And in the 1996 Senate race in Massachusetts, Gov. William Weld and Senator John Kerry agreed to limit overall spending, including a ban on most soft-money.
Most of the soft money raised has been used in this manner.
While some of the money pledged for the dinner will be direct, so-called hard money contributions to candidates, most will be soft money for use by the two fund-raising committees, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Though most Congressional leaders raised soft money over the years, Mr. DeLay has often been distinctively aggressive in his efforts.
The prime contractors, the Boeing Company's helicopter division in Pennsylvania and Bell Helicopter Textron in Texas, have also been among the most generous contributors of soft money to both political parties.
Most of the big soft money that candidates spend all their time chasing after is spent on television ads or on media consultants, who typically advise candidates that campaigns are never won on the ground, but only with the help of services like theirs.
Even some of the Democrats' most ardent proponents of eliminating soft money are unabashed.
Although not all embrace a soft money ban, most could live with some limits on these party gifts.
However, commissioners in both parties said that the decision is unlikely to keep most 527 groups from using soft money, though it may become more difficult.
"The main challenge, however, is that most of these posts are soft money, as the competition for permanent astronomy positions is intense," says Charles.
