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Bush Will Sign Campaign Finance Bill
Yahoo! News ^ | Mar 25, 2002 | Reuters

Posted on 03/25/2002 11:16:37 AM PST by Pay now bill Clinton

Bush Will Sign Campaign Finance Bill
Mon Mar 25,10:19 AM ET

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Sunday he would sign landmark campaign finance reform legislation with only a slight hesitation, reflecting his ongoing concerns about the measure.

"I won't hesitate" signing it, Bush said at a joint news conference with Salvadoran President Francisco Flores as the president wrapped up a four-day trip to Latin America. "It will probably take about three seconds to get to the W, I may hesitate on the period, and then rip through the Bush."

The legislation to reduce the influence of money in politics won final congressional approval last week, and Bush has pledged to sign it soon.

The bill would ban unlimited contributions known as "soft money" to national political parties, limit such donations to state and local parties and restrict broadcast ads by outside groups shortly before elections.

Former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, whose investigation of Bill Clinton's sex life resulted in the president's impeachment in 1998, is to lead a legal challenge that will seek to knock down most of the measure as unconstitutional.

Bush said he felt the campaign bill did not fully address the need to require identification of who is funding so-called independent groups that introduce "scurrilous, untrue" television advertisements in the last days of a campaign, as he said happened to him in his 2000 presidential campaign.

"I've always thought that people who pump money into the political system, we ought to know who they are," he said.

Bush said that nonetheless the "bill is a better bill than the current system," but that some parts of it might not stand up to a court challenge.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: Howlin
to the DEMS and the press who already think he stole the 2000 election?

No, they think this Supreme Court stole it for him.

341 posted on 03/25/2002 2:31:10 PM PST by itsahoot
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To: Harrison Bergeron
So the only assumption to make would be that they think they can shore up enough support in the blue zones to make up the difference in '04. GWB seems to be governing further from the left - domestically speaking - than Clinton did, so maybe they actually believe this will work.

The problem is that it won't work. What blue states do they think that they'll swing? And at the cost of how many red states? Bush got clobbered in those blue states. He'll have to tour the country in a Mao suit to win them over.

This is political idiocy at its finest. I've been Bush bashing on this thread and others for a reason. This is a preview of what we'll hear out of the Democrats if he signs that bill. They will be the ones saying he broke his promise. They'll do to him what they did to Bush41. "Read my lips" will be their mantra.

Bush promised to veto this bill. He had better follow through with that promise. If he doesn't, the Dems will use it to drive a wedge between him and the base. He'll lose red states faster than he can pick up blue ones. The only hope he has of picking up any blue states is to show the kind of backbone his father couldn't. People will respect that, even if they don't agree with him on the particular issue.

342 posted on 03/25/2002 2:32:05 PM PST by Redcloak
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To: Dane

Looks like it.

Regards Dane.

343 posted on 03/25/2002 2:33:59 PM PST by Jhoffa_
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To: Jhoffa_
Gambling is closer, but other forms of gaming shouldn't be excluded.

Which is the better gamble ? Take the issue to this SC which has ruled against it already or take the issue to the next supreme court with new appointees that were confirmed by Daschle ? Which is the bigger gamble ?

Up until a few days ago I saw this entire issue in a single dimension just like the majority of Freepers did but I was wrong. There are several congruent issues here which make the question of which action is best for the constitution less like a one dimensional comic strip and more like a multiple plot novel.

I was one of the first here who saw this differently. Many Freepers won't ever see that, more and more are "getting it", and a whole bunch of Bush haters won't ever get it but they will just moan about the issue of the day.

344 posted on 03/25/2002 2:37:56 PM PST by VRWC_minion
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To: Redcloak
Bush promised to veto this bill. He had better follow through with that promise. If he doesn't, the Dems will use it to drive a wedge between him and the base.

Uh where during his Presidency did he say he would veto this bill. I think I will be waiting a long time for that answer.

The dems are really going to have the moral authority to slam him for signing a bill they(dems) slammed through.

Sheesh you all in the DNC basement must be getting desperate now that Bush hasn't handed you all an issue, IMHO.

345 posted on 03/25/2002 2:38:25 PM PST by Dane
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To: Redcloak
This is a preview of what we'll hear out of the Democrats if he signs that bill. They will be the ones saying he broke his promise. They'll do to him what they did to Bush41. "Read my lips" will be their mantra.

It's already begun. FoxNews Sunday's roundtable was discussing Bush's flipflop. Folks, you may as well resign yourselves to the fact that no matter what conservatives do the media will hammer them. With that in mind, their best defense is to do what's right and sell the public on their integrity and policies. NOT run scared from the media.

346 posted on 03/25/2002 2:39:44 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: Pay now bill Clinton
I won't hesitate to never vote republican again.
347 posted on 03/25/2002 2:39:44 PM PST by thepitts
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To: Redcloak
Bush promised to veto this bill

Source please ?

348 posted on 03/25/2002 2:41:25 PM PST by VRWC_minion
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To: Dane
The dems are really going to have the moral authority to slam him for signing a bill they(dems) slammed through.

They won't have to - their friends in the media will do it all for them. Did you see Fox News Sunday this week? It already started there.

349 posted on 03/25/2002 2:42:04 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: hchutch
But if SCOTUS strikes down stuff as unconstitutional, they will NEVER be able to bring it back barring a constitutional amendment.

I wish that were true, but it just isn't. Supreme courts change,
and decisions are revisited and overturned.

We conservatives pray for Roe to be overturned, don't we?

350 posted on 03/25/2002 2:42:45 PM PST by itsahoot
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To: Dane
Would that this were so much "DNC basement" material; then it wouldn't be a serious threat to Bush's Presidency. Bush laid out conditions for CFR during the campaign. Now he's caving. (BTW: I wasn't thrilled with his campaign position, but this is even worse.)

When are you people in the choir going to realize that the issue for the Dems isn't going to be his veto of the bill, but rather his signing of the bill? One can easily make the case that he promised a veto if a bill like this reached his desk. If he fails to make good on that promise, then the Dems will be on him like white on rice. They'll howl then next two years that "he's just like his daddy."

Read my lips.

351 posted on 03/25/2002 2:46:38 PM PST by Redcloak
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To: VRWC_minion
Click to scroll to commentary.

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Posted on 3/25/02 6:04 AM Eastern by JohnHuang2

With far more political acuity than critics expected, President George Bush disarmed world government proponents while promising more aid to developing nations. The U.N.'s High Level Panel on Financing Development concluded its four-day conference in Monterrey, Mexico, without explicit authorization for U.N. taxes on currency exchange, fossil fuels and a host of other tax targets.

-------------Snip------------

Had Al Gore been elected president, the outcome would have likely been different. Gustave Speth, a member of the Clinton-Gore transition team who then was appointed head of the U.N. Development Program, was a strong advocate of U.N. taxing authority, and promoted the scheme during his U.N. tenure.

352 posted on 03/25/2002 2:49:21 PM PST by VRWC_minion
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To: VRWC_minion

Since you asked, allowing it to hit our Constitutional backstop is the biggest gamble of all in my opinion.

We are passing bills to look good on TV and expecting the SC to play "goalie"

That bothers me on allot of levels and it's a clear cut violation of their oath. That's all the reason I need to oppose CFR. No political formulas, mental aerobatics or tit for tat rundowns of which party is scoring what media points where are necessary.

I hope you aren't including me in your list, because I am honest about Bush. I can and do say good things about him, he just doesn't give me allot of reason to cheer him on as of late because of CFR (which won't lose my vote) and Amnesty (a total dealbreaker)

Don't blame me, or anyone else here who doesn't have a nice word for him over this because he (and Congress) put these issues on our plate, not the other way around.

Actually, the majority of my scorn is reserved for the House because those traitors voted Dick Armey's Constitutionality clause down flat.

They knew what it meant and made a decision to spit on their oath and pass this bill. The Senate did it too (not as flagrantly though) and now it's dubya's turn.

353 posted on 03/25/2002 2:49:57 PM PST by Jhoffa_
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To: NittanyLion
They won't have to - their friends in the media will do it all for them. Did you see Fox News Sunday this week? It already started there.

Do you know how many people watch Fox News Sunday(maybe 4 million out of a population of 280 million)? And probably 90% of those people think that CFR is no big deal.

Anyway if the press goes after it is a tactic to split the base and I can ignore the hypocrisy of the NYT and WP, especially when their message is directed at me, the conservative base.

354 posted on 03/25/2002 2:51:22 PM PST by Dane
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To: Jhoffa_
and Amnesty (a total dealbreaker)

I can understand that many are upset about amnesty but for me his actions are consistant with biblical teachings so I happen to support even more amnesty.

355 posted on 03/25/2002 2:53:38 PM PST by VRWC_minion
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To: Dane
And probably 90% of those people think that CFR is no big deal.

Agreed. 90% think CFR is no big deal. I'm betting 50% think credibility is a very big deal; they are more interested in politicians who do what they say they'll do than in actual issues.

So let's examine that. You've admitted CFR is not resonating with the public. I think you'd agree that Bush's credibility has (he won an election on it). What is the reasoning behind signing this law? He stands to lose more votes by flipflopping than he does by taking a principled stand against CFR and explaining to the public why he vetoed, doesn't he?

356 posted on 03/25/2002 2:57:07 PM PST by NittanyLion
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To: VRWC_minion

I oppose it, but dissagree with you here.

I have no problem at all helping Mexico and the other nations with their problems. Hey, if you need technology, clean water.. electricity then I am all for helping out.

What I don't want is:

1) To punish people for being honest, following the rules and doing what's right. That pisses me off. We see examples of this everywhere and it's always revolting.

2) To just throw the doors wide open. And I guess this one comes closer to "teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime"

Help them, sure.. just tell me how.

Throw open the doors to everyone and everyone? No way.

I can't support that.

357 posted on 03/25/2002 2:58:28 PM PST by Jhoffa_
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To: BlackbirdSST
"Why is an outside threat deemed any worse than an internal threat?"

You'd have to ask the family and friends of the over 3000 murdered on 9/11.
And the family and friends of our military killed since then.
358 posted on 03/25/2002 3:04:52 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
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To: Pay now bill Clinton
"I've always thought that people who pump money into the political system, we ought to know who they are," he said.

Yeah, except when the dumb bastard was interviewed by George Will. He said something a little different at that time.

359 posted on 03/25/2002 3:06:18 PM PST by VikingsRazeAVillage
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To: Howlin
And I am entitled to believe there is more than one way to get
there; I'm against this bill; it should be vetoed, IMO

Ok Howlin, take back the keyboard now. Someone else has it.

360 posted on 03/25/2002 3:06:51 PM PST by itsahoot
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