It was the Democrats turn yesterday to try and draw blood at the Senate campaign finance abuse hearings.

Democrats say that the Republican Party sought to obtain millions of dollars in campaign funds from foreign sources. Specifically, attention focused on the National Policy Forum, a GOP think tank started by Haley Barbour in 1993 when he headed the Republican National Committee.

Many of the corporate donors to the National Policy Forum also contributed to the Republican Party and some became clients of Haley Barbour’s former law firm. The contention is that the policy forum and the Republican National Committee were linked so closely that the party itself benefited from donations.

Taped excerpts:
• Michael Baroody, president of the National Policy Forum.
• Benton Becker, a well-known Republican and former counsel to President Gerald Ford.