Posted on 02/14/2002 1:52:44 AM PST by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - They did it: Following a 16-hour debate, the U.S. House of Representatives early Thursday morning passed a bill that would change the nation's campaign finance laws - for the better, said supporters; and for worse, said critics.
The vote was 240-189, with 41 Republicans and one independent voting for the Shays-Meehan bill, 12 Democrats voting with 176 Republicans and one independent against it.
The measure that passed around 2:30 a.m. is close enough to the Senate version that it could go straight to the Senate floor for a vote, in which case Republicans are promising a filibuster; or if the Senate doesn't accept it outright, it could move into a conference committee first.
President Bush, much to the dismay of some Republicans, is expected to sign the measure once it reaches his desk.
Here's some of what the House-passed bill does: It bans unregulated "soft-money" given to national political parties by corporations, unions, interest groups, and individuals; but it would allow soft-money contributions to state and local parties, up to a $10,000 limit.
It allows individuals to donate up to $2,000 (from the current $1,000 limit) to political candidates. And it also restricts broadcast advertising in the sixty days before an election.
The latter provision may provide the "meat" for a legal challenge. Opponents - who already are threatening to sue -- say restricting broadcast advertising before an election is tantamount to restricting free speech.
As for the soft-money ban, opponents say it is nothing more than a move to protect political incumbents against challengers who are less well known.
On the other hand, campaign finance "reformers" say the bill will help restore public confidence in the political system where money buys influence. Nonsense, say critics, who insist that money talks - always has and always will. They say politicians will find ways around the law, or simply walk through its loopholes.
I agree. But there are also some more battles we're going to lose unless people get off their complacent, fat *sses.
Right now, the signals that are coming out of Washington are not favorable to our cause. The White House is playing weak sister, and many believe the Supremes are not going to be any better. Even if they are, it is going to take several years before this issue finds its way into their courtroom.
I have an actual story I can tell about how a RINO did more damage than a liberal DemonCrap ever could:
Mario Cuomo, Governor of New York, tried to get an assault weapon ban in at the state level for years. Decades, even. He failed because of the Republican NY Senate.
In comes RINO George Pataki. He decides he wants the same bill. It passes on the first attempt BECAUSE Pataki was able to call in favors and apply pressure in a way that Cuomo couldn't.
RINO's are MUCH more dangerous than flat-out liberals.
Democrats voted overwhelmingly for this bill. THEY'RE THE ENEMY!!! Don't loose site of that.
They forced it by using Enron, even though a crime in Washington had never been committed!!! Freedom lost for a lie!
There are many highly placed people who are not so sanguine as you are on that point.
When I talked about this a couple of years with a representative from a major conservative organization, he said that everybody KNOWS it's unconstitutional, but that the way the process works, it will take 5 years to get up to the US Supreme Court, during which time people will have a feeling of being under watch, so that it WILL suppress some free speech just by being passed. Who will take the risk of multi-million dollar fines from the FEC by doing what has always been legal (e.g. privately-financed ads for or against specific candidates by name shortly before an alection)?
This does not mean at all that that the FEC would initiate suit, but that our left-wing opponents could use it as a club. It only takes about $60 to start a lawsuit against anybody for any reason at all, so, for a few years, we all can look forward to being sued by some motivated left-winger, using as a weapon in his arsenal the fact that this stupid law WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS.
Well, just give up then. Crawl in a hole, pull it in over the top of you, and quit.
Meanwhile, we will go find a way to defeat the socialist trash who are assaulting our God-given, inalienable rights.
The idiocy of this iS 2fold:
1)Constitutional free political speech (if we dont have that what do we have
2)Political Expediency and Common Sense: With this measure the gop (forever in small case now) cedes the information wars to the LIBERAL MEDIAS. They have guaranteed that the Democratic Socialist viewpoint will be THE DOMINANT cultural and political views espoused. They have, incredibly, empowered the MEDIA.
IF THE SENATE VOTES YES AND BUSH DOES NOT VETO......I AM OUT OF THE gop...........of course i'll still vote conservative which will be gop - but out of principle they have lost an enrolled gop who will be Independent and the money and activism that goes along with membership. Mind you, symbolism in areas like this have larger affects. My viewpoint is expressed to all my peers, family, son. This symbolic move has substance to it. Here's to the Bush Veto my last hope.
Forget radio and television, they are extremely expensive for every vote gained and no more than a lazy way for campaign consultants to earn big fees.
As Free Republic grows, and I mean exponentially, we have to opportunity to go back to the extremely successful ways of winning elections that I knew during my first 20 years in politics.
Put together armies of volunteers and target winnable districts (we used to consider any 36% Republican registration district a winnable district), educate the volunteers on a limited number of issues to be discussed, and send them door to door of every registered voter in the district.
Have them carry 3 pieces of literature to be handed out or hung on the door if no one is home. One with lots of pictures and very little verbiage (no more than 2 syllables in a word, 2 sentences in a paragraph, or 7 letters in a word) to reach the 80-90% of the people, one with more issues in big print for the 6-8% with higher intelligence, and one with lots of fine print with lots of issues for the other 2%.
I have worked on or ran campaigns in the 60s and 70s and won against well financed campaigns with this strategy at far less cost.
It's proven, it works, and it isn't expensive!
Earlier I said we have to start thinking like Sam Adams. Let me add that we need to start thinking like Thomas Paine.
Why not vote for conservative Democratic candidates? My congressman Ralph Hall , Democrat from Texas, voted No. He is a good conservative American. He always comes highly recommended by the NRA. It is time to kick the leftist socialist element out of the Democratic Party. Wouldn’t it be nice to have two Conservative candidates running against each other instead of a socialist race baiter running against a decent conservative American?
I didn't say a damn thing about quitting from a PERSONAL perspective. But I am keenly aware that there many out there who will, because they are sick and tired of being betrayed by the Republican party; over and over again. Many may sit out the upcoming election, and many others may turn to the Constitution Party, among others. We'll see how it plays out.
It is why I left the republican party and every bit of evidence since, says that I made the right decision. The present republican party, is not going to get better, it has no roots. If you examine this thread and many others, the discontent with the stupid party, is as bad if not worse than when we were suffering under the reign of willy the worst.
I have no axe to grind, nor do I have any agenda on FR other than preservation of the Constitution of the United States of America. The republican party as presently constituted, is not in a position, nor does it have what it takes to accomplish that goal, I therefor give my loyalty to a party that does have a goal of restoring this country to its roots in the Constitution.
What if we were to amass BILLIONS of dollars before this goes into effect? What is to prevent the RNC from using the interest off that money to fund ads?
What is to prevent the RNC from using that money to send video tapes (with prizes awarded for answering questions correctly after having watched the video) to everyone?
Let me say one thing again -- support the NRA in their fight to overturn this Unconstitutional bill. Visit their website at:
Fight this Bill, but not the party! Why else would these people come to a conservative web site? Why aren't they at their own right now ????
"A house divided will not stand." So try to keep focused, folks.
"A house divided will not stand." Point proved!
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