McCain: Campaign-Finance Reform Is Dead
Co-writer of reform bills not surprised by ruling.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was neither happy nor surprised that the Supreme Court overturned the campaign-finance laws that the senator spent much of his later career championing. "I went over to observe the oral arguments," McCain said on Face the Nation Sunday. "It was clear that Justice Roberts, Alito and Scalia, by their very skeptical and even sarcastic comments, were very much opposed to it.” McCain said he didn’t think much could be done, and that reform was dead, but predicted a backlash when voters see how much corporate money will be funneled into elections. The former presidential candidate wryly noted that the justices were far removed from the realities of campaign fundraising. "I think that it was interesting that they have had no experience in the political arena," he said. "I was reminded of the story of Lyndon Johnson, when he was vice president, was told about President Kennedy's appointments of all these brilliant people, and he said, 'You know, I wish one of them had run for county sheriff.'"
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