The Legacy of Compassionate Conservatism [Rush Limbaugh on the Campaign Reform SCOTUS fiasco]

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_121003/content/truth_detector.guest.html ^ | December 10, 2003 | by Rush Limbaugh

[Lazamataz]

The mainstream media is protected from the campaign finance law. Yes, Congress has limited the right to free speech of "We the People," but left the media's power intact. In fact, it's actually enhanced the media's power by letting them dominate the airwaves 30 to 60 days before an election.

But let me ask you a simple question: "If the Supreme Court can limit free speech today - under, I cannot believe, a GOP president, House and Senate - why can't it limit freedom of the press tomorrow? Once you amend the Constitution this way, anything goes!

Those who don't respect liberty - and by that I mean the left, these phony political reformers, most editorial pages and five Supreme Court justices - can't have it both ways. If the Constitution can be amended on the fly like this rather than through the 3/4ths majority in both houses of Congress and the states, then no aspect of the Constitution is safe from this kind of manipulation. All it's going to take is somebody in Congress to write a law saying, "We're going to put some regulations and restrictions on the broadcast and print media," and bingo...

Will that ever happen? No. The Congress is afraid of the media, but they are not afraid of you. Thus they felt free to pass a law taking away your most basic freedom: political speech. Why? What did you do wrong? Why, you corrupted the process! Yes, the way this ruling came down and the way the law was written, your rotten, dirty money is corrupting out courageous and brave elected officials. Why, as soon as they take a dime, they turn from angels into corrupt monsters! You're ruining their morals! So if you try to buy an ad, well, now there's a law to stop you rotten jerks!

I took some calls on this story, which you can hear below. These came from the same sort of people who were so sure Bush would veto the bill, or that the Supreme Court would overturn it, "So why fight it?" Frank in Auburn, Maine asked, "How long do you think it's going to be before we have a midnight session to overturn this in the Congress?" I gently told Frank that the very Congress that passed this abomination, and that is now insulated as incumbents from the annoying voices of you idiot voters, is not going to now right what it did. Hello?

They're overjoyed about this! So is the media - which debunks another caller's claim that the press would miss the ad revenue they'll lose from political ads. They'll still get the cash from all these other groups who've weaseled out of this law. This is worthy of more than a "whine," folks. After all, members of the House and Senate can easily get face time on TV. That's why I called this the "Incumbent Protection Act." This is a day of darkness, folks. We may as well be Hobbits, with dark cloaked figures looking for our rings.

Michael Barone, a brilliant guy, wrote the other day that this president is redefining conservatism from limited government to a government of choice and accountability. I disagreed with Mr. Barone for the first time in my life about something. Not only are we not advancing limited government, we are now limiting choice and accountability by restricting freedom of speech. We're not expanding anything that's conservative, here. We're not expanding liberty or expanding freedom - which is choice. That is the antithesis of what happened in the Supreme Court.

When all is said and done, when it comes to domestic issues, it looks to me like the legacy of the Republican control of Congress and the presidency for the first time in 50 years is going to be the largest entitlement in modern times, the greatest increase in domestic spending in modern times and one of the greatest set-backs for liberty in modern times. That's the legacy of Republican control of government. This may be "compassionate" conservatism, but it's not "conservatism" at all.

[proud American in Canada]

"I disagree, the republic may be on life support today, but it is NOT dead. There are things we can do:
a) Write your Senators early and often and DEMAND that the first order of business of the new Congress next year is to repeal this odious POS law in its entirety.
b) Start writing President Bush and letting him know that if he does not begin applying pressure to have this law repealed first thing next year, there won't be an election in '04.
c) Withold any and all political contributions to any political party. This POS law had bipartisan support, it can get a bipartisan response from the voters."

very well said.

Congressional email/fax directory:
http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm


voting records:
http://www.uaw.org/cap/03/rollcall/vote01.cfm

Let's roll.

[proud American in Canada]

great post... please see the one right after--I posted a link to email/fax directories and to Roll Call, for voting records.

[Starwind]

Shouldn't be difficult (logistically) to recind.

It's only a federal regulation, and everything was constitutional prior to its passge and would be equally constitutional upon its recision.

A 1-liner, such as:
"By majority vote of Congress, CFR and all associated regulatory changes are hereby recinded"

Signed into Law, this day ________________ (Pres George W. Bush).

[international american]

"Write your Senators early"

Write to Feinstein & Boxer??
They are nursing hangovers from the drunken revelry last night,when they celebrated this ruling:)

[thesummerwind]

Yes. I read the whole thing, his entire speech on another thread this morning. It is the best thing I've ever heard him write, and to me, the most important!!!

Here is a cryptic line from Rush!....“Sodomy is protected by the Constitution, but free speech 60 or 30 days before an election is not. The question is: 'Can a candidate be sodomized 30 or 60 days before an election?'” ---Great, huh?

[Starwind]

Meant to copy you to mt post #123

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yes, it appears the GOP gambled and lost. Bigtime. Congress and the President understood the right action to take, and they decided to forgo that in favor of the expedient. Perhaps now they'll realize that gambling on some things is okay, but the Constitution is not one of them.

And just what did they loose? It was dead wrong what they did, but they ain't enough people out there that understand or care what they did. How in the hell do you wake up the masses these days?

BigMack

[international american]

This is typical of the old Rush in 1988. He would often come up with cutting incisive witticisms back then. In fact, he would get on a roll and leave you mesmerized. He is back with a vengeance!

[Lazamataz]

To get this started my suggetion, Start putting pressure on your local rep. and senator to undo this monstrosity. Everytime you see them, ask them, What are you going to do about this? another idea, let them know that you are cutting back by 1/2 your contribution to them as a protest.

Would you be willing to start a daily thread with this intent? Or conversely, a thread that is bumped to the top regularly? I would help. I have too many responsibilities to commit to hosting it.

[Lazamataz]

And just what did they loose? It was dead wrong what they did, but they ain't enough people out there that understand or care what they did. How in the hell do you wake up the masses these days?

I suppose we could anger them by cutting in front of them in the queue to the cattle car.

[Valin]

I'll give it a shot. See how it goes.


It's not like I have a life or anything

[Lazamataz]

Shouldn't be difficult (logistically) to recind.

Logistically, no. Practically, fuggedabouddit.

[Dead Corpse]

I must say I do like Rush's new found clarity. As for archy's earlier plug, putting a Ron Paul or a Tom Tancredo on the ballot would get me to vote GOP again.

I refure to vote for the "lesser of two evils", especially when the supposed "lesser" is perpetrating everything the "greater" would have.

Enough is enough.

[k2blader]

Good.

[k2blader]

Biggo el Rushbo bumpo!

[Starwind]

Practically, fuggedabouddit.

It certainly won't happen if incumbents believe our votes are already locked in.

Are they? I question whether the 2004 votes are in fact locked-in, now, or more so in coming months.

[Tribune7]

It's a great column. But the Bill of Rights is not dead, just like it wasn't dead after the Alien & Sedition acts or Plessy v Ferguson.

Our Congress passed an unconstitutional law. Our President signed it. Our Supreme Court declared it Constituitional.

The Bible didn't die when Jimmy Swaggart was found with a prostitute or a priest was found sodomizing some kid.

We have a fight on our hands, that's all. Now, I'm supporting Bush despite his disrespect for the Constitution because the alternative is a far greater threat to the document.

[unsycophant]

Rush has been really good since he's returned. Obviously I am a big fan of his, but I wasn't impressed with this essay because he didn't mention anything about strategy, and that absolutely played a critical role in cfr.

[Nix 2]

This is one of those hyperconvoluted rulings that will have us saying for years, "Where were YOU when they succeeded in total destruction of the Constitution?"
In trying to be fair to Bush, he DID promise initially to veto this bill. Later he WARNED the Congress to be very careful what they put in that obscenity called CFR, because if it made it to his desk, he would sign it.
It didn't stop them from sending it, and Bush's belief in the Power of the Constitution was ill served by this court.
We have two choices before we lose our freedom completely. Either run, or stand and fight. I will stand and fight...one way or another. Like Tribune7, I will vote for Bush because the alternative is a horror to contemplate. And I will pray that there are finally enough real conservatives elected in the next election to put his diseased puppy to sleep once and for all...and FAST! We NEED our judges.
Please G-d, don't leave us now.

HEADLINE FOR TODAY,
JULY 4, 2003
FROM HERE

TO HERE!!!

AMERICA, IT IS NOW TIME TO MOVE FROM THERE:

TO HERE!!!
IMPEACH THE SUPREME COURT OR BE READY TO DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY.

[RightWhale]

First time I heard Rush I thought they would not allow him on the air for long. He would be shouted down or his broadcast license revoked. Really, there seemed to be something that would not permit public expression of Ayn Rand style individuality. But as Rush continued anyway, it became obvious that the Liberals didn't have total control after all. That was Rush's contribution: we can express ourselves and are self-limited mostly by personal ideas of what is right and proper.