Republicans want to improve information release on campaign financing

Republican legislators say Iowans should be able to check on who is givingmoney to candidates for Governor right up to election day, 2002. Undercurrent campaign finance disclosure rules, a final report on campaignfundraising comes 10 days BEFORE the election, and last minute fundraisingisn’t disclosed until AFTER the balloting’s done. House Speaker BrentSiegrist, a republican from Council Bluffs, says there are problems with the system of “electronic filing” of campaign fundraising.Governor Vilsack this morning called on republican legislators to enactanother campaign reform: forcing campaigns who telephone voters to disclosewho is paying for the call. Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows says it’s a good idea, but difficult to enforce.Republican presidential candidates George W. Bush and John McCain eachaccused the other of “push polling” in South Carolina. It’s a campaigntactic in which voters are called and asked whom they support. If it’s thecompetitor, the caller then reveals all sorts of negative information inhopes of swaying the voter.