[url]dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010712/pl/politics_finance_dc_10.html[/url]

Early End for House Campaign Finance
 Debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives cut short
 its campaign finance debate on a procedural vote on Thursday, throwing
 into doubt the future of a proposal to reduce the influence of money and
 special interests in politics.

 The House voted 228-203 to reject the procedural rules of the
 campaign finance debate set by Republican leaders. Advocates of a
 measure to ban unregulated ``soft money'' donations to national political
 parties said the rules were unfair and designed to kill the proposal.

 The rule required 14 separate votes on proposals to change the bill
 sponsored by Connecticut Republican Rep. Christopher Shays (news -
 bio - voting record) and Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Marty
 Meehan (news - bio - voting record). Both camps accused each other
 of deliberately sabotaging the bill procedurally because they did not
 have the support to win a direct vote.

 The decision, after hours of negotiations collapsed, leaves the issue with
 House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is unlikely to want to try another
 rule or bill.

 Democrats could try to force the issue to the floor with a petition drive,
 but some Republicans said the measure was unlikely to be resurrected in
 this session of Congress, meaning it could linger as an issue for the 2002
 congressional elections.

All right!!!

YAAAAAYYYYY![:D]