WHAT REFORM? [Democrats have dug themselves into a hole]

New York Post ^ | Monday, March 25, 2002 | By ROBERT A. GEORGE

[JohnHuang2]

LONGTIME Republican political strategist Rich Galen likens money in politics to water in the ocean: "You can put up dams all you want. Nothing will change the amount; you can only move it around."

That's Galen's reaction to the passage - and expected enactment - of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law.

[Starrgaizr]

From the moment Bush became our 43rd President, his political enemies have waged a steady, well-coordinated, systematic vicious smear campaign of personal vilification and character assassination.

You are correct about everything, except the intensive smear campaign began well before the election. Don't underestimate the power of amoral political demagoguery. It has worked many times for the Democrats. Yet, today at least, it is less easy (thankfully) to imagine the rote sleazefest working for the Dems in a general election. There is a bit of irony here -- after whitewashing the most sleazy Clinton behavior, getting traction over Enron, etc., gets tougher.

As for McCain, his behavior is that of a humiliated narcissist. McCain knows better than ordinary people. Political speech is less valuable than advertising beer and Big Macs, and we need less of it, not more. He should have been annointed, in his opwn humble view. He was not, and he seethes in bitterness. I am glad that Bush did not feel compelled to bring him somehow into the administration. He has a dangerous personality.

[Wphile]

Not so sure about that. The statute itself calls for an expedited process so I think there is a good chance this will be settled before November. Aften listening to McConnell's dream team, I have even more confidence that it will be so.

[ModernDayCato]

Great discussion. Unfortunately, Bush's brilliant political ploy doesn't discount the fact that he shouldn't sign CFR.

[chiefqc]

Yet another example of great leadership for tiny tommy dashole the head of the Dumb-O-Crats.

I can hardly wait for his next example of sticking his feet in his mouth.

Keep talking tommy, your doing a great job for the Dumb-O-Crats.

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

I love it.Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. STUPID

[TLBSHOW]

You said

We, the First Amendment lawyers, will beat his law in the US Supreme Court. The sad part is, it never should have come to that.

The House, Senate and President all failed their sworn duties

to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.

BUMP

Sad part is Bush is going to be the Stained President.

TLBSHOW

[Howlin]

You're my hero!

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks very much for your informed and well written "two cents", John.

[MamaLucci]

Good post. Sums up how I've come to view the CFR debate, as well.
I don't like the President's decision, but I understand it.

The GOP in the House and Senate failed us here because they didn't want to appear as "anti-reform" for this coming election season.

Absolutely. Congressional Republicans deserve much of the blame for this.
They passed the buck, and will continue to do so until we get rid of some of the Rino's.
I hope the White House is finally getting the message about how important it is to support and elect
CONSERVATIVE Republicans.

[Howlin]

Instead, he turned to 212 of his (and his father's) friends

Let's all pretend Al Gore (and his father) didn't have any friends, okay?

And it's not MY fault John McCain doesn't have ANY friends. :-)

[TLBSHOW]

BUMP TO THE END OF THE COMMIE DEMORATS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THEY WILL NOT WIN THIS. The clock is ticking

VETO this Mr. President

[b4its2late]

Good job! And the deeper they are, the better.

[anniegetyourgun]

I hope you're right.

[Howlin]

No, he's not! Would you prefer that he veto it, be smeared endlessly PLUS we have to hear about CFR until the END of our natural lives?

[Howlin]

I agree 100 percent. I hope Bush gets the BIG PICTURE now.

He warned them, but they did NOT believe him when he said for them NOT to count on him doing THEIR job. They passed an unconstitutional law.

Let the United States Supreme Court tell John McCain he wrote, lobbied for, and rammed through an unconstitutional piece of legislation; somehow I don't believe he'll EVER admit he was wrong.

[Howlin]

FYI.

[BigTime]

I get the sense that conservatives are circling the wagons on this one and tyring to figure out what Bush is up to.

I agree that there is a gambit that is being played on this and I agree that it will help in the fall elections. I can even concede that greasing the skids on this bad legislation to reach a conservative Supreme Court also sounds like crafty politics.

But there is one problem. We may be winning the battle and defeating bad legislation, but we are sacrificing something sacred in the process for a win in the fall. We have sacrificed the only American dogma we have left when we play elaborate games of chicken with the U.S. Constitution.

While it is clear that there is upside to Republicans and a political play is at hand here, I believe we have sacrificed our ability to maintain the claims to truth and justice in our constitution by playing these games.

If we lost seats in Novemeber, so be it, if we can only gain them by trashing the only document we have to fight the post-modern, wishy-washy, moral relativism of the present day political left.

[ImpBill]

As you know JH2, by our exchanges over the years, that we are "birds of a feather" ... basically. While I enjoyed, once again, as usual, your 2 cents I am left wondering what, if any "long term" price those of us who believe in "conserving" (protecting and defending) the Constitution, may pay with our willingness to give a "wink and a nod" to the acquisition and maintenance of political capital at the expense of a violation of The Oath of Office?

Does that acquisition of "political capital" trump, principled leadership with fidelity to conservative principles as basic as "free speech"? Can we really have it both ways and not be harmed, somehow, in the long run?

I have struggled mightily with this. I have often railed against those "single issue" voters, exclaiming vitriol against parties and individuals, who represent a core "conservative" ideology just because they may wander from each and everyone of those values at times. And yet, I wonder, is there a line, over which "we" should not cross?

I know the sun will more than likely rise in the morning and God willing life will go on, but yet ...

Knowing and accepting the political capital to be gained by GW's signature of the Bill and letting the courts strike down those Unconstitutional parts of the Bill, leaves this old timer puzzled and quite frankly deeply concerned.

Afterall, we just finished 8 years reeling from the actions by one who used his Oath and the Constitution as the Law of the Land as toilet paper. Is it therefore ok, to look the other way as "our guy" appears to do the same, in this instance, especially?

I know my concerns, in reality, aren't worth even two cents, but they are my concerns and continue to cause me great consternation.

Thanks, as always, for your cogent remarks.

[TLBSHOW]

Yes he should.

The problem is he is now in a corner. The rats are after him either way he goes. That was the enron plan. To get this passed and to box The President in. What he has going for him in this case is he is so high in the polls, all he has to do is go on TV say why he will veto and move on. He will be remembered as The President that did not trash the constitution or Free Speech. While the rats will look like the rats they are. Come November we bash the rats as the party that wanted to stop FRee Speech.

[TLBSHOW]

Bump to another fantastic JohnHuang2.

[Neets]

Thanks for the ping...I am glad we are not alone in this thinking....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!