Groups seek reform promises from candidates

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have vowed to reform Washington, but watchdog groups want more specifics.

In the tug-of-war over who is more committed to ending the influence of special interests, McCain and Obama have pledged to do everything from eliminating earmarks to creating a Google-like search engine to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans online.

{mosads}A coalition of watchdog groups is demanding that both candidates get very specific on the reforms they will implement.

Common Cause, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG sent letters on Wednesday to McCain and Obama, asking the candidates to reject soft money for the inauguration ceremony and the 2012 convention.

They want the candidates to vow that they won’t name top fundraisers to ambassadorships, transition team positions and other important government posts — except for rare exceptions for unusually qualified individuals. The groups also are asking the candidates to pledge to forgo fundraising for a presidential library until after leaving the White House.

Whoever is elected president can take each of these steps on his own without relying on Congress to pass legislation, the groups stressed. The watchdog groups want other reforms that will require legislation, such as the creation of viable public funding systems for congressional and presidential elections.

“Victory would afford you the opportunity to adopt several meaningful policies without the need for legislation,” the groups wrote in their letters to the campaigns. “Today, we are asking you to endorse four policies that we believe will answer some of your longstanding criticisms of large political contributions from special interests.”

The Obama and McCain campaigns did not comment for this article.

The groups noted that they are sending the letters to moderators of the presidential debates.