Free Republic

<p>They are two of America's free, unregulated voices of political activism but a gathering storm of Washington regulation threatens to stifle them forever.</p> <p>Grass-roots activists and Internet bloggers, who largely escaped the restrictions of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act, are the targets of a looming, two-pronged government assault which aims to lasso and corral the last wild mustangs on the political range.</p>

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. expressed doubts yesterday about legal restrictions on political ads by outside groups as the Supreme Court took up a new challenge to the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law. Questioning Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, who was defending the law, Chief Justice Roberts raised a hypothetical case in which a group runs an issue ad every month. Does the ad, he asked, become illegal in the months before an election? Mr. Clement responded that such a group could continue to run the ads if it used political action committee money to pay for them, or if it...

McConnell v. FEC, et al Civil Action No. 02-582 Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, District Judge Richard J. Leon Please note: pages 5 - 15 of the Per Curiam Opinion contain a brief description and chart of the Court's rulings. Per Curiam Opinion of Judge Kollar-Kotelly and Judge Leon Memorandum Opinion of Judge Henderson Memorandum Opinion of Judge Kollar-Kotelly Memorandum Opinion of Judge Leon Order -- Final Judgment Memorandum Opinion Regarding Sealed Matters Order Regarding Sealed Matters