Dream Palace of the Goo-Goos What do the campaign-finance reformers really want?

Weeekly Standard ^ | 3/14/04 | Scott Johnson

[Valin]

THE CAMPAIGN-FINANCE SCANDALS of Bill Clinton's 1996 reelection left a bitter aftertaste. Having secured his reelection, Clinton resorted to the favorite stratagem of presidents in need of political cover--the appointment of a bipartisan commission. The bipartisan commission was to study the reform of campaign finance law. To conservatives, the appointment of a bipartisan commission was a non sequitur. The 1996 scandals were scandals because they involved violations of existing law. Nevertheless, talking about the need for campaign-finance reform helped President Clinton to change the subject. On March 17, 1997, Clinton announced the appointment of former Vice President Walter Mondale to co-chair (with Nancy Kassebaum-Baker) an independent commission to promote campaign finance reform.

Mondale's experience analyzing campaign-finance law extended back to his student days at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he wrote an astute law review note criticizing Minnesota's campaign-finance law and advocating deregulation. As a Minnesota senator, however, Mondale had supported the complex system of federal campaign-finance law that essentially derived from the Federal Election Campaign Act law of 1971 (FECA) and the Watergate-era amendments of 1974. In the White House ceremony announcing the appointment of the new Clinton commission, Mondale referred to the "nightmare of the present campaign-finance system." No one noted that the "reforms" Mondale himself had supported as a senator had become the "nightmare" he described in 1997.

[goldstategop]

Constitutionally Forcible Rape is really about silencing criticism of incumbent politicians before election time. Heaven forbid they should be criticized. Besides, they are our betterers. And the uncouth natives must be taught that democracy is not about offending those they are meant to serve. No - CFR is not democracy that you were taught in high school social studies - but it fits politicians' desire for a content-free and issue-free political campaign nicely.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Valin]

Well put!

[AmericanChef]

Remember, lefties don't make laws for themselves. Laws are for other people to follow. Republican Other People. End of story.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

EXACTLY! Well said, goldstategop (post #2).

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Remember, lefties don't make laws for themselves. Laws are for other people to follow. Republican Other People. End of story.

Exactly!! Although there is justifiable praise for comment #2, yours states the situation more correctly.