Posted on 08/26/2004 9:08:22 AM PDT by yonif
Las Cruces, N.M. -- Senator John McCain says he's "very appreciative" of a White House offer to help pursue court action against outside political ad groups.
The Arizona Republican has prodded President Bush to condemn ads from a group calling itself "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." The group has attacked John Kerry's Vietnam record, saying he doesn't deserve his medals and shouldn't be commander-in-chief.
McCain tells The Associated Press he doesn't want the independent political groups "abolished." He says they should just "live under the same campaign finance restrictions" as other groups.
Bush called McCain from aboard Air Force One today while on his way to New Mexico. A Bush spokesman says the men spoke about the issue.
The spokesman says Bush will support McCain in court action against the ads or if that fails, work toward a legislative solution.
CFR was signed into law (thanks W) but everyone found a way around it with 527s. If 527s are banned then everyone will find yet another way around the restrictions. As much as these grandstanding politicians try, they will not stifle free speech. Even if it came to revolution/war.
But why should any of the groups, either on the right or the left, have to stop their ads and other activities? Don't they have freedom to do so?
bada bing bada boom. I think you hit the nail right on the head
The right thing to do is embrace ALL free speech.
1. A court challange will not prevail. IMHO
Kinda like Bush didn't think that McCain/Feingold would stand constitutional scrutiny.
Wanna bet Bush's strategy is to get Kerry to say this?
When CFR was passed, this site was filled with people who swore the Supreme Court would strike it down as unconstitutional and, thus, Bush's signing of CFR was great 'stratgery' because the Supreme Court would bail him out on a law that clearly curtailed political speech.
If Bush and McCain lose, the First Amendment is safe for another day, and Bush and McCain have done their part to stop "soft money."
Jujitsu strategery!
This sums it up in a nutshell! Extremely Machiavellian!
I saw someone from the FEC interviewed on FoxNews last night. He stated that Kerry better be careful what he asks for.
Now Bush has called Kerry's bluff and announced "Check"! Add to this the statements by Bob Dole and McCain, and it's getting real interesting!
What will be Kerry's next move? the suspense is killing me, and I'm having so much fun!
Ayn Rand sure was right (in Atlas Shrugged) when she posited that liberals despise logic!
Yes it bothers me that what they want is to shut down free speech.
I wasn't here than.
If moveon.org isn't allowed to use their rights, as stated in CFR, then neither will the Swiftboat vets.
This is an all or nothing problem.
This is a brilliant move by Bush.
He provides cover to McCain for the knee jerk reaction he gave the week the Swift Boat ads came out.
He challenges Kerry to get on board or look like he is waffling again.
He expects the Courts to rule the 527s are Free Speech. This means Kerry has to Shut Up about the Swift Boat ads. But, it's already been said in this forum, the courts can't handle this in time for it to do any good.
That's why it is a brilliant move.
Don't mean to get testy but I've heard all this before about taking legal positions that people expect a judge in a black robe to bail you out on and then the judge ends up agreeing with you.
You either leave the 527s alone, or you ban all of them. And banning all of them means no one wins- we all lose- including the Swiftboat vets.
Close, but not quite.
Bushs' strategery, is to build up the idea in the publics mind, that he disfavors 527 activity.
As the (R) 527's approach the 50 million Dollar mark, and prepare to unleash a 100 Million $$ torrent on Kerry, right after the Convention.
One group has surpassed 35 million, and another has over 10, The otherside has been spending like gangbusters, only to have Kerry Down in the polls now.
The spending against the President by 527's is 62 to 1. George Soros and his minions are supporting the Kerry team. Is that fair? God knows how much of this money is illegal foreign money. I think the President is also playing poker...the ball is now back in Kerry's court. Kerry can't continue to want ONLY the Swift Boat Vet ads off the air. Bush is showing Kerry for the hypocrit he is.
You know, when I first read this I thought it said Bush to help McCain fight AIDS
>I don't understand how these ads are illegal.
They aren't,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YET. Bush wants them to be. Kerry agrees.<
So, do you support Soro's right to pump millions upon millions of dollars into ads that compare Bush to Hitler?
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