Obama criticizes Republican opposition to campaign finance bill

Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama on Monday criticized Republican opposition to a Senate campaign finance bill, calling it partisan gamesmanship that threatens to give special interests undue influence on U.S. elections.

“You’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections would not be a partisan issue,” Obama told reporters in a White House appearance that was scheduled earlier in the day.

The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote Tuesday on whether to end debate on the bill, and Democrats fear a unified Republican filibuster will prevent the measure from moving to a final vote.

A key Republican, moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, opposes the bill because it puts less restrictions on labor unions — a key Democratic constituency — than on corporations and other large donors, an aide to Collins said Monday.

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