The Arizona senator pointed out the decision Monday has no effect on a more far-reaching component of the campaign finance law, a ban on the ability of political parties to raise unlimited and unrestricted amounts of money from unions, corporations and donors.

"Fortunately, that central reform still stands as the law," McCain said.

Romney, a critic of McCain-Feingold, promptly hailed the decision Monday. "Score one for free speech," he said. "Today's decision restores, in part to the American people, a right critical to their freedom of political participation and expression."

Romney, the former leader of Salt Lake City's 2002 Winter Olympics, also raised concerns about McCain-Feingold during a fund-raising stop in Utah Saturday, telling reporters it has hurt the political process.

"The intent was to take the influence of money out of politics, but it's made it worse, not better. The bill ought to be repealed," Romney said. "The nature of fund-raising is that it's now around the clock and non-stop."

He said the problem is that money can be put into "organizations that are not controlled either by the party or the candidate, so they're not subject to the same kind of responsibility you have when candidates are directing what is said about them or about their opponents. It's been the wrong course for American campaigns."

Romney said the influence of money on campaigns is "there and it's overwhelming for candidates to be participating in the process of gathering money." He called for limits to be lifted on what donors can give a campaign, and those contributions to be listed immediately on the Web.

Scott Parker, chief of staff for Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, described the ruling as "certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to partially correcting the damage that's already been done."

Parker said McCain-Feingold "was a convoluted and misguided infringement on individual liberties and free speech. So it's nice to see the court recognize political speech for what it is — a guaranteed constitutional right."

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Contributing: Suzanne Struglinski

E-mail: lisa@desnews.com