Letter from Washington

Democratic National Chairman Robert Strauss is still fuming about Mr. Ford’s practice of letting the Republican National Committee rather than his own campaign pay the cost of his overtly political traveling. Under the new campaign spending law, the National Committee is only allowed to pay $5,000 to a candidate. But Mr. Ford says he is traveling not as a candidate but as head of the GOP. Says Strauss: “Suppose I, as chairman of the Democratic Party, should name one of our presidential candidates, or four of them, or all of them, as party leaders, and send them around the country at the Democratic National Committee’s expense—without limit, and without allocating charges against their spending limits. It would be an absurdity.” Mary Louise Smith, chairman of the Republican National Committee, says the Committee has budgeted half a million dollars for the use of Mr. Ford and Rockefeller as “party leaders.”

Now, follow the bouncing ball to see how arcane spending questions can become. By a 5-to-l vote the Federal Election Commission has said that Mr. Ford does not have to charge against his presidential limit the cost of campaigning for a New Hampshire Senate candidate in the September 16 special election. Although this ruling is applicable to Democratic presidential candidates as well, one of them objects. Says Lloyd Bentsen: The idea that Mr. Ford “can use private funds to travel to New Hampshire five months before its important presidential primary on business that he admits is political, without spending one cent of his own expenditure limit, . . . will lead to continuing abuse of the new contribution and expenditure limits by the Ford campaign.” The cost of the Ford visit was charged against the spending limit of Republican Louis Wyman’s Senate campaign. How much? Just $139. The Election Commission decided to “count only the equivalent commercial rates” for a trip to New Hampshire. The cost of flying Air Force One is $2,206 an hour.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Gerald R. Ford

Republican Party

Presidential Election

Richard Nixon

Watergate

State Department

Democratic National Chairman Robert Strauss is still fuming about Mr. Ford’s practice of letting the Republican National Committee rather than his own campaign pay the cost of his overtly political traveling. Under the new campaign spending law, the National Committee is only allowed to pay $5,000 to a candidate. But Mr. Ford says he is traveling not as a candidate but as head of the GOP. Says Strauss: “Suppose I, as chairman of the Democratic Party, should name one of our presidential candidates, or four of them, or all of them, as party leaders, and send them around the country at the Democratic National Committee’s expense—without limit, and without allocating charges against their spending limits. It would be an absurdity.” Mary Louise Smith, chairman of the Republican National Committee, says the Committee has budgeted half a million dollars for the use of Mr. Ford and Rockefeller as “party leaders.”

Now, follow the bouncing ball to see how arcane spending questions can become. By a 5-to-l vote the Federal Election Commission has said that Mr. Ford does not have to charge against his presidential limit the cost of campaigning for a New Hampshire Senate candidate in the September 16 special election. Although this ruling is applicable to Democratic presidential candidates as well, one of them objects. Says Lloyd Bentsen: The idea that Mr. Ford “can use private funds to travel to New Hampshire five months before its important presidential primary on business that he admits is political, without spending one cent of his own expenditure limit, . . . will lead to continuing abuse of the new contribution and expenditure limits by the Ford campaign.” The cost of the Ford visit was charged against the spending limit of Republican Louis Wyman’s Senate campaign. How much? Just $139. The Election Commission decided to “count only the equivalent commercial rates” for a trip to New Hampshire. The cost of flying Air Force One is $2,206 an hour.