Excellent piece! Many posters on this topic view the prospect of Bush signing the bill as a dereliction of duty. Certainly in an ideal world, a Congress would not pass, nor a President sign, legislation they believe to be unconstitutional. But politics is the art of the possible. A politician who cannot retain his office has no power to accomplish anything. Rather than veto the bill and give the democrats who are desperate for an issue, any issue, to run on in the fall, Bush will apparently sign it, and trust to the Supreme Court to knock out the clear 1st Amendment violations, leaving in place the increase in hard money limits. One has only to look at the genial countenance of Sen. Mitch McConnell, to realize that the republicans are playing the "don't throw me in that briar patch" game. Rather than blame them, blame their demagogic opponents who set up these situations.
I believe the democrats, shrewd politicians though they be, are barely hanging on by their fingernails. They obviously represent only certain very narrow constituencies, and rely on the general apathy and ignorance of the middle "swing" voters who are responsive to their liberal rhetoric of compassion (which is no longer anything but ideological cover for their real goal of power at any price). I believe Bush has found a way to defeat their politics, and one element of it is a degree of flexibility on principle where no very great consequences are at stake (in this case, because the Supreme Court will knock them out).
blah blah blah.... He disregarded his oath....Politics, schmolitics.... I am fuming.
".......because the Supreme Court will knock them out"
I think you and a lot of people here are assuming the supremes will just throw this thing out. I have no such confidence. The USSC is pretty evenly divided, in essence you're asking SD O'Connor to write campaign finance law. Who feels good about that?
We're throwing dice w/ the Constitution; and if we lose the damage will be permanent.
Very well stated, friend. And thanks for the compliment, btw.