Campaign Notebook: Commission delays ruling on soft money

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Under the proposal, the FEC would ban partisan political groups from using corporate and union donations known as soft money on get-out-the-vote drives, ads and other spending targeting presidential or congressional candidates.

Three Democratic FEC members blocked action on the proposal yesterday, saying they needed more time to review comments the commission has received from interest groups and campaign-finance watchdogs in recent days. The commission also includes three Republicans.

The FEC now plans to consider the proposal Feb. 18.

"There's no question this is the single most important issue facing the campaign-finance system" under the new law, said Republican Commissioner Michael Toner, declining to say how he will vote. "I think it's critically important the commission decide this issue."

Democratic Commissioner Scott Thomas said he is likely to support limits on the groups' soft-money activity. Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, also a Democrat, said she's not sure how she will vote, but thinks it may be better to decide some questions in an upcoming rulemaking — a lengthier process — rather than dispatch of them in the proposed FEC opinion.

Several Democratic activists believe that special tax-exempt political groups known as 527s can spend soft money, unlike national party committees and federal candidates. Republicans have formed soft-money groups, too, but have been less prolific than Democrats.

Plan to allow Internet voting by overseas military gets scrapped

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon, citing security concerns, has canceled Internet voting that would have involved as many as 100,000 military and overseas citizens from seven states in November, a Defense Department official said yesterday.

The announcement comes two weeks after outside security experts urged the program's cancellation in a scathing report. They said hackers or terrorists could penetrate the system and change votes or gather information about users.

The Pentagon at the time said it felt confident enough to proceed, but Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz since has decided to scrap the system because officials were not certain they could "assure the legitimacy of votes that would be cast," said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
President's daughters may take role in re-election campaign

WASHINGTON — President Bush's twin daughters may take part in their father's re-election bid after they graduate from college this spring, first lady Laura Bush said yesterday.

Mrs. Bush told CNN that her 22-year-old daughters, Jenna and Barbara, are contemplating a role in what might be their father's last campaign.

"They are terrific girls, they are getting ready to graduate from college, and we'll see when they graduate," she said. "You know, this will be really their first campaign that their dad has run that they are really old enough to be involved."

Jenna is a senior at the University of Texas. Barbara is a senior at Yale University.

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