Path Cleared for Campaign Finance

Associated Press on Yahoo News ^ | 02/21/02 | Jim Abrams

[justanotherfreeper]

WASHINGTON - Prospects for final congressional passage of campaign finance legislation received a major boost Thursday when Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., indicated he would oppose any filibuster by opponents.

Smith's comments appeared to give supporters of the bill the 60 votes they need to overcome any stalling tactics on the measure that is designed to limit the influence of money in politics.

The bill passed the House last week and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has said he hopes to win quick passage when the Senate reconvenes next week.

Smith's spokesman, Joe Sheffo, said the senator was "strongly inclined" to vote for a motion to end delaying tactics and bring the bill to a conclusion although he would still oppose the legislation when it comes to a final vote.

Smith's position is that there should be a debate so that "at the end of the day no one is going to be able to say they didn't hear both sides," Sheffo said.

The Senate's leading opponent of campaign finance legislation, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not said whether he will attempt a filibuster or use other parliamentary tactics to block the bill.

Smith, a first-term senator, is up for re-election this fall and faces a competitive race against Oregon's secretary of state, Bill Bradbury.

The House last week passed far-reaching campaign finance legislation that would end the system in which corporations and unions pour hundreds of millions of dollars in unregulated "soft money" into the national political parties. It would also ban the use of soft money to finance the broadcasting of issue ads, often thinly veiled means to attack or endorse a candidate, in the final 30 days of a primary or 60 days before a general election.

The Senate, led by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., passed a similar bill by a 59-41 vote last April. Daschle has said it is his hope that the Senate can approve the House bill without change, avoiding the possibility of the legislation getting stalled in a House-Senate conference, and send it directly to the president.

President Bush has not committed himself on the legislation. He joined congressional Republicans in trying to stop its passage but his senior advisers have indicated that he will sign it.

"That's very good news," Daschle's spokeswoman, Ranit Schmelzer, said of Smith's probable opposition to a filibuster. "The magic number is 60, and as long as they don't flip any Republicans, we're there."

Among the 59 senators — 47 Democrats and 12 Republicans — who voted for the bill last April, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has indicated that he has changed his position and now opposes the legislation. But Smith would join one other senator, Democrat Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, who voted against the bill last year but now says he is ready to stop a filibuster.

If the filibuster is avoided, it would require only 51 votes to pass the bill and send it to the president.

[VRWC_minion]

I believe Bush has a surprise or two up his sleeve on this issue.

[VRWC_minion]

If Bush signed the same Bills and Treaties Reagan did today, most folks on FR would slit their wrists. The "good old days" always look better in hindsight.

[thepitts]

"RECALL THEM ALL". We need a grassroots effort to Recall ALL the politicians from DC. We, the people, are not being heard, and I for one have had it.

God how I wish this were possible.

[Digger]

I guess you all just do not see this but EVERY important piece of legislation is whittled down & ONE vote ends up determining it - and all of these passed bills are NOT in a conservatives favor. Wise up. The "Two-party Cartel" is using you conservatives. You are the sheeple - not the dems--- the get their way ALL of the time . Get out & vote third party candidate - drop these RINOs. How much more can you take before total expression of speech is solidified? Most all of this was done with a pubbie Congress & now with a GW. Whether is vetoes or not the battle is over---he did not stand up & say NO, long before it got to this point. Is this what you call LEADERSHIP?????

[RoseofTexas]

This is SOOOO SAD, I could SREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!! The pubbies are SLITTING THEIR OWN THROATS by passing this bill. IF W signs this piece of crap, it will endanger our party and the liberal excrements will always win elections. What part of NO do these spineless weak knee pubbie jerks do they NOT UNDERSTAND??? We need to fire up an EMAIL STORM like nothing they have EVER SEEN OR HEARD before!! I'm so sick of the walnutless pubbies, that I'm seriously considering changing parties! Their silence is DEAFENING and FRANKLY I SICK OF IT!! A president with an approval rate over 70% should be able to just about pass anything over the RATS. FORGET the BIPARTISAN, FEEL GOOD, CAN WE GET ALONG crap! IT WON'T WORK IN AT THE HILL!! THE RATS ARE EVIL and they will NEVER EVER PLAY FAIR. THEY are the AXIS OF EVIL in Ameria!

[backhoe]

Silence, America!:

Silence, America!: for Silence, America!. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

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A further Mini-Editorial!

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

Wake up, doggone it!

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 rear ends 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!

Come on, people- let those SOB's in DC have a piece of your mind right now- you will be silenced if you do not speak up today.

[justanotherfreeper]

Except there are several provisions of the bill -- jail time, banning money to national parties, etc. -- that hurt conservatives but are NOT legally considered free speech issues, and will be upheld by SCOTUS.

And don't be too sure SCOTUS will overturn this. See Courting Disaster

[Aric2000]

I'd rather we had a bunch of parties and NOTHING ever got done. The only time that government is a danger to freedom is when they are able to get things done. Deadlock is good, I would like it if the government could NEVER get anything done. BRING ON THE PARTIES!!!

[VRWC_minion]

LOL. I heard both of 'em did.

In CT our range of choice for candidates is either a liberal or a child molester.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

He has an even bigger surprise if he signs it.

[RoseofTexas]

OOOPS forgive my typos, but I am so furious at our congressmen and senators that I'm not seeing straight!

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

Iwill trade you your child molester for Feinstein and boxer.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., indicated he would oppose any filibuster by opponents.

I wonder what Daschle paid the weasel for his dishonor.

[be-baw]

I felt sorry for this young volunteer

No need for you to feel sorry. You left him with one lung--that should be sufficient for him to be able to convey your message.

[MamaLucci]

I think this AP writer likes to get a rise out of people. If i'm not mistaken, Smith's position is no different than Stevens of Alaska.
Stevens has said he won't support a fillibuster, but wants to ensure time to debate (and possibly amend) the CFR bill. That is what McConnell wants, as well.

[VRWC_minion]

No. Child molesters can be rehabilitated.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

ROTFLMAO.....not Feinstein or Boxer. They are habitual criminals. Need a 3 strikes law that pertains to them!!!!

[Magnum44]

I would agree with you when it comes to government infringing on the rights and responsibilities of its citizens. But government does have legitimate functions as well. National security and defense are the biggest and these cover a lot of territory when you start to discuss the details (military, economic, domestic law and order, international relationships, etc). Its easy to say 'I don't need government for anything', but that is only true if you believe the US has no place as a world leader in political and religous freedom and the ideas of the human spirit. I would rather be the world leader than a follower based on what I see from the rest of the world.

[Justa]

I don't trust the media's reporting on this bill. Wouldn't they be in support of issue ads since the additional ads would increase their revenues? Isn't that part of the bill also directed at non-ads like letters-to-the-editor, editorials and message boards. It's aimed at publishing and endorsement but doesn't seem to limit it to political advertisements. Ostensibly, it appears to me to make the media conglomerates the only legitimate venue for political information.