CFR Discharge Petition Receives Required Signatures

AP News Alert | 1/24/02 | AP

[tonyinv]

I thought the Rats wanted the issue not the bill.

Exactly, Bush will give them neither. The Dems dont want the bill so they'll have to stop it. Bush will then come out and push the issue making the Dems look like the ones against CFR. It will all blow over before summer and continue to be a perennial issue just like minimum wage.

The Dems and some Reps continue to underestimate the current resident of the Oval Office.

Thats my take anyway...

[hchutch]

No way. The left will use it to shut our guys up. Michael Barnes in an interview said that HCI (now the Brady Campaign) supported McCain-Feingold because "it would much more adversely affect the power of the gun lobby." (San Diego Union-Tribune, April 15, 2001)

That's what will happen. Bush's veto pen is all that stands between this bill and censorship from the left.

[Senator Pardek]

Well, she was definitely a trailblazer.

[Askel5]

Lol ... still, you can see why I was confused.

If you go to Pokerface's rally pix, you can see what look to be baby blue frames on Mojo.

[peekaboo]

CNN and MSNBC are salivating over this "breaking news". They broke into other newstories to report this action. Some talking head on MSNBC, just reported that he can't wait for Bush to EVEN TRY TO VETO this bill when it gets to him. That Bush will be the one that will look bad as well as the pubbies that will cry out about the passage. Here the House gets another bill done and our precious Senate is still sitting on the side lines wasting more time. This CFR bill should go to conference if it passes. I think it is the Mehan-Shays bill that Bush does not want, so in conference what parts will be revised?.....

Who ever said Dingel=Norwood, next is probably right. Of course, No Amwar drilling, or energy bill passage, or the economic stimulus package yet, and the over due judicial appointments will surely continue to be delayed.

[Holden Magroin]

All I know is that all the DemocRATS support McCain-Feingold and that the vast majority of Republicans do not. The Democrats obviously have a lot to gain from his bill. My guess is that they are hoping the liberal media will just fill the void left by soft money.

[hchutch]

Harshbarger is already boasting.

They got their 218, and we need a veto. Who was the talking head?

[sphinx]

I am not as sanguine as some others here about the prospect of being saved by the courts.

What will almost certainly be ruled unconstitutional will be CFR's limits on ads (what can be said, when they can run, etc.). This is a direct first amendment question. FWIW, I have never believed CFR proponents took these limits seriously themselves; they are merely camoflauge. What the courts WILL let stand, however, will be CFR's limits on soft money contributions to the parties.

The practical effect will be that the Democrats will just let organized labor run the bulk of their ad campaigns with compulsory dues money. This is exactly what they did in '95-'96. All those grainy, out-of-focus ads attacking the "Dole-Gingrich Congress" were union ads, though most people don't realize it. (Thought they were Democrat ads, didn't you? Silly you.) All CFR will mean for the Dems, therefore, is that instead of writing large checks to the DNC, the unions will cut ads themselves. The same people make the decisions in either case, as the DNC/union political operations are, for all practical purposes, fully integrated.

The bottom line is, for the Dems it will be business as usual. The pubbies will have to scramble to find a new way to finance national ad campaigns.

An important thing to look for is a strong non-severability provision. I don't know if the CFR bills are written that way or not.

[peekaboo]

I don't know the name of the talking head, but he was on with the darling Greg Jarrett. He was not a politician, probably some attorney. He was wearing a bow tie. Not a frequent guest. I only saw that small clip of his statement, then the camera broke away for news of the bus being found. Wait till Chris Mathews has McCain on tonight. Even if he was not sdheduled earlier, he will surely make an appearance soon..............

[sphinx]

The bottom line is, for the Dems it will be business as usual. The pubbies will have to scramble to find a new way to finance national ad campaigns.

I should have added that the Democrats are counting on the courts to throw out the restrictions on ad content and timing. This will free the unions to do the "independent" expenditure thing, while the pubbies will still be hamstrung by the limits on contributions to the Party.

[wimpycat]

What a waste of time. Bill passed will be unconstitutional. Before the ink is dry, it will be in defeated in court. The real question is how much political capital should be burned up on this. Bush has it right. Sign it and get it thrown out in court.

I agree. Bush can say he signed it--Congress can say they passed it--John McCain can't complain about it anymore--and the Supreme Court will throw it out (maybe). Everybody's happy, and nothing has changed. That's the way Washington works.

[linn37]

yeah but while we wait on the courts to decide it the Dems will be choked off of soft money.The Republicans raise more in the hard money category............hehe

[Quicksilver]

These fools believe that campaign finance reform will protect them from themselves. Pass whatever scheme they want, sign it, let the chips fall where they fall. I don't want to hear anymore CFR crap from these fools after they shackle themselves to whatever albatross they make.

[VRWC_minion]

Exactly, and the rats will feel like they won. Everybody is happy.

[Tex_GOP_Cruz]

In case you're interested, here are the four congresscritters (Bass and Petri are Republicans) who signed the discharge petition today to put it over the top:

January 24, 2002
215. Thomas E. Petri Wisconsin 06
216. Charles F. Bass New Hampshire 02
217. Corrine Brown Florida 03
218. Richard E. Neal Massachusetts 02
The rest of the list and the text of the petition itself can be read here

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

If this ever passes you'll be wearing the dog's muzzle.John McCain wants to silence the NRA and the little guy!

[VA Advogado]

Ouch. Not good news.

[VA Advogado]

196. Sheila Jackson-Lee Texas 18

LOL well lookie here. Should be

"Sheila Jackson-Lee (D) - Enron"