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	Committee for Economic Development (CED) A Business-led Campaign Finance Reform Project In March of 1999 the CED, a 60-year-old policy group comprised of top corporate and university executives, released a campaign finance reform proposal that opposed the conventional wisdom that corporate America overwhelmingly supported the current election finance system and its soft-money loophole. CED was faced with the challenge of ensuring that their proposal would receive the appropriate media attention necessary to have an impact on legislation. Widmeyer orchestrated a major media campaign through an initial news conference, at which the proposal was released. Additionally, numerous other events generated media coverage and helped recruit more support within the business community and among opinion leaders. In total, Widmeyer recruited more than 300 business and civic leaders to endorse the CED plan. We also organized several other opportunities for CED supporters to be engaged on the issue including a testimony by CED President Charles Kolb before the Senate Rules Committee. Results: The CED changed the debate and played a key role in the historic passage of campaign finance reform legislation with Senator Feingold thanking CED in his remarks on the Senate floor. Throughout the campaign, CED and its proposal were covered by scores of papers and magazines, were featured in dozens of editorials and columns, and the focal point of multiple segments on the major news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, and NPR. In addition, Widmeyer wrote and successfully placed op-eds on behalf of CED that were published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other major outlets. << Back

Committee for Economic Development (CED)

A Business-led Campaign Finance Reform Project

In March of 1999 the CED, a 60-year-old policy group comprised of top corporate and university executives, released a campaign finance reform proposal that opposed the conventional wisdom that corporate America overwhelmingly supported the current election finance system and its soft-money loophole. CED was faced with the challenge of ensuring that their proposal would receive the appropriate media attention necessary to have an impact on legislation. Widmeyer orchestrated a major media campaign through an initial news conference, at which the proposal was released. Additionally, numerous other events generated media coverage and helped recruit more support within the business community and among opinion leaders. In total, Widmeyer recruited more than 300 business and civic leaders to endorse the CED plan. We also organized several other opportunities for CED supporters to be engaged on the issue including a testimony by CED President Charles Kolb before the Senate Rules Committee.

Results:

The CED changed the debate and played a key role in the historic passage of campaign finance reform legislation with Senator Feingold thanking CED in his remarks on the Senate floor. Throughout the campaign, CED and its proposal were covered by scores of papers and magazines, were featured in dozens of editorials and columns, and the focal point of multiple segments on the major news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, and NPR.

In addition, Widmeyer wrote and successfully placed op-eds on behalf of CED that were published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other major outlets.

<< Back