Posted on 03/22/2002 1:12:55 PM PST by Jim Robinson
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 15, 2001
President Bush Outlines Campaign Reform Principles
March 15, 2001
The Honorable Trent Lott
Senate Majority Leader
S-230, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Lott:
As the Senate prepares to consider campaign finance reform legislation, I wanted to highlight my principles for reform. I am committed to working with the Congress to ensure that fair and balanced campaign reform legislation is enacted.
These principles represent my framework for assessing campaign finance reform legislation. I remain open to other ideas to meet shared goals.
I am hopeful that, working together, we can achieve responsible campaign finance reforms.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush
Campaign Finance Reform
President Bush's Reform Principles
Protect Rights of Individuals to Participate in Democracy: President Bush believes democracy is first and foremost about the rights of individuals to express their views. He supports strengthening the role of individuals in the political process by: 1) updating the limits established more than two decades ago on individual giving to candidates and national parties; and 2) protecting the rights of citizen groups to engage in issue advocacy.
Maintain Strong Political Parties: President Bush believes political parties play an essential role in making America's democratic system operate. He wants to maintain the strength of parties, and not to weaken them. Any reform should help political parties more fully engage citizens in the political process and encourage them to express their views and to vote.
Ban Corporate and Union Soft Money: Corporations and labor unions spend millions of dollars every election cycle in unregulated 'soft? money to influence federal elections. President Bush supports a ban on unregulated corporate and union contributions of soft money to political parties.
Eliminate Involuntary Contributions: President Bush believes no one should be forced to support a candidate or cause against his or her will. He therefore supports two parallel reforms: 1) legislation to prohibit corporations from using treasury funds for political activity without the permission of shareholders; and 2) legislation to require unions to obtain authorization from each dues-paying worker before spending those dues on activities unrelated to collective bargaining.
Require Full and Prompt Disclosure: President Bush also believes that in an open society, the best safeguard against abuse is full disclosure. He supports full, prompt and constitutionally permissible disclosure of contributions and expenditures designed to influence the outcome of federal elections, so voters will have complete and timely information on which to make informed decisions.
Promote Fair, Balanced, Constitutional Approach: President Bush believes reform should not favor any one party over another or incumbents over challengers. Both corporations and unions should be prohibited from giving soft money to political parties, and both corporations and unions should have to obtain permission from their stockholders or dues-paying workers before spending treasury funds or dues on politics. President Bush supports including a non-severability provision, so if any provision of the bill is found unconstitutional, the entire bill is sent back to Congress for further adjustments and deliberations. This provision will ensure fair and balanced campaign finance reform.
IMO, FR is not a good cross section of consertive America. Fellow conservatives I talk to everyday don't give a damn about CFR. It is a non issue.
The war of terrorism is first & foremost on everyone's minds. Right behind it are taxes, the economy, and local issue. CFR ranks right up there with what scent air freshener you like.
Looking at FR the last few days, you'd think we were no better off than starving North Koreans or burqa-clad women under Taliban rule.
For those who are preaching a third party, someone please give me an example of anywhere else in the world where a multi-party system benefits conservatism, more than a two-party system.
Would that we were as tenacious and vicious as they are.
Tenacity BUMP!
Not when he lies. Thank God some of us here will still call as we see it.
I agree with you.
Although it is cliche' to say that those who do not look back to the lessons of the past end up repeating them, this maxim is totally applicable in this case we are now confronted with. One look at Jim Ryan's past record of being Attorney General and one can only hope that he has a great future behind him.
Name the lie.
You must be using 'million man math', and logic. I am an idelogical purist who campaigned and voted for Bush. I did not stay home. I got out of my home and directed a campaign that placed over 5,000 flyers supporting Bush and a Republican congressional candidate. It was an effort that involved over 20 volunteers. What did you do, besides carp at "ideological purists"?
The conservatives will show up, if they have a conservative to vote for. In a run-off, it takes the responsible to show up. The libs would have to have an expensive campaign to bus their mindless dependents in. If half of all races were decided in run-offs it would bankrupt the Dems. Elections would be decided by the 15% of the electorate that was most responsible, US (except as regards to your characterizations of conservatives)!
Bump!
How does that square with banning such groups from TV and Radio political ads at least a month before an election?
You sound like a character straight out of Orwell's 1984. Disruptors...hmmm, that is a good one. Sounds like Lemming voaculary to me. Boy, that is just such a great idea for a simple children's book...
President Bush's Reform Principles
Protect Rights of Individuals to Participate in Democracy: President Bush believes democracy is first and foremost about the rights of individuals to express their views. He supports strengthening the role of individuals in the political process by: 1) updating the limits established more than two decades ago on individual giving to candidates and national parties; and 2) protecting the rights of citizen groups to engage in issue advocacy.
( Both items incorporated into the CFR)
Maintain Strong Political Parties: President Bush believes political parties play an essential role in making America's democratic system operate. He wants to maintain the strength of parties, and not to weaken them. Any reform should help political parties more fully engage citizens in the political process and encourage them to express their views and to vote
. (National parties lose influence and state parties gain influence in the CFR…good thing)
Ban Corporate and Union Soft Money: Corporations and labor unions spend millions of dollars every election cycle in unregulated 'soft? money to influence federal elections. President Bush supports a ban on unregulated corporate and union contributions of soft money to political parties.
(Both items in CFR)
Eliminate Involuntary Contributions: President Bush believes no one should be forced to support a candidate or cause against his or her will. He therefore supports two parallel reforms: 1) legislation to prohibit corporations from using treasury funds for political activity without the permission of shareholders; and 2) legislation to require unions to obtain authorization from each dues-paying worker before spending those dues on activities unrelated to collective bargaining.
(Done by executive order)
Require Full and Prompt Disclosure: President Bush also believes that in an open society, the best safeguard against abuse is full disclosure. He supports full, prompt and constitutionally permissible disclosure of contributions and expenditures designed to influence the outcome of federal elections, so voters will have complete and timely information on which to make informed decisions.
(CFR requires Web access to donations and donors DONE)
Promote Fair, Balanced, Constitutional Approach: President Bush believes reform should not favor any one party over another or incumbents over challengers. Both corporations and unions should be prohibited from giving soft money to political parties, and both corporations and unions should have to obtain permission from their stockholders or dues-paying workers before spending treasury funds or dues on politics. President Bush supports including a non-sever ability( defeated) provision, so if any provision of the bill is found unconstitutional, the entire bill is sent back to Congress for further adjustments and deliberations. This provision will ensure fair and balanced campaign finance reform
(Unions now under same restrictions as corporations…. DONE)
Because they are not.
Lie #2: When he took his oath of office, vs his acknowledgement of Constitutional problems with the legislation.
Or maybe you think that's just a 'little white lie'.
btw....please say a short prayer for my son Jonathan who is in basic now.....Im just a worried mom!
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