A few weeks ago, the House Republican leadership ought they had safely bottledup campaign-finance reform with a bit of procedural sleight-of-hand. But here it comes again. Massachusetts Democrat Marty Meehan and Connecticut Republican Chris Shays have been collecting signatures on a discharge petition. If 218 House members sign it, campaign-finance reform starts making its way back to the floor for a vote. Supporters of the petition claim they have 200 members on board, almost all Democrats. But Common Cause says more Republicans -- like Brian Bilbray of California, Tom Davis of Virginia, and Arno Houghton of New York -- are threatening to join the petition signers.
If someone doesn't do something fast, the GOP is going to spend this election year either (a) killing campaign-finance reform or (b) passing a bill that hamstrings Republican donors and gives a free ride to Democratfriendly labor unions.