WASHINGTON – The campaign finance debate took a step toward increased disclosure when a “Stand By Your Ad” amendment, introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, was approved by the Senate on Thursday by voice vote.

“The public should not have to guess or decipher who the sponsor of the ad is,” Collins said. “The candidate sponsorship should be absolutely clear.”

The amendment to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, better known as McCain-Feingold, would require that televised political advertisements include a clearly identifiable picture of the candidate and a statement of the candidate’s sponsorship of the ad. In radio ads, candidates would have to identify themselves, the office they are seeking and state that they approved the ad.

Collins said the amendment does not try “in any way” to regulate free speech or to impose “our ideas of what constitutes an appropriate ad. There is nothing in our amendment that prevents a candidate from running an irresponsible attack ad, but the candidate has to take responsibility,” Collins said.

Sen. Olympia Snowe supported the amendment. “Snowe believes it is very important that candidates show responsibility,” according to her press secretary, Dave Lackey.

Collins said the amendment she and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore, introduced is not meant to discourage candidates from using advertising as a means of debate. “There are many legitimate policy disputes between candidates, and certainly an ad airing these differences is perfectly legitimate and, indeed, contributes to the debate,” she said.

“But when a candidate launches an ad that talks about an opponent, whether it’s a high-minded discussion of policy differences or a vicious attack on an opponent’s character, a candidate should be required to own up to the sponsorship of that ad,” she said.

Wyden said the amendment is a “critical step toward re-establishing trust” in the political process. “It offers an opportunity to change the negative nature of campaigns, which rarely inform voters and frequently discourage voter turnout.”

Collins was pleased the amendment passed but not surprised, according to Felicia Knight, Collins’ press secretary. “It’s a common-sense amendment,” Knight said.

“If there had been opposition, we would have been concerned,” she said.

Both Collins and Snowe are original co-sponsors of the McCain-Feingold bill that seeks to ban unregulated soft-money donations and tighten disclosure requirements.