Posted on 12/10/2003 8:57:47 PM PST by 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.
That is an absolute lie. I never defended this ruling one time.
And this article is not about Howlin anyways. Can we please stick to the subject of the article? Thanks.
I've missed ya. I wondered how you were on that beach. ;^)
He even mentioned a certain other fellow that stands in high esteem alongside Tom Tancredo in my eyes right as his show ended. Tom McClintock. ;-)
Thanks for the post.
A few things here.
Congress wrote the bill, Congress voted in favor of the bill, Congress, as far as I understand this system of government, represents the people.
Bush signed the bill into law, instructed his legal team to challenge the sections that he considered to be unconstitutional, and the Court ruled against him.
Things you need to learn:
Why Bush and Republicans?
I'll take any conservative who can get elected to Congress,and/or to the White House in 2004...who do you think can get ELECTED in 2004?
I hope that today marks the beginning of a new American revolution, but I doubt that will happen. When leading politicians and the Supreme Court favor restricting peaceful political speech, it is clear that the Republic is dead and that those in power have no other interest beyond protecting their own power. If this country were salvageable, millions of people would descend on Washington, demanding that those responsible for banning political speech be tried for treason. What we are witnessing is comparable to when the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire. I think America will suffer a similar fate. I do hope that 1,000 years from now, people will rediscover history and learn from our mistakes.
I just mention that I have not had a job since 1999, and ask when they are going to slash taxes, cut regulations, and get the government out of business's way so they can do their job of making America work...
Usually causes a lot of sputtering at the other end of the line...
I appreciate that, it's an indicator that his head and heart are in the right place(s).
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.