[rightwing2]

I am very impressed to see that National Review got this one so very right given their record of abandoning conservative ideals and principles and putting party over principle. Thankfully, this is one issue in which conservative principles and the supreme interest of Republican Party for self-preservation coincide exactly. If Bush signs this bill, he will betraying not merely conservative and constitutional principles, but more importantly to many on Free Republic he will be betraying the Republican Party into permanent Congressional minority status. The need for Bush to veto this unconstitutional monstrousity is so great that we should send this article to all of our friends to rouse them to urge Bush to do the right thing. I am convinced that Bush will give in to conservative grassroots pressure if we bring enough firepower to bare, but this pressure must be overwhelming to work.

Otherwise, Bush will follow his narrow and short-sighted political instincts and sign the Democrat Incumbent Protection Act when it arrives on his desk and the Republicans will lose both Houses of Congress permanently in 2004. Then in January 2005, a narrowly re-elected and shell-shocked President Bush will come back to work in January 2005 following a Democrat title wave which will be the reverse of the Grand GOP Victory of 1994 and Bush will be left trying to claim that he is still relevant. He won't be able to get any good legislation passed through Congress. This article is a powerful counter to those Freepers who are saying that signing the Democrat majority bill is a brilliant Bush strategy which takes the issue off the table in the deluded hope that the Supreme Court will somehow step forward and save the First Amendment and the Republican Party and declare it unconstitional. Anyone who believes that is just dreaming. If a Republican Party won't step forward to save the GOP, the Supreme Court will not do so either.

[rightwing2]

SAVE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BUMP!

[JohnGalt]

NR continues to miss the point that the most corrupting effect will be that any 'controversial' legislation will wait for the last 60 days, prior to election, for being voted upon. 'Soft-money' is a check on honest political debate with consequences for taking a politcally damaging stance.

[Lazamataz]

President Bush is reportedly about to commit a cynical and opportunistic act unworthy of his young presidency

If he signs this bill, I will not vote for him in 2004.

If he signs this bill, I won't vote for him even if he's running against Hillary Clinton -- because then I will have the choice between someone who will gut the bill of rights and someone who did gut the bill of rights.

And I won't vote for either of those choices.

[deport]

Then in January 2005, a narrowly re-elected and shell-shocked President Bush will come back to work in January 2005 following a Democrat title wave which will be the reverse of the Grand GOP Victory of 1994 and Bush will be left trying to claim that he is still relevant.

Interesting senario you have there... A democratic tidal wave yet President Bush is narrowly elected after signing a bill. Hmmmmmm. Guess the locals take it out on their Congress critters but leave the President alone. Yep makes perfectly good sense to me.

[dittomom]

This was also posted yesterday...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/631793/posts

...but it deserves repeating....

[swampfox98]

This is definately a win-win situation for the Democrat party. If Bush vetos this bill the press will destroy his creditability. On the other hand, if it passes the Democrats will destroy the Republican party through crooked elections. The Dems have already found a loop hole in the bill which will allow them to funnel millions to their own supporters, such as the NAACP, to help get them elected.

How sad that the Republican party is so weak. Even in victory they are defeated by the Dems.

[counterrevolutionary]

I am very impressed to see that National Review got this one so very right given their record of abandoning conservative ideals and principles and putting party over principle.

Care to give some examples to back up your accusation?

[justanotherfreeper]

Bush lobbyists have confirmed he WILL, repeat, WILL sign. This was at the retreat for GOP Chief of Staffs yesterday, and the White House is very very candidate with these folks at these kinds of events. Read the last two paragraphs and weep: Stevens Balks at Reform (Bush will sign CFR)

Could someone post that article seperately in News? I have been trying and every time I get the article set up and hit preview, the "can't find server" page comes up, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I do not follow the President blindly into the sunset. I respect him, I trust him, I disagree with him on many issues. He plays his cards close to his vest. Even now, I tend to underestimate him.....simply because he does hold those cards tight.

I have to trust him to do what he thinks is the right thing to do. I admit, I will be crushed if he signs a bill that is so blatantly un-Constitutional in that it limits a private citizen's right to political dissent during the most crucial time of all----prior to elections.

Shays-Meehan has stripped away our means of exposing the difference between what an incumbent says & what he does during this crucial time. If an incumbent is afraid to run on his record, he knows his record serves someone other than his constituents. His record should be able to stand up to public scrutiny.

I will continue my own personal lobbying with my Senators and the White House & pray that the Constitution will prevail on principle and not because SCOTUS had to make Congress follow the Constitution.

If the GOP and the President are willing to gamble on what SCOTUS would rule, perhaps it is time for Americans to leave the GOP en masse and donate time, money, effort & VOTES to the Constitutional Party.

I, too, fear what could happen in legislation during that 60 day time period. Someone tried to point out that is unlikely, because Congress is usually in recess during that time so they can campaign. I would point out that water flows through cracks, bears sh!!t in the woods, and Congress exploits unintended consequences. Jeffords waited until after he was elected as a member of the GOP to switch....I call it fraud. Dems called it "brave." I have no doubt those 60 days will be used to slip things through.

BTW, if they are so concerned about the corrupting influence of money in politics, why are they whoring for money now with the orgies of fund raisers scheduled before now & November? Both Bill & Hillary are going to be the starring whores for the dems. Bill at the Apollo in Harlem. Just a little hypocritical, I would think.

[backhoe]

Silence, America!:

Silence, America!: for Silence, America!. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

---

A further Mini-Editorial!

Folks, these clowns, corrupters, and frauds in Congress are trying to silence YOU!

Wake up, dammit!

Rush and Hannity and all the hosts in the world can inveigh against this garbage day and night, but unless you actually do something about it, it will not matter one tiny iota!

Now is the time! If not now, when? When they arrest your wife or kids for "improper speech?"

Get off your butts and send some emails and faxes. Write letters, especially letters to editors.

Call talk shows- the local ones are easy to get on and reach a lot more people than you may realize.

This- right here, this "issue"- is where the rubber meets the road...

There are over 70,000 members here, and I know each of you knows at least two or three more people you can tell about this-- so do it! Now!

And tell them to tell 2 more people, and tell them to "pass this on to 2 more..."

The right to speak freely is as fundamental to a free society as the right to defend yourself against unprovoked attack. This is a frontal assault on your liberty and the freedom of your children and spouse.

It's time to move out, folks- march, or die....

---

Here's a Note to Activists:

Want to do something? Go here:

Ignorance Making You Ill? Cure It!

for links, tools, & instructions about how to contact a pile of different people, and how to send a link to this story right here ( or anywhere else ) to a "mass email" using Outlook Express.

---

I say again, people- it's time to speak up- or be forever silenced!

[Mia T]

Well, with the help of the 100 corrupt and cowardly cullions, clinton walked. The senators' justification for their acquittal votes requires the suspension of rational thought (and, in the curious case of Arlen Specter, national jurisdiction).

Musings: Senatorial Courtesy Perverted

Nothing less than humanity, itself, will forever be in the debt of Pres. Bush for having had the courage to take on terrorism FOR REAL. (See:The Real Danger of a Presidential Faker: Post-9/11 Reconsideration of The Placebo Presidency)

But that does not excuse Bush's less-than-courageous decision not to expend political capital to go after clinton corruption. Not to do so threatens democracy--perhaps more slowly--but just as surely as terrorism does. In fact, it would not be a stretch to call the clinton crimes "domestic terrorism."

Frankly, the incestuous, dynastic, professional nature of the current political structure, together with the clintons' limitless access to dark secrets via Filegate, etc., suggest an even less honorable reason than simple politics for the decision "to move on."

The same argument applies to the specious, unconstitutional campaign-finance-reform bill

Q ERTY1 reality-check BUMP!

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

[concerned about politics]

Right now, I think Bush is attempting to teach the Republicans to be accountable for themselves.
They've been without backbone since the Clinton liberal press ganged up on them.
America likes Bush, and Clinton is yesterdays news.
It's time they sood up, and spoke out on their own.
They're big people now, and it's time to grow up.
They need to learn how to defend themselves against the socialists politics of personal destruction, and give it right back to them.
Bush is right by not saying much. The congressmen and senators need to get a lot more backbone. Bush ain't gonna carry them.
If Bush can get these panty waists to start standing up for themselves, Republicans will be the strongest party ever. The truth is so much more powerful than lies if people get a chance to hear it.

[WIMom]

"...is reportedly ... signing a disaster of a campaign-finance-reform bill...

"...are urging Bush to sign the bill..."

"...the president will probably sign the bill..."

"...his aides think signing..."

"...his aides are sometimes reported to think that signing the bill..."

No where does it say Bush will or has signed the bill, but the left is doing everything in their power to make it 'appear' that this is a done deal.

[harpo11]

I fail to understand why it appears that Congress thinks CFR is going to cure their admitted, proudly admitted in some cases, corruption and that the American people will believe this piece of stinking offal legislation is the best medicene.

It is not. It is real bad medicene. Bad voodoo. Our Founding Fathers wrote a simple, easily understood First Amendment. They gave it A#1 status. For the men and women in Congress who violated the Constitution and their oath of office by voting to pass it, is bad enough. They all know it. They all know they aren't going to clean up their miserable acts of chicanery and are schemeing for ways to slither around the legislation already.

For our President to add his good name to it would be crushing to the faith and trust that I have placed in him as a an honorable man and respect as a sterling leader. But, somehow I think President Bush is A#1 hombre and will step up to the podium and shout a resounding "NO WAY will I allow Congress to stifle and muzzle the good citizens of this great nation free speech rights protected by the Constitution. Many of you in Congress are a bunch of idiots if you think I'm going to support this piece of stinking garbage. Now send me legislation that shows you have the courage to stop the corruption problems you speak of but never will I sign a bill that penalizes the citizens of this country for participating in the political process. I've given you the framework of which I can agree upon. Anything short of that or anything beyond that is DOA."

Bad law must be overturned by courage and candor. CFR makes me gag as much as it seeks to gag me as an actively aware citizen which is counter to what President George W. Bush said in his Inaugural Speech, January 20, 2001:

"I ask you to be Citizens: citizens, not spectators;
Citizens, not subjects;
Responsible Citizens..."

The same applies to those elected few in Congress who wish to repress our hope for freedom while doing all they can to to protect, defend, enhance and enrich their own careers and ambitions.

What I find interesting about this legislation that the penalties are severe for violation of CFR. Just as in Mrs. Clinton's hopes and dreams for overthrowing our freedom in selecting health care, her health care proposal contained heavy fines and severe consequences if a free citizen were to go against her dictates. The same with CFR. Why is it elected, and some unelected, officials can't wait to muzzle, imprison, levy fines, remove, confiscate, delete, eradicate, our rights, our property, our freedom, our Consitution? Do they seek to impose fear upon a free people? Will there be a time in our history that the American people will dread the midnight knock on the door by secret police because they dared speak out against a candidate for elected office?

Why are there no penalites for the elected men and women who willfully wantonly violate our Constitution?

[EternalHope]

President Bush has to do more than just veto this. He has to forcefully make the case that this is a bad bill, and forcefully make the case for something better. So far he has done neither.

We are in a war between two completely different visions of reality. The Democrats see this clearly and so do Conservatives.

Conventional Republicans (such as Bush, Sr.) do not see it at all. They are moderate "consensus builders" and "better managers". That works for municipal government, but not for the nation's President.

We are about to find out if the son can transcend the father. If he does not, we may win the war on terror but lose our nation anyway.

[linn37]

Bush send the bill back and make them get it right!!!!

[broomhilda]

Thank you for posting this article. We MUST write, call, e-mail, President Bush to VETO this very dangerous bill. It is his responsibility to protect the constitution. He took an oath to do so. Send this article to all of your friends. Ask them to inform President Bush that he must VETO this bill which will take away our right to voice our opinions before an election. Not satisfied with the damage done by redistricting, the Demorats are now trying to silence anyone who disagrees with them. Senator 'NO', who would not allow an economic stimulus bill to be voted on and made up his own rules so that it could not come to a vote, now wants to pass this blatantly illegal bill that violates our constitutional rights.

[MassExodus]

I can't believe that Bush is EVEN CONSIDERING signing this bill !

I hope it's just smoke and mirrors or he has some kind of a plan ( please tell me he does ).

If Bush signs that un-Constitutional piece of garbage I won't just NOT vote for a Republican again,

I will do everything in my power to defeat them ( us ) in the feature.