The McCain-Feingold bill, in any case, would bar all soft-money fund-raising by a federal officeholder or candidate.

Mr. Gore's plan would obliterate the direct ties among private contributors, federal officeholders and the two political parties.

The law is clear, for example, that a federal officeholder or candidate may not raise, solicit or direct soft money elsewhere.

Rather, they say the aim was to stop federal officeholders from soliciting corporate and union soft money.

Legal experts have debated the constitutionality of a state recall of a federal officeholder.

Whom do these federal officeholders really represent when they take cash from individuals, corporations, unions or political action committees outside their states?

"President Bush, as a federal officeholder, cannot be a featured speaker at a Republican Governors Association meeting."

The following is a list of elected statewide and federal Democratic officeholders beginning in 2013:

As Collector, he not only controlled nearly a thousand jobs, but he also stood to receive personal compensation as great as any federal officeholder.

The bill would restrict the amount of money that can be raised by federal officeholders and candidates for such groups for these activities.