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• Supreme Court to Take a Hard Look at Ban on 'Soft Money' 

on Monday, in a special summer session, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a major challenge to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act — better known as the McCain-Feingold law, after key sponsors Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.).

Most notably, the law prohibits the large contributions — known as "soft money" — to political party organizations. But some legal experts believe the court battle will focus on whether the government can regulate campaign ads like the one that helped keep Yellowtail out of Congress. . .

But this system of limits had sprung leaks by the late 1980s. Politicians and party leaders realized they could evade the limits of the law if they funneled money into issue ads.

The tobacco industry, pharmaceuticals, gambling interests, the telecommunication industry and organized labor were the leading sources of the free-flowing funds dubbed soft money during the 1990s, according to briefs filed with the court.

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