute to."
Dec. 2, 2007 Frank McEnulty |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated in a Dec. 22, 2003 article titled "'Campaign Finance Reform' Muzzles Political Dissent" on his official Congressional website (Texas Straight Talk):
"In a devastating blow to political speech, the Supreme Court recently upheld most of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill passed by Congress last year. The legislation will do nothing to curb special interest power or reduce corruption in Washington, but it will make it harder for average Americans to influence government. 'Campaign finance reform' really means the bright-line standard of free speech has been replaced by a murky set of regulations and restrictions that will muzzle political dissent and protect incumbents. Justice Scalia correctly accuses the Court of supporting a law 'That cuts to the heart of what the First Amendment is meant to protect: the right to criticize the government?This is a sad day for freedom of speech.'
Two important points ignored by the Court should be made. First, although the new campaign rules clearly violate the First amendment, they should be struck down primarily because Congress has no authority under Article I of the Constitution to regulate campaigns at all. Article II authorizes only the regulation of elections, not campaigns, because our Founders knew Congress might pass campaign laws that protect incumbency. This is precisely what McCain-Feingold represents: blatant incumbent protection sold to the public as noble reform.
Second, freedom of the press applies equally to all Americans, not just the institutional, government-approved media. An unknown internet blogger, a political party, a candidate, and the New York Times should all enjoy the same right to political speech. Yet McCain-Feingold treats the mainstream press as some kind of sacred institution rather than the for-profit industry it is. Why should giant media companies be able to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote candidates and issues, while an organization you support cannot? The notion of creating a preferred class of media, with special First Amendment rights, is distinctly elitist and un-American."
Dec. 22, 2003 Ron Paul |
|
|
|
|
|
ProCon.org emailed the Richardson campaign on Dec. 13, 2007 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Jan. 9, 2008. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt Romney's Apr. 25, 2007 Con position, his position was Pro campaign finance reform, as indicated by his Oct. 11, 1994 statement made in a speech made during the Massachusetts Gubernatorial campaign in Burlington, MA.]
"These kinds of associations between money and politics in my view are wrong. And for that reason, I would like to have campaign spending limits... I also would abolish PACS [Political Action Committees]... I don't like the influence of money, whether it's business, labor or any other group, I do not like that kind of influence. Lobbyists I want to register, I want to know who they are, I want to ensure that gifts are limited... I think that contributions are fine, I just don't want them to be larger and larger... The kinds of demands that are being placed on the economics of running a campaign suggest an increasing power on the part of money, and I think it's wrong and we've got to change it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated in an Apr. 25, 2007 press release titled "In Case You Missed It: 'The Fundamental Flaws in the McCain-Feingold Law'" on his official candidate website:
"I have not spent a career in politics, but I know enough about the laws of this country, and the way Washington works, to understand that the McCain-Feingold law [S.25: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 1997] is riddled with shortcomings.
Let's start with something basic: the American people should be free to advocate for their candidates and their positions without burdensome limitations...
We step into dangerous territory when politicians start eviscerating our fundamental freedoms in the name of amorphous principles, like campaign finance reform. If I am elected President, a top priority will be to push for the repeal of this deeply-flawed measure, and restore the full freedom of political participation and expression to the American people."
Apr. 25, 2007 Mitt Romney |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christine Smith, a Libertarian candidate and a social and political activist, stated in a Feb. 27, 2008 email to ProCon.org:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Dec. 20, 2007; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Edwards, former US Senator (D-NC), stated the following in a reply to a question posted on 10questions.com (accessed Jan. 9, Fred Thompson, former US Senator (R-TN), stated in a Mar. 11, 2007 show titled "Choosing the President" on FOX News Sunday:):
"I came from the outside to Congress. And it always seemed strange to me. We've got a situation where people could give politicians huge sums of money, which is the soft money situation at that time, and then come before those same politicians and ask them to pass legislation for them. I mean, you get thrown in jail for stuff like that in the real world. And so I always thought that there was some reasonable limitation that ought to be put on that, and you know, looking back on history, Barry Goldwater in his heyday felt the same thing. So that's not a non-conservative position, although I agree that a lot of people have interpreted it that way."
Mar. 11, 2007 Fred Thompson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Sep. 12, 2007; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Withdrew on Feb. 23, 2007; no position found as of that date. |
|
|
|
|
