Paul Cook: “I reject the notion that a vote for this bill is a vote against Shays-Meehan. I believe in Shays-Meehan. I believe in…”

“I reject the notion that a vote for this bill is a vote against Shays-Meehan. I believe in Shays-Meehan. I believe in limits on soft money. I think we are all joined in that, and clearly a majority of the Members of the House believe there ought to be limits on soft money. Let us be brutally honest. Shays-Meehan curbs it more directly and more severely. But what the freshman bill does have going for it is a better chance at constitutionality and getting passage in the Senate, and that is why I think we ought to quit arguing among each other and realize that either one of these versions will be a great victory for the American people. We should all be free, those of us that want to limit soft money, of voting for both if we want as a way to check out which one the majority of our Members thinks might have the best chance at final success.”