DISCLOSE Act Assault on First Amendment Continues

The Heritage Foundation ^ | July 23, 2010 | Hans von Spakovsky

[opentalk]

For those of you who believe in bygone notions like free speech rights and the ability to criticize politicians when they do things like nationalize 1/5 of the U.S. economy, you better taken advantage of that while you can.

Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has filed for cloture on the DISCLOSE Act, S. 3628, which is intended to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United and impose burdensome new disclosure requirements. The cloture vote will probably occur next Tuesday in a move that avoids committee hearings. If Reid can get 60 votes, then the Schumer/Van Hollen Sedition Act of 2010 will proceed to a vote. At that point, he will only need 51 senators who believe Congress has the ability to circumvent and restrict the First Amendment

...If this bill passes, it will become effective within thirty days, which will cause such confusion and chaos only two months before the fall congressional elections that many corporations, both profit and nonprofit, and incorporated associations, will no doubt stay out of the election and stay out of grassroots activity on other bills and issues being considered by Congress before November. But then, there is little doubt that deterring such activity that could lead to criticism of the positions and votes taken by incumbent senators and representatives is an intentional objective.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

“When it passes, can we not immediately sue on the grounds it is unconstitutional and get an injunction?”

Sure, we should head for the courts immediately. It looks like the ACLU will be there fighting for us on this one, judging from the letter they sent out to the Senate:

“....we believe this legislation would fail to improve the integrity of our campaigns in any substantial way while significantly harming the speech and associational rights of Americans. We urge you to oppose cloture when it comes up early next week and to vote ‘NO’ on S. 3628 if cloture is invoked.“

How can we lose, with the ACLU on our side, eh?

[montag813]

If Scott Brown supports this there must be a recall effort launched ASAP.

[montag813]

Is DISCLOSE becomes law, the RATS will retain the House.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Yeah, that mass repeal of bad Democratic laws after 1994 was something else eh?

A couple of them with sunsets didn't get renewed. Big deal.

100% of what THIS Congress has passed need to be repealed outright and post haste. But just like before, it won't happen.

[excopconservative]

100% of what THIS Congress has passed need to be repealed outright and post haste. But just like before, it won’t happen.

---

That won’t happen until we have our person in the White House. I don’t mean the ruling classes person, OUR person.

[citizenredstater9271]

The Constitution is already being ripped up and has been for decades due to gov. takeover.

Prepare for socialism kiddies.

[chilltherats]

What kind of stuff do you ping?

[Gay State Conservative]

Dirty Harry trying to save his own sorry a$$ and those of his filthy RAT friends.I’d say that this would be shot down by the SCOTUS without comment but we don’t know what its makeup will be when the case reaches it.

[Clinging Bitterly]

That's the thing, isn't it? Our person. Dubya wasn't and McCain wouldn't have been either. To do what needs to be done, reverse at least the last three decades of fedgov expansion, will require a leader even better than Reagan was.

"Return to constitutional government" is easy enough to say. But we're in a situation that has been a century in the making, and like what is ahead for Greece and much of Europe, the cure will not come without pain and violence. To survive it will require more than a White House and a simple majority populated with "good Republicans", and more than two election cycles.

[greyfoxx39]

I usually ping to threads that I feel are about important things that may not be getting a lot of FR action or that are new.

I will occasionally post articles from Andy McCarthy and some other National Review contributors.

[chilltherats]

Sounds good. Add me if you would, please.

Thanks.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Arthur Wildfire! March.

[longtermmemmory]

IOW pass an unconstitutional law that can stand “just long enough” to influence the election AND AFTER THE ELECTION the judges are free to shoot it down.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

I am against any attempt to limit our rights under the First Amendment, either by this terrible legislation or by prosecuting newspapers for publishing “classified” material, even when the material is not dangerous to our troops, but only dangerous to the politicians whose lies and stupidity it reveals. The First Amendment is the key to our freedom.

[goodnesswins]

NOW I recall what the DISCLOSE ACT is! It’s BAD....for us...conservative types.....First Amendment for thee, but not for ME.

[mrmeyer]

Sad but true. I received an NRA-ILA election "the sky is falling send money now" request in the mail on Friday. Normally I'd send at least the minimum amount listed each time I received a request but this time it went into the shredder along with the RNC election survey/donation form. Flirting with Harry Reid and going wobbly on the Disclose Act didn't sit well with me.

I'm also a GOA member, but not too thrilled with their support of net neutrality. I'm thinking of joining the SAF soon.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Obama Turns Blind Eye to Credit Card Donation Fraud
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_illegal_donations/2008/10/21/142761.html
What do Bart Simpson, Family Guy, Daffy Duck, King Kong, O.J. Simpson and Raela Odinga have in common?
All are celebrities; and with the exception of Odinga and O.J. Simpson, they also are fictional characters. And yet, all of them gave money earlier this month to the campaign of Barack Obama, without any apparent effort by the campaign to screen them out as suspect donors.
The Obama fundraising machine may owe its sensational success in part to a relaxation of standard online merchant security practices, which has allowed illegal donations from foreign donors and from unknown individuals using anonymous “gift” cards, industry analysts and a confidential informant tell Newsmax.
**“OBAMA’S FOREIGN DONORS: THE MEDIA AVERTS ITS EYES”**
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/08/obamas_donor_contributions_sil.html
(He accepts credit cards including Macy’s.)
**Fictitious Donors Found in Obama Finance Records**
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/us/politics/10donate.html?ref=politics
Last December, someone using the name “Test Person,” from “Some Place, UT,” made a series of contributions, the largest being $764, to Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign totaling $2,410.07.
Someone identifying himself as “Jockim Alberton,” from 1581 Leroy Avenue in Wilmington, Del., began giving to Mr. Obama last November, contributing $10 and $25 at a time for a total of $445 through the end of February.
The only problem? There is no Leroy Avenue in Wilmington. And Jockim Alberton, who listed his employer and occupation as “Fdsa Fdsa,” does not show up in a search of public records.

[haroldeveryman]

“(Reid) will only need 51 senators who believe Congress has the ability to circumvent and restrict the First Amendment”

If the Sharron Angle campaign doesn’t jump all over this, after Reid has characterized her an “extremist”, they don’t have a hope.

[rcrngroup]

He doesn't have the votes for cloture.

That's what we thought about.....
Stimulus(Porkulus) bill of $787 billion
0b0zo Health(Death)Care bill of $1.2 trillion
Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes bill
Wall Street Reform bill that failed to restrict the gubmint's role & Fannie Mae's & Freddie Mac's primary roles in causing the mortgage meltdown
BP shakedown ransom of $20 billion paid to 0b0zo's regime
The list goes on.....

I hate to say it, but 0b0zo will find a way, any way, to slam his socialist-fascist-commie agenda down the throats of Amerika. Unless we see 10-14 states seceding from the union which will precipitate American Revolution II, I have no doubt that the demoRATs will force the Disclose Act through.

What makes you so certain that Dingy Harry Reid doesn't have the votes for cloture. He can count on Lindsey Graham, Scott Brown and likely Snowe & Collins as well.