Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has a long history of support for changes to our campaign finance systems. In 1987, McConnell even introduced a constitutional amendment to reform our elections, S.J. Res.166. Unfortunately, as American Enterprise Institute congressional scholar Norm Ornstein said, "Mitch McConnell Is Either Very Bad at Math or Horribly Disingenuous" when it comes to his long history of support for campaign finance reform. Fortunately, the record is clear:

 2001 McConnell: "What We Ought to Have is Disclosure": "Well, if you want to deal with perception, you take money all the way out of politics and we'd have a Japanese kind of system. What we ought to have is disclosure." [NBC, 3/18/01]

2000 McConnell: "Why Would A Little Disclosure Be Better than a Lot of Disclosure?": "Well, the problem is this: Republicans are in favor of disclosure. There's a serious constitutional question, whether you can require people engaged in what's called issue advocacy to disclose. But if you're going to do that, and the Senate voted to do that, and I'm prepared to go down that road, then it needs to be meaningful disclosure, Tim. 527s are just a handful of groups. We need to have real disclosure. And so what we ought to do is broaden the disclosure to include at least labor unions and tax-exempt business associations and trial lawyers so that you include the major political players in America. Why would a little disclosure be better than a lot of disclosure? [NBC Meet the Press, 6/18/00]

1997 McConnell: Public Disclosure of Campaign Contributions & Spending "Reforms Which Enhance the Constitution and Would Enhance Our Democracy": "The campaign finance system is not perfect. Those who brazenly and willfully break the law should be punished. People should not be forced to contribute to causes they do not support, as millions of American workers are when their compulsory union dues are siphoned off for politics. Public disclosure of campaign contributions and spending should be expedited so voters can judge for themselves what is appropriate. These are the reforms which respect the Constitution and would enhance our democracy." [NPR, 8/5/97]

1997 McConnell: "I Think Disclosure Is The Best Disinfectant.": "We could do disclosure more frequently. I think disclosure is the best disinfectant. I think it gives our constituents an opportunity to decide whether or not we're in the clutches of some particular interest group and whether or not that's a voting issue for them. I'm certainly in favor of enhanced disclosure." [National Press Club, 3/19/97]

1990 McConnell: "What We Need To Do Is Get Rid Of The Special Interest Money. We Would Eliminate PACS Altogether.": "You know, the place, the money represents communication, and provided it comes in small and disclosable amounts, it is not a bad idea for people to participate in politics. And most people who have a job and who are busy participate in the American political process by making a contribution. It is not how much is spent. It is where it comes from and what we need to do is get rid of the special interest money. We would eliminate PACS altogether. It will be interesting to see whether our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will be willing to eliminate PACS altogether. And we would have the money come from individuals in small and fully disclosed amounts." [PBS, 5/1/90]

1987 McConnell: "What We Ought To Do Is Eliminate The Political Action Committee Contributions. Because Those Are The Ones That Raise The Spectre Of Undue Influence.": "What we ought to do is eliminate the political action committee contributions. Because those are the ones that raise the spectre of undue influence. And those can be gone tomorrow. We can pass a bill tomorrow to take care of that problem." [MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, 6/22/87]