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Our forefathers also believed that all men are inherently corrupt, that is why we have a system of checks and balances. Of course that system is only effective when the first ammendment actually provides truthful information about what our government is doing.

This is an arguement for more free speech rather than less. That makes John McCain even more frightening.

My only quibble with what I consider an excellent post is that I think they felt all men are inherently corruptible, but not necessarily corrupt. You still need the checks and balances for exactly the same reasons, but that small change presents a less cynical way of expressing the same idea as well as embracing the basic optimistic realism of our founding fathers.. Reading Franklin, Paine and most of the others, while they recognize the failings men have, they are eternally optimistic about our ability to rise above those failings. Otherwise there is no point in the great experiment they created for us. But they always assume that you don't trust that the guy in charge has prevailed over man's evil nature until you verify it a bit. And even then you provide a countervailing power to any power you grant.

Very Reaganesque.

And John McCain's assault on First Amendment and specifically political speech is perhaps the greatest threat this republic has faced in many generations.