Posted on 06/20/2002 9:38:05 AM PDT by xsysmgr
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., joined Democratic Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Robert Toricelli, D-New Jersey, in launching phase two in the continuing saga of a hotly debated yet somewhat ignored topic, campaign finance reform.
In a Wednesday morning press conference, the senators proposed the Free Air Time campaign, a measure that would massively reform political advertising on radio and television. The stated goal of the first phase of campaign finance reform was to ban soft money contributions to political parties. The latest goal of the campaign finance reformers is to "help de-emphasize large contributions by reducing candidate's dependence on raising money to reach voters," said McCain.
The air time mandate would require TV broadcast stations to devote time to election campaign coverage. Additionally, the bill would direct the Federal Communication Commission to issue free vouchers to all qualified political candidates. The free vouchers could then be exchanged for political advertising. "Clearly, our democracy will be improved when a candidate's success is less dependent on money, and more dependent on the value of his or her ideas," said McCain.
Feingold echoed those remarks: "The extraordinary high cost of TV advertising time fuels the insatiable need for candidates to spend more and more time fundraising instead of talking with voters."
But unlike the first campaign finance reform measure, which passed the senate with sixty-nine votes, the new proposal faces a more difficult journey on the road to the White House. Congressman Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Telecommunications and Internet subcommittee, says he'll oppose the bill. The overlapping of television markets, on both a state and local level, the number of political candidates and the revenue loss of small broadcasters are among the reasons he lists for opposition.
"If a small broadcaster had to provide free airtime for every qualified candidate, in an election year there would be no way they could generate the revenue needed to recoup the cost of government mandated upgrades, much less cover their operating expenses," said Mike Waldron, a spokesman for Upton.
Capitol Hill sources also are wary regarding how much, or little, public outcry there would be for more political advertisements. Waldron added, "The last thing your average American wants to see on Sunday afternoon is five more political ads in the middle of the football game."
It's apalling how specious and disingenuous politicians like McCain can be. Does he think most of us are idiots? Does he think he's fooling anyone into thinking he's doing this for the public good?
He's doing this to seize broadcast airtime without paying for it. Period!
When we give "humanitarian" aid to despots, does anything think this reduces their ability to create terror? They just take the domestic money they would have spent on food and medicine and buy more tanks. Putting a gun to the head of broadcast media (or the taxpayers)and forcing them to pay for their campaign folly won't reduce fundraising. They will continue with zest and put the money in other areas such as direct mail, outdoor, staffing and bribery...anything to get an edge on their opponent.
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