Newsday Clinton says she'll keep raising soft money until ban takes effect by SHANNON McCAFFREY

Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who voted last week to ban soft money, said she'll keep raising the large unregulated donations for Democrats until the ban takes effect.

But Clinton said she is putting on hold her plans to open a second political action committee that could have accepted unlimited donations from some groups like labor unions.

New York's junior senator said as long as Republicans are continuing to raise soft money donations, Democrats must do the same to remain competitive.

''I don't see any contradiction to that,'' Clinton said in an interview with The Associated Press.

''I think we have to play hard on the field where we currently are especially when we have an opponent who is still out there running up and down the field as fast as they can,'' Clinton said.

The former first lady is one of the Democratic party's most prodigious fund raisers and is set to throw open the doors of her new Washington home for several fund raisers this spring.

During the last election she was the overwhelming leader in using a technique called joint-fundraising, which allows candidates to simultaneously raise money for the party and their own campaign. Critics say it allows candidates to directly solicit soft money for their own campaigns.

Clinton's joint fund raising committee raised $9.6 million, $9 million of which was transferred to the New York State Democratic Party, according to the campaign finance watchdog group Democracy 21.

Clinton and her GOP opponent Rep. Rick Lazio agreed to ban soft money from their $69.3 million Senate race in New York for political advertising by outside groups or political parties. But the historic pact did not ban direct mail or get-out-the-vote efforts.

After two weeks of debate, the U.S. Senate last Monday voted to ban soft money altogether but also to raise the limits on individual hard money contribution. The measure must still make it through the House, which has passed campaign reform bills in the past. It is unclear whether President Bush will sign the bill if it passes the House.

In the interim, both parties are continuing to raise soft money looking forward to races in 2002.

That concerns government watchdog groups.

Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Group said while he could not fault Clinton or either party for not wanting to unilaterally disarm, both parties should adhere to the spirit of the law.

''Both sides should stop raising soft money until they know what the bill's future is,'' he said.

''They've stated with their votes that they don't think it's right so for them to continue doing it is somewhat hypocritical.''

In contrast to Clinton's position, New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer, has not raised any soft money this year. ''To honor the spirit of McCain-Feingold, for as long as McCain-Feingold is in play, and until it becomes law, we do not plan to raise any soft money,'' said Schumer spokesman Bradley Tusk.

But Clinton did said she is scrapping - at least for now - plans to set up a political action committee in New York that would have had allowed large and sometimes unlimited contribution limits.

New York law permits contributions of up to $150,000 for individuals and $5,000 for corporations, said Carl Montanino, supervisor of the state's campaign finance unit. Other groups, like labor unions, may make unlimited contributions, he said.

The money from such a state PAC cannot be used to directly aid federal candidates but could finance state candidates, Montanino said.

''We've put that on hold,'' Clinton said Friday.

Clinton has already set up a federal ''leadership'' PAC which can accept contributions of up to $5,000 from individuals, five times the limit for regular federal campaign committees. HILLPAC allows Clinton to contribute to other federal candidates, pay for her political travel across the country and further boost her stature with party leaders.

The PAC's chairman is top Clinton political adviser Harold Ickes.

-- Anonymous, April 08, 2001

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Much as I hate to agree with Saint Hillary on anything, I'd do the same thing in her shoes.

-- Anonymous, April 08, 2001