Ads Seek End To Political ‘Soft Money’ Financier Out To Abolish Influence-Seeking Donations To Parties

A $1 million ad campaign was launched Wednesday in an effort to have Congress ban “soft-money” political contributions.

Campaign for America, founded by Wall Street financier Jerome Kohlberg, began running a 30-second ad on cable television stations in nine states that were chosen because their Republican senators might be persuaded to support legislation that would ban soft money, said Douglas Berman, the group’s president.

The ad is running in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York and Ohio.

Supporters of a bipartisan campaign bill named for Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., couldn’t muster sufficient votes to get it through the Senate last fall. The measure would have banned soft money from presidential campaigns.

Soft money is donations to political parties to be used for generic party-building activities such as get-out-the-vote drives and not for candidates.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate promised debate and votes in the spring.

The TV spot and others to be produced will run through February. The group also took out ads in The New York Times.

The group will air other ads that urge viewers to call their congressman.

Critics say donors give soft money to influence lawmakers’ decisions about policies and regulations that affect their businesses.

“These ads give a sense that there is a connection between very large corporate gifts and policy outcomes,” said Berman.