Bipartisan Scofflaws

President Clinton asks for more money, more laws to help the Federal Election Commission (FEC) "stop improper practices."

No doubt the FEC could use more funds to handle what it calls alleged violations on an "unparalleled scale."

But we hope it doesn't wait for more laws before enforcing a simple but crucial disclosure mandate already on the books. Full disclosure of political money sources would be instant campaign reform.

Yet scofflaws in both parties defy the requirement "to report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year."

Members of the 105th Congress raised $15 million without doing so, according to the New Republic. Mr. Clinton's campaign got $1.9 million from 2,400 donors without disclosing occupation or employment. And this failure-to-disclose rate was lower than that of other major party candidates.

America's parties and politicians can do better. So can the FEC. So can contributors.