Supreme Court Handing Down Ruling in Campaign Finance Reform (main parts upheld)

FOX News | 10 Dec 2003 | FOX News

[July 4th]

Reports that main portions of McCain-Feingold are now being upheld! People currently wading through a decision of over 300 pages.

[concerned about politics]

This law IMHO was written with malicious and harmful intent towards christians and conservatives

Why? They can run ads for their cause. They just can't say "vote Bush." They can advocate their core beliefs anytime.
Politicians and individuals can still run ads.
I don't know about the rest of you, but politically, this is a Republican gold mine.
Constitutionally, when talking about free speach for everyone, it sucks.
I do know Abortionists, earthworshippers, A.N.S.W.E.R., homos, welfare slugs, and Horrywood cronies will have to shut up before an election, too!

[hchutch]

Bingo.

If people are so afraid of the media monopoly, why do they simply cower in fear instead of turning it to their advantage or doing something about it?

The more friendly media outlets there are, the more the power of the New York Times, the Los Angeles Time, and ABC, CBS, and NBC is lessened.

[Captain Kirk]

More word games instead of addressing the issue eh? Pretty hard to admit the truth, isn't it?

[Howlin]

Get over yourself.

Or would you rather us all pretend that you're just an innocent bystander on these threads. You give as much as you get.

BTW, I didn't "advocate" one damn thing. I was never in favor of this law, and only speculated why he did what he did. I believe if you surf back through my posts -- I'm sure you or somebody else must have them cataloged by now -- you will see that I left many an email on the White House web site venting my disagreement with this bill AND his signing it.

[Sabertooth]

FreeRepublic's resident experts assured me SCOTUS would strike the bad parts down, even as I claimed SCOTUS was too unpredictable to make that assertion.

The Supremes almost always uphold campaign finance restrictions on political speech.

To be fair, a few who supported his signing of the bill have acknowledged now that it was a mistake.

[Mo1]

Perhaps but it will be a cold day in hell before any member of Congress that voted for this crapola gets a dime or a vote from my family.

That is your choice and your right ..

[Howlin]

We'll all go to the gulags together.

I refuse to go unless we are guaranteed internet access. :-)

[Sir Gawain]

Republicans: We will only do a "number 1" on the Constitution. Democrats do a "number 2". Vote Republican.

That's just my opinion. Read it while it's still legal. Bush failed us.

[onyx]

Bush haters? I guess that makes you a republican tool. You just can't stand dissenting opinion. No wonder why you and your ilk are playing down this ruling...it will restrict the "dissenting" opinion you hate so much.

Grow up or TRY to write like an adult. Your assumptions are assinhine, emphasis on the first three letters.

Bush did NOT write this ruling. The SCOTUS did, whose duty, I might add, is to determine what is, or is not, Constititional.

Personally, I'm not pleased with the ruling, but Bush is hardly the one to blame.

As for your other assinhine assertion, NOBODY here is dissenting, you and your ilk are merely trashing Bush. How utterly surprising. NOT.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Your screen name becomes you!

[AdamSelene235]

You realize, I hope, that the founders DID NOT campaign nor run ads attacking their opponents.

Pshhaaww. Ok, not ads. Rather they hired scandal mongers to spread vicious rumors about their opponents in the press. Jefferson's smears of Adams spring to mind. Hell, even George Washington was accused of conspiring to sell America out to the British.

You, of course, know these things to be true.

[BSunday]

Truman: The Buck Stops Here

[NittanyLion]

BTW, I didn't "advocate" one damn thing. I was never in favor of this law, and only speculated why he did what he did. I believe if you surf back through my posts -- I'm sure you or somebody else must have them cataloged by now -- you will see that I left many an email on the White House web site venting my disagreement with this bill AND his signing it.

Revisionist history. You were adamantly in favor of Bush signing this law and defended it to no end by claiming conservatives would benefit as a result of SCOTUS' eventual ruling. You were dead wrong, as I suspected at that time.

Perhaps now that we've seen this, we can avoid similar errors in judgment going forward.

[Protagoras]

A typical non-answer from you.

Which part didn't you understand?

You vote out of fear like a child, I refuse to do so. And you think that the only way to advance an idea is to vote, also childish. Particularly when there is no choice.

I put my money where my mouth is, you resign yourself to supporting evil on a web site and accuse everyone who disagrees with your or the annointed of whining and ranting. It's a simpleton's chore.

[hellinahandcart]

So does yours. I think.

[finnman69]

http://www.fec.gov/pdf/record/2002/nov02.pdf

“Electioneering Communication” Defined

An electioneering communication is any broadcast, cable or satellite communication which fulfills each of the following conditions:

The communication refers to a clearly identified candidate. A communication refers to a clearly identified federal candidate if it contains the candidate’s name,nickname or image, or makes any unambiguous reference to the person or their status as a candidate, such as “the Democratic candidate for Senate.” 11 CFR 100.29(b)(2). The communication is publicly distributed. Generally, a communication is publicly distributed if it is disseminated for a fee by a television station, radio station, cable television system or satellite system. In the case of Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, the communication is publicly distributed if it can be received by 50,000 or more people:

• In a state where a primary election or caucus is being held within 30 days;
• Anywhere in the United States during the period between 30 days prior to the nominating convention and the conclusion of that convention; or
• Anywhere in the United States within 60 days prior to the general election. 11 CFR 100.29(b)(3)(ii).

The Commission will publish on its web site a list of the applicable event in each state that triggers the 30-day period for Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. Electioneering communications are limited to paid programming. The station must seek or receive payment for distribution of the communication. Both infomercials and commercials are included within the definition. 11 CFR
100.29(b)(3)(i).

The communication is distributed during a certain time period before an election. Electioneering communications are transmitted within 60 days prior to a general election or 30 days prior to a primary election for federal office, including elections in which the candidate is unopposed. A “primary election” includes any caucus or convention of a political party which has the authority to nominate a candidate to federal office. 11 CFR 100.29(a)(2).

This condition regarding the timing of the communication applies only to elections in which the candidate referred to is running.

In the case of Congressional candidates only, the communication is targeted to the relevant electorate.The communication targets the relevant electorate if it can be
received by 50,000 or more people in the district (in the case of a U.S. House candidate) or state (in the case of a Senate candidate) that the candidate seeks to represent. 11 CFR 100.29(b)(5).

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will provide on its web site the information necessary to determine whether a communication can be received by 50,000 people. Under interim rules promulgated by the FEC, if this information is not yet available, the person making a communication may argue that it could not have been received by 50,000 people of the relevant electorate. 1 To make this argument, they may:

• Use written documentation from the entity that transmitted the communication;

• Demonstrate that the communication is not distributed on a station located in a metropolitan area; or

• Demonstrate that the person possesses information which leads them to reasonably believe that the communication could not be received by 50,000 or more people in the relevant area.

Exemptions
The regulations at 11 CFR100.29(c)(1) through (6) exempt certain communications from the definition of “electioneering communication:”

• A communication that is disseminated through a means other than a television station, radio station, cable television system or satellite system. For example, printed media—including newspapers, magazines, bumper stickers, yard
signs and billboards—are not included, nor are communications over the Internet, e-mail or the telephone;

• A news story, commentary or editorial broadcast by a television station, radio station, cable television system or satellite system. However, the facilities may not be
owned or controlled by a political party, political committee or candidate, unless the communication satisfies the exemption for news stories at 11 CFR 100.132(a)
and (b);

• Expenditures or independent expenditures that must otherwise be reported to the Commission;

• A candidate debate or forum or a communication that solely promotes a debate or forum. Communications promoting the debate or forum must be made by or on behalf of the sponsor;

• Communications by state or local candidates that do not promote, support, attack or oppose federal candidates; and

• Communications by 501(c)(3) organizations. However, these organizations are still barred from participating in partisan political activity by the Internal Revenue Code. Making electioneering communications may jeopardize
their tax-exempt status.

Application

Corporations and Labor Organizations.

Corporations and labor organizations are prohibited from making or financing electioneering communications to those outside of their restricted class. 11 CFR 114.2(b)(2)(iii).

Regulations

1 The interim rules were published in the October 23, 2002, Federal Register (67 FR 65212), and are open to public comments until January 21, 2003. The full text of the final rules and the Explanation and Justification is
available on the FEC web site at http://www.fec.gov/register.htm and from the FEC faxline at 202-501-3413 (document 358).

2 For further information on 501(c)(3)organizations,contact the Exempt Organizations division of the IRS at 1-877-829-5500.

3 Generally, the restricted class comprises the executive and administrative personnel and their families. It
also includes a corporation’s stockholders and their families, or a labor or membership organization’s members and their families. See 11 CFR 114.1(c) and (e).

[Steve_Seattle]

One problem with this goddamned law is that it takes a team of lawyers to figure out what you can and can't do, and that in itself has a chilling effect on political speech and political debate. People will be afraid to participate in the process because they'll be afraid of ending up in jail or being fined $10,000 for something they didn't even know was a crime. Meanwhile, all the smart boys will be figuring out ways to get around the law and keep the money flowing, raising the level of hypocisy to an all-time high. And the litigation will go on and on . . .

[concerned about politics]

Today we've just been told we're restricted to lemonade from here on out. Why even try to be positive about it?

DUmmies are happy (sort of). They're happy this issue will "Split the Republican base" so they can win in 2004!
Of course, their party will go broke, but hey, they'll learn that one soon enough.
You're freaking out over the unknown. This has no affect on your right to speak. The NRA can still run NRA ads. They just can't say "Bush." We can still plead our case without mentioning a politicians name. Our groups appeal to American tradition. There's appeals to the American haters - a small minority.

[Law]

They can run ads for their cause. They just can't say "vote Bush."

That was the law before BCRA, which introduced new restrictions, including the the 60-day complete ban. It's not longer necessary to say "vote for" to be judged in violation of the statute.

[sinkspur]

I put my money where my mouth is,

No you don't. All you do is gripe and tear down other posters.

Have a nice day, pinhead.