Robert Torricelli: “with the first phase of the hearings of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee into the abuses of the electoral…”

“with the first phase of the hearings of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee into the abuses of the electoral process through campaign fundraising having just concluded, and the second phase about to begin, it is perhaps an appropriate time to reflect on those things that we have learned in these first few weeks and those questions that remain. It is, I think, important to note that despite some incentive for partisanship, a tendency by the media to sometimes reach conclusions before the facts, and a persistent failure of some witnesses to cooperate, the committee has begun its work, I think, in the best traditions of the Senate. Democrats and Republicans are working together. We do have a common objective, and I think we are doing service to the institution. These things, however, have already been learned. First, it is a result of insufficient management and poor decisionmaking and the continuing upward spiral of pressure to raise campaign funds, the Democratic National Committee made a series of bad decisions during the last election that clearly resulted in some violations of Federal law and were a disservice both to the President and the Democratic Party.”