Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

For the People Act Is Mostly For the Party Act
realclearpolitics.com ^ | March 26, 2019 | By Neal Simon

Posted on 03/10/2020 12:02:26 PM PDT by ransomnote

-

SNIP

HR 1, the For the People Act recently passed through the House of Representatives, is an attempt to address some of these structural issues. The bill’s original sponsor is Rep. John Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat ), whom I met several times before and during my campaign, and whose enthusiasm for campaign finance reform is contagious. Unfortunately, the bill is on the proverbial “express train to nowhere.”

SNIP.

HR 1 also includes some ill-advised policies, however, and omits other needed reforms. The bill’s biggest problem is a new campaign finance system that, rather than requiring absolute transparency for all donations, would funnel large amounts of taxpayer money to fund elections. The measure also fails to address many areas abused by the leaders of both parties. These include:

-- The exclusion of independent voters in publicly financed primary elections;

-- A broken ballot access system;

-- The lack of standardized debate processes, along with the House and Senate rules that both parties have abused, such as the filibuster and the use of unrelated amendments to kill legislation.

The big problem is that HR 1 appears to omit any reform that would adversely impact the Democratic Party. That makes it a show pony. Written to maximize partisan advantage, the Democratic sponsors knew it stood no chance of being enacted. A sincere effort at political reform would have included elements detrimental to both parties, such as open primaries and term limits.  Instead, the Democratic authors cared more about the messaging than actually effecting change. 

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: pelosi
I wondered why Pelosi was squalling about the "For the People ACT" so I looked it up. Mitch McConnell received it a year ago and hasn't held a vote on it; Democrats hardest hit. The article (written last year) above starts out in favor of the act but then identifies that it's designed to help Dems only - I excerpted some of the flaws with the legislation to post in this thread (above). Today's Twitter lament by Pelosi re this act is below.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Nancy Pelosi
 
@SpeakerPelosi
·
3h
 
We need the #ForThePeople Act to ensure that we have a government of the people — not a government of the money.

1 posted on 03/10/2020 12:02:26 PM PDT by ransomnote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ransomnote

When reading about this act on the gov website, I noticed that it allows for modifications including online voter registration and not needing to provide a signature until you request a ballot? I’m guessing all this must aid the voting of illegals.


2 posted on 03/10/2020 12:04:33 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote
ensure that we have a government of the people — not a government of the money.

Bloomberg pretty much proved that even spending LOTS of money doesn't guarantee you'll be the winner.

3 posted on 03/10/2020 1:08:09 PM PDT by libertylover (Socialism will always look good to those who think they can get something for nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: libertylover
Bloomberg pretty much proved that even spending LOTS of money doesn't guarantee you'll be the winner.

But Putin spent $100K and got Trump elected I thought?? Just ask Schiff or Pelosi...
4 posted on 03/10/2020 1:19:21 PM PDT by eyeamok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; ...

p


5 posted on 03/10/2020 2:10:00 PM PDT by bitt ("Make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you." Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote

Anything that any Demshevik wants, especailly Sarbane or Fleabane or whatever his name is, has got to be really bad.


6 posted on 03/10/2020 2:23:58 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote
***would funnel large amounts of taxpayer money to fund elections***

This has been happening for many years: Planned Parenthood, AARP, public employee unions... on and on --- all going to the Democraps AFAIK.

***The exclusion of independent voters in publicly financed primary elections***

I will fight to keep non-party members out of the primaries; primaries are private elections, not public elections. This primary system was set up about 100 years ago to stop party candidates from being 'chosen in smoke-filled rooms.' If people want to stop publicly financed primaries, that I could understand. However, the system is fair {except lately in Fornicalia} to all parties, including minor parties.

In Florida open primaries will ruin Republican control of the state. Party identity will be erased - any party.

Thus spake the Ireland. :^)

7 posted on 03/10/2020 2:42:33 PM PDT by Bob Ireland (The Democrap Party is the enemy of freedom.They use all the seductions and deceits of the Bolshevics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote; All
John Sarbanes is my representative; I live in the 3rd district of the Peoples' Republic of Maryland. I refer to him as "Congressman Nepotism". Notwithstanding his Ivy League education, if his name wasn't Sarbanes he would be just another leftist hack drone toiling away in some high-paying government job. I also refer to him as "Congressman Stealth". You want to know what a profile in courage this "public servant" is? He does not have public town hall meetings - no, he has "telephone town halls". My wife called in to one of these "town hall meetings", and because she had the audacity to disagree with one or another of their leftist ideas, they cut her off. How's that for democracy?

The way I figure it, if John Sarbanes is for it, I am against it.

8 posted on 03/10/2020 4:23:29 PM PDT by Ten Beers Gone (I don't consider the American left to be American...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson