LETTERS: CAMPAIGN-FUND REFORM WILL TEST BUSH'S ABILITIES

To the editor:

Plans are for campaign-finance reform to be dealt with early on the congressional agenda. A high priority for Republicans is to inhibit labor unions from using money from members' dues without their consent for political contributions.

Corporate political contributions (mostly to Republicans) have been regularly 11 times as much as labor unions'. Corporate contributions derive from consumers who buy their goods or services without their consent as well.

Establishing consensus on this legislation will put President-elect Bush's bipartisan unifying prowess to an extreme test. U.S. Sen. John McCain said there will be "blood on the floor" in the struggle over this issue.

In a discussion on Bush's acumen in facilitating bipartisanship in the Texas Legislature, the Austin bureau chief of The Dallas Morning News observed that doing this in Congress is a different matter inasmuch as Democrats in the Texas Legislature would be Republicans anywhere else.

One would hope the "blood on the floor" wouldn't materialize with a caution to participants to be mindful not to step in one's own.

GILBERT DEGENHARDT

Cape Girardeau