Free Republic

A federal appeals court on Friday handed another victory to conservative opponents of campaign-finance restrictions, striking down limits on individual contributions to independent groups who want to use the money for or against candidates in federal elections. But in its unanimous decision, the nine-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also said that a conservative group called SpeechNow.org must disclose its donors and other details of its finances to the Federal Election Commission, a requirement that the group had sought to overturn... The ruling amounts to a mixed bag for beleaguered advocates of campaign-finance restrictions, who are...

At Friends of Fred Thompson our mission is to explain how great a leader and future President Fred will be. We believe to take the measure of a man you must understand his principles. What will be the standards he applies as issues come before him? Fred Thompson has clear principles he has honed through his years of public service. We now have those principles on the Fred08.com website. Here are a few: Individual Liberty. As Jefferson spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, our basic rights come from God, not from government, and that among these inalienable rights is...

McLean, VA – On September 6, 2007, Fred Thompson will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States with a webcast available to millions at www.imwithfred.com. The launch of the video will be followed by a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. “I believe that there are millions of Americans who know that our security and prosperity are at risk if we don’t address the challenges of our time; the global threat of terrorism; taxes and spending that will bankrupt future generations, and a government that can’t seem to get the most...

On March 22, 2002, during the debate over McCain-Feingold, John Kerry said, “The American people have become almost numb to these kinds of staggering figures, and they have come to expect fund-raising records to be broken with each election cycle.” He continued, “What is far worse for our democracy is that the public also believes that this money buys access and influence that average citizens don't have.... We can't go on leaving our citizens with the impression that the only kind of influence left in American politics is the kind you wield with a checkbook.” source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4487131/ What a difference...

<p>Major liberal donors are demonstrating their willingness to fund a new shadow Democratic Party, according to reports filed Friday by a network of nominally independent organizations committed to defeating President George W. Bush in November. Meanwhile, a drive to bar their activities has gained strength. On Thursday, the legal staff of the Federal Election Commission proposed regulations that could stifle the groups' plans, with backing from Republican Party leaders and campaign watchdog groups.</p>

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will tell members of Congress Thursday that they are free to attend soft-money fundraisers for state and local candidates, despite the new campaign finance law that bars them from accepting such funds themselves. The FEC move, spelling out what is permissible and what is not, is aimed at clearing up what has become a source of concern and confusion for many lawmakers. During the April recess, many local fundraising dinners, barbeques, and coffee gatherings are missing once-familiar sights: politicians back from Washington working the crowd to remind constituents about their accomplishments in the nation’s capital....