Editorial: Reformers win one

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 5:11 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION December 13 - 14, 2003

On Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, did the right thing when it upheld Congress' power to regulate political contributions. The majority didn't agree with the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law's opponents who had asserted that limitations placed on unregulated donations to political parties by individuals, corporations and unions violated free speech guarantees in the U.S. Constitution.

Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and John Paul Stevens, who wrote the majority opinion, noted that the law deals with the "danger that officeholders will decide issues not on the merits or the desires of their constituencies, but according to the wishes of those who have made large financial contributions valued by the officeholder."

No one naively believes that the campaign-finance law will wipe out the corrupting influence that money can play in politics, and clever lawyers for the parties and interest groups will devise schemes to try to circumvent the law and the court's ruling. Nevertheless, the court's decision was a crucial victory for reformers as they try to limit the undue influence money can have in politics.