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| Senator John McCain The Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 20 August 2001 Dear Senator McCain, Your efforts to change campaign finance have made you a focal point for changing our political campaign process. You are in a position to do much more, to create the future of American politics. How? Create an independent bloc in the U.S. Senate. Yourself, Jeffords, Snow. You know who better that I, four or five would be enough. No need, at least, even to drop party affiliation, although that would be the strongest message. A bloc of five could negotiate from strength for committee assignments, the most frequently raised objection to "independence." Why is this necessary? Short term -- the present system serves the members more than the public. Campaign finance is only one example of a system out of control: "Leadership" that prevents votes, senators with "personal" holds on appointees, etc. Longer Term -- Although the two-party system has served us well, I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that America has become too diverse -- in the true meaning of that word, not as it is currently, a euphemism for minority -- to provide people with a feeling there is a voice representing them. We need to begin to develop a multi-party system. What would happen? 1. An independent bloc could have great leverage on procedural matters, issues like campaign reform and parliamentary rules that cross present party lines and which have broad based, non-partisan public support. Paradoxically a small, independent bloc would have more leverage than majority leadership. Gingrich started in on some of these procedural issues but got pulled down by the need to keep the party together. A small bloc, initially focused on procedural reforms, would be able to stick together more cohesively. 2. Eventually blocs will emerge, perhaps coming out of some of the present interest group caucuses to begin to create national parties, based on issues rather than party and geography. That's a taste. We can expand on these elements and will on our web site: www.geocities.com/creatingthefuture/politics.html is the web page devoted to this subject. We wanted to share with you our perception that you, because of your unique background and personal status, are in a position to create the future of American politics. Jack Latona The Center for Creating the Future E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.creatingthefuture.org 201 S.E. 12th Streeet Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 USA (954) 523-8899 |