Shall We Dance?

A large pile of suck-up gifts awaits George W. Bush when he steps into his new house--crates of home-state fruit from Senators, thoughtful though inscrutable baubles from foreign leaders. But at least one skunk will be hiding in the gift bin, a present from Bush's former G.O.P. presidential rival. Arizona Senator John McCain wants to force the new President to sign a campaign-finance-reform bill that Bush hates--and make him do it before he deals with any other legislation, including education, taxes and all the other items on Bush's wish list. McCain plans to launch the campaign-finance debate just two days after the Inauguration. In other words, even before Bush battles with Democrats over his controversial Cabinet appointees, his first legislative fight may be with his own party. How's that for a honeymoon?

For the past six years, campaign-finance crusades waged by McCain have been spectacular, neon failures. But last week he may have found the key to success. Senator Thad Cochran, the Mississippi conservative, joined McCain's crusade on Thursday, bringing to 10 the number of Republicans who support the reform bill. If all 50 Senate Democrats back it, McCain will have the 60 votes needed to close down the filibuster his G.O.P. colleagues would launch to kill it. Bagging Cochran "shook the earth" for G.O.P. Senators, says Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who has written his own campaign-finance legislation. "We're going to have to deal with campaign-finance reform this year whether the President-elect likes it or not."

McCain is not merely forcing Bush's hand; he's taking on his party's leadership, as usual. Republican leader Trent Lott and most of his G.O.P. caucus loathe the prospect of McCain's bill being the first thing the Senate debates this year. The measure would stop millions of dollars in unregulated soft money from flowing into both parties, a spigot Lott and Bush don't want to shut off. Bush, who is irritated and puzzled by his former rival's gambit, also opposes McCain's bill because it doesn't protect union members from having their dues go toward political causes they don't necessarily support. Adding such a provision would strip the bill of Democratic votes--something Bush would love to see.

Some Democrats, naturally enough, are delighted by the prospect of Republican disarray and by the chance to send Bush an unwanted gift. Democratic leader Tom Daschle told TIME he plans to make the McCain measure, which is co-sponsored by Wisconsin Democrat Russell Feingold, one of the first bills his party takes up after Bush is sworn in. Daschle wants to start debate next month, but that may be earlier than some of his Democratic colleagues want. John Breaux, a key moderate Democrat, says he's cool to the idea of "starting with something that's polarizing."