Competing claims about whether future of campaign finance reform in the Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) _ An opponent of efforts to overhaul the campaign finance system says he has enough votes to block or soften the measure that passed the House last week. <br><br>Kentucky Republican Mitch

Monday, February 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ An opponent of efforts to overhaul the campaign finance system says he has enough votes to block or soften the measure that passed the House last week.

Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate's leading adversary of the bill, said on Fox News Sunday: ``This bill is amendable and debatable, and unless at some point 60 senators decide to let it pass, it will not pass.''

One of the bill's chief House sponsors, Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said ``amendments basically kill the bill.''

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who campaigned for president in 2000 on the need to overhaul campaign financing, said he believes his side will win.

``I am confident that we will prevail over time. This system has lurched completely out of control,'' he said on NBC's ``Meet the Press.'' ``I think we've have 60 votes.''

The Senate, led by McCain and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., passed a bill very similar to the House measure in April by a 59-41 vote.

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., one of three Democrats who voted against McCain-Feingold, said last week he would now support it, giving backers the 60 votes they need if all 11 Republicans and independent Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont, who voted for it last time, hold their positions. But one of those Republicans, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, said he was now against the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has said the Senate would consider the House measure rather than forming a conference committee to work out a compromise.

The House bill would ban corporations, unions and individuals from making large, unregulated ``soft money'' donations to political parties. It also would restrict unions, corporations and some independent groups from broadcasting issue ads within 60 days of an election or 30 days of a primary.

McConnell, who has successfully led opposition to previous reform attempts, would need at least 40 senators to back him in delaying the bill through a filibuster.

``I think I will have 41 at the very least ... to allow us to make changes that may be necessary,'' he said.

He also threatened to go to court over the bill.