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.
Constitution of the State of Illinois
ARTICLE V
SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to hold the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller or Treasurer, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 25 years old, and a resident of this State for the three years preceding his election.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
Well since it seems you to act like a two year old, basically saying,
"If I don't get a candidate that agrees with me 100%. I am going to hold my breath until I turn blue and will let someone who I agree with 0% win",
you should be an expert in that realm. Knock yourself out.
Because a veto only postpones future passage with a new president. There was no non-severability clause in the bill so he will let the court address the questionable parts. His oath of office does NOT include deciding unilaterally the constitutional soundness of any legislation. The idea that he is violating his oath is absurd and a straw man of wannabe dictators. Every bill is deemed unconstitutional by someone but that determination is a matter of fact and law and the constitution puts that responsibility squarely with the USSC. The SC hears cases having to do with 1st amendment issues on a regular basis and historically are very hard on restrictions. This is just one more for them to deal with.
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I don't agree 100% with anyboday, including George W. Bush. But this "He's a liar just like his daddy" crap is getting a little old and tiresome.
Be pissed. Fine. But voting with the knuckledragging Neanderthal party in the next election will only serve to boost the real enemies of freedom and liberty. And they will have learned from 8 years of Bubba and his merry band of malefactors what not to do to get caught.
Primaries are fine, but Ryan won. If O'Malley runs as an independent, then he is no better than the people who sabotaged Ollie North and Bret Schundler.
It's your call. But if you decide to participate in the backstabbing, you'll be responsible for Blagojevich.
Bret Schundler is a conservative I will match up with O'Malley any time, and he also said after he lost last year, "We lost because we were never able to achieve the Republican unity necessary to get our message out."
I invite you to read his message. I'll put the URL here again (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/570667/posts).
Jim Ryan is the man who was selected according to the rules this past Tuesday. If you decide to stab him in the back, that is your choice, but you will only elect Blagojevich and lose on EVERYTHING you stand for.
Done and a prayer for you and for our troops who may be in harms way.
Keep well.
SECTION 2. DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION
No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor be denied the equal protection of the laws.
In other words, technically, if this law were actually in existence, the State of Illinois would not only be violating Pat O'Malley's civil rights, but it would also be denying Pat O'Malley the Equal Protection of and under the Laws, by not allowing him to run for office just because he lost a previous primary, which is only a straw vote and not even an open primary, but a closed one. So, let's hope that this law is not really real, because if it were, his Civil Rights would be in violation. This would make a really fascinating State Supreme Court case.
If Bush had not already acknowledged that there are Constitutional problems with this CFR disaster, you would have a point. However, that he has done so leads him to a black and white choice. Don't tell me he doesn't have the ability to unilaterally decide that some legislation is un-constitutional and therefore veto it. That's why he has the veto power in the first place, and why so-called conservatives elected him to be the final check and balance in the legislative process.
And another thing. Even if he were to veto CFR, the fact that Bush has openly played fast and loose with my Constitutional freedoms for political purposes is enough for me to do everything I can to see to it that he is a one term president.
You won't change my mind. Go argue with a fencepost, you'll have better luck.
Like many Republicans and Democrats in the Congress, I support common-sense reforms to end abuses in our campaign finance system.
The legislation makes some important progress on the timeliness of disclosure, individual contribution limits, and banning soft money from corporations and labor unions, but it does present some legitimate constitutional questions. I continue to believe the best reform is full and timely disclosure of campaign contributions.
No I busted your ass and you are not man enough to admit it. Tell me the other two "lies".
If it is not I would hate to see one. As I said, Every principle Bush put forward was met other than the one he did on his own with the EO. He sent that letter to the now ex-majority leader lott. Now we have Majority leader Dashole and he STILL got he principles incorporated.
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