Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

"I Didn't Realize What All Was in It" [Congressmen dismayed by McCain-Feingold details]
Reason on line ^ | February 19, 2003 | Jacob Sullum

Posted on 02/19/2003 4:19:37 PM PST by aculeus

The New York Times has a hilarious story describing how members of Congress are only now discovering, to their dismay, the requirements of the "campaign finance reform" law they voted for last year. "We sometimes leave our audiences in a state of complete shock," says a lawyer who teaches the intricacies of McCain-Feingold to Democratic legislators. The seminars elicit "a sort of slack-jawed amazement at how far this thing reached." A lawyer who runs similar sessions for Republicans says, "There's an initial stage where the reaction is, 'This can't be true.' And then there's the actual anger stage."

A few other snapshots from the story:

The new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Representative Robert T. Matsui of California, who voted for McCain-Feingold, says he has been surprised by its fine print.

"I didn't realize what all was in it," Mr. Matsui said. "We have cautioned members: `You have to really understand this law. And if you have any ambiguity, err on the side of caution.' "

***

It turns out that the law also includes a provision requiring that federal candidates appear full-faced for the last four seconds of their campaigns' television advertisements and personally attest that they stand behind the advertisements' content.

Several consultants said this could prove to be quite a problem politically when the time comes to begin televising the kind of hard-hitting negative advertisements that have become standard campaign fare. As a rule, those ads at present tend to reduce the role of the candidate to a small line at the bottom of a screen.

"I think it was a total surprise to people who don't read C.Q. with a yellow pen," said Bill Knapp, a Democratic media consultant, referring to Congressional Quarterly, which keeps close tabs on legislative maneuverings here.

***

Members of both parties have been startled to learn the law's penalties. A violation of McCain-Feingold — be it a national party official's soft-money raising, or a senator's acting as a host at a fund-raiser on behalf of a governor — is a felony carrying a prison sentence of as much as five years.

McCain-Feingold may be an unconstitutional monstrosity, but maybe it will lead members of Congress to reconsider their habit of voting for legislation they haven't read. In any case, it's richly satisfying to see legislators worry that they might be tossed in jail for a seemingly trivial mistake such as speaking at the wrong event or letting your name appear on an invitation. This is the kind of fear and uncertainty their convoluted laws routinely impose on ordinary Americans.

(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cfr; cfrlist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-53 next last
To: dighton; general_re; hellinahandcart; Poohbah; BlueLancer
It turns out that the law also includes a provision requiring that federal candidates appear full-faced for the last four seconds of their campaigns' television advertisements and personally attest that they stand behind the advertisements' content.

Leno and Letterman and countless television ads will be paroding these ridiculous requirements.

21 posted on 02/19/2003 5:09:43 PM PST by aculeus (We stand behind every bed we sell.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
Hehehehe... hoist by your own petard :-)

22 posted on 02/19/2003 5:16:37 PM PST by Tamzee (There are 10 types of people... those who read binary, and those who don't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
I like that requirement, though... it's a lot harder to sling mud if the voter is staring at you while you do it.
23 posted on 02/19/2003 5:18:01 PM PST by Tamzee (There are 10 types of people... those who read binary, and those who don't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
A violation of McCain-Feingold — be it a national party official's soft-money raising, or a senator's acting as a host at a fund-raiser on behalf of a governor — is a felony carrying a prison sentence of as much as five years.

Can we please not appeal this thing to the Supreme Court until AFTER the next election?

I want to see just one senator who signed this thing hauled away in plastic cuffs with his jacket over his head. Just one!

24 posted on 02/19/2003 5:21:04 PM PST by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizma
Even if they gave up all dinners, they wouldn't have time to review and understand everything they vote on. *WE* have let the Fed'l gov't into so many areas of our lives that they couldn't possible read and understand the tens of thousands of pages of legislation. What one person is an expert on telecommunications regulation, transportation, food labelling, medical care, social programs, ecology, corporate regulation, etc.?
We're at the mercy of invisible Hill staffers with agendas we don't even know. They write the legislation, and our elected folk pass it.

Until we pare the scope of the Fed'l gov't, this is what we will have to live with.

25 posted on 02/19/2003 5:24:39 PM PST by speekinout
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Sergio; Brett66
All of our congress people have no worries about retirement as they get their congressional salary for life, yet they won't pass laws allowing us a little control of our own retirement funds.

i know what e-mail you got this from, and it ain't so! Check urbanlegends.com.

Here's a sampling from a better e-mail...

Question: What do you call a lawyer gone bad?

Answer: Senator

Brett66: (on your post #3) Hey-hey!

As far as McCain-Feingold, it's the restrictions it places on the public that has me up in arms: No issue ads 60 days before elections. This puts a stranglehold on first amendment speech and will probably make voting guides illegal.

26 posted on 02/19/2003 5:27:07 PM PST by attagirl (bah humbug)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
It turns out that the law also includes a provision requiring that federal candidates appear full-faced for the last four seconds of their campaigns' television advertisements and personally attest that they stand behind the advertisements' content.

And as amusing as this promises to be ("YES, I stand behind this load of insane bullcrap 100%"), I don't think it's fair. Commercials are either ten seconds or twenty seconds. In that context, four seconds is, like, *forever*.

27 posted on 02/19/2003 5:28:03 PM PST by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
Chumps.
28 posted on 02/19/2003 5:38:45 PM PST by DoctorMichael (Tag THIS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Samwise
--he said it after going broke in the business of his lifetime dream-a restaurant. Among other things, he didn't realize that the employer pays into Social Security as well as the employee--
29 posted on 02/19/2003 5:43:22 PM PST by rellimpank
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
Now, this might appear to be funny at first glance and you might be temped to laugh at this article.. But that would be a mistake.

Truth is, this is deeply insulting to all of us and you should read this and be horrified.. AND angry.

What this article is implying is what I have heard some congressmen (one of them is Ron Paul) say for quite some time..

That Congress votes on and passes legislation (that means "makes laws" for you in Palm Beach County) without even knowing what's IN IT OR WHAT IT SAYS.

Now, if that bothers you, then the boiler plate response to criticizm here is even more insulting. It typically goes something like: "Well, we don't have time to read them.."

Excuse the **** out of me here, but isn't it required that one know what he's voting for before one can be sure he's voting correctly?

If you don't know what you're voting for, then you are basically casting a ballot and further infringing the right's of American citizens because: "Well, Bob's in the same party as me and he said it's okay.. and the media wants us to do it.."

I think it would be neat to sneak a "mandatory sterilization for all members of congress" clause into some piece of legslation just to see if they caught it before it was signed into law..

Wouldn't that be a hoot.

30 posted on 02/19/2003 5:44:51 PM PST by Jhoffa_ (Jhoffa_X)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hellinahandcart
Commercials are either ten seconds or twenty seconds

I was under the impression that standard T.V. commercials were 30 seconds, with long ones at 60 seconds.

31 posted on 02/19/2003 5:50:24 PM PST by AndyTheBear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: AndyTheBear
Time them, you'll see. I haven't seen a one-minute commercial since I was a kid. Ads are much more brief nowadays, even political ads.
32 posted on 02/19/2003 5:57:24 PM PST by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: hellinahandcart
I'm getting twenty-five seconds on the average commercial.

They haven't shown any of the short ads so far this hour.
33 posted on 02/19/2003 6:14:38 PM PST by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
***Wait, let's see how many end up in jail first.***

LOL! I'm with you.
34 posted on 02/19/2003 6:20:30 PM PST by kitkat (REPOSSESSION SALE: First Ave. between 42 & 48 Sts.NY City, Former site of the U.N.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: speekinout
Until we pare the scope of the Fed'l gov't, this is what we will have to live with.

Yep. I was working as a volunteer at the time. But not only did these people not know just the basics of the bill, one of them actually said to me "If we only had a benevolent dictator , my job would be so much easier."

So repulsed, I quit after that. (Back in the days when I was young and foolish.)

35 posted on 02/19/2003 7:11:44 PM PST by lizma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
Violating the First Amendment can be upsetting.
36 posted on 02/19/2003 7:14:06 PM PST by Republic of Texas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
I have to admit I was surprised by this story. Not surprised that congressmen and senators don't read or understand most of the legislation they enact -- that was no surprise. What is genuinely astounding is that they didn't even pay any real attention to the legislation governing their own fund-raising and the campaigning that keeps them in office. It stuns me that long-term professional politicians wouldn't be right on top of this as their #1 priority. I would have thought that they would have already provided for loopholes to enable them to continue putting campaign funds into their pockets. They must have been on easy street for a long time without a serious reality check.
37 posted on 02/19/2003 7:14:51 PM PST by TheMole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aculeus
I hope this generates a little warmth and good cheer for their esteemed colleagues Russ Feingold and John McCain.
38 posted on 02/19/2003 7:23:39 PM PST by Rockpile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizma
But not only did these people not know just the basics of the bill, one of them actually said to me "If we only had a benevolent dictator , my job would be so much easier."

That's close to what they want, but not quite. What they want is a party leader who is popular enough so that they can continue to be re-elected.
The ones who have been on Capitol Hill for a long time, like Teddy, Barney, Orrin, etc. know they can't make a difference. A few small victories and a large pension are enough.

But no one can do more unless *WE* decide that they shouldn't control so much of our lives.

39 posted on 02/19/2003 7:27:33 PM PST by speekinout
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: shadowman99
I agree that was the best. But the most disturbing statement was:

but maybe it will lead members of Congress to reconsider their habit of voting for legislation they haven't read.

Literacy. I thought to hold office they had to be literate, Not just have an "intern" or "aide" read it for them and say "its good or bad."

40 posted on 02/19/2003 7:28:39 PM PST by Madcelt (Any questions about why the country is the way it is?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-53 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson