From the Washington Post:
The White House announced this morning that [the] Bush campaign would take legal action to force the Federal Election Commission to crack down on so-called 527 organizations that use a loophole in campaign-finance law to spend unregulated funds.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan announced aboard Air Force One that the campaign would join Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a lawsuit against the FEC. McCain had tried to block the 527s with a complaint to the FEC, but because that body did not act on the complaint in 120 days, opponents of the 527s can now go to the courts.
“The president said he wanted to work together [with McCain] to pursue court action to shut down all the ads and activity by these shadowy 527 groups,” McClellan said after Bush spoke to McCain by telephone this morning.
protein wisdom responds: “Christ, McCain. Haven’t you done enough already? You too, George.”
update: Seldom Sober has a different take.
I can’t believe what a joke the McCain-Fiengold act has turned in to.
The hell with it-they should just let them spend as much as each party wants provided they tell me who’s spending what.
George Soros wants Kerry elected, hence his connections to the DNC. Swift Boat veterans would rather saw their arms off instead of sit quietly while Kerry says he’s “reporting for duty”-so yes, they are connected to the RNC.
Big friggin deal. When are the grown ups going to clean this garbage up and let the rest of us decide for ourselves?
You meant to put “grown ups” in quotes, right Tman?
I think this is a plan for Peace with Honor, to use a phrase from that barely remembered era of 35 years ago. Viet something. And it sucks as much as McCain-Feingold.
1st Amendment is getting the crap kicked out of it this year.
This lawsuit has got to be a red herring, they cannot seriously believe they have a chance to limit 3rd party speech. Bush should have vetoed that bill from the get go.
“3rd party speech” makes no sense, yet I know what I mean. You know what, that’s good enough for me and since I’m not a 427 I can just say whatever I want anyway.
And now for no reason whatsoever I’m going to put down my favorite quote…
Now that I think of it Jeff, I shouldn’t even have used the term “grown-ups” at all, considering there doesn’t appear to be too many of them around at all. Kerry is grasping at straws as his campaign self immolates,
Bunh of whiny ingrates if you ask me. Last time I checked it was pretty clear-
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. “
Folks, this isn’t written in Kryptonian or something. Free speech. End of story.
You tell me I can’t call John Kerry an insufferable prick on a TV ad or my weblog, you’re attempting to limit my first amendment rights.
Freaking period. Baffling Jeff, truly baffling.
527, I give up.
The problem is that the 527s are receiving money that should have gone to the parties–except that McCain-Feingold takes as its premise the notion that money is bad, and therefore it should be kept away from the political parties. Now, instead, it’s going to outside groups who aren’t really accountable to anyone but themselves.
Remove the limitations on contributions to the parties (while tightening up disclosure rules), and the 527 problem/non-problem will sort itself out. In politics, money is speech, and limiting it is essentially restricting speech.
I’m not sure what anyone expected.
I mean, “everyone” agreed that campaign finance was out of control and politicians couldn’t be trusted to act in the voters’ best interest.
So of course, by all means: Get those same politicians to fix the problem.
It’s like putting child molesters in charge of reforming the public school system.
It’s like putting child molesters in charge of reforming the public school system.
Please don’t give these politicians any more ideas.
Greed is good!
I get the feeling that this is deliberate. McCain/Feingold created these monsters, getting McCain on board as one of the plaintiffs in a case against McCain/Feingold seems to be genius.
Perhaps this will get the law declared uncostitutional, as Bush said he wanted in the first place.
As to why he signed it in the first place, anyone with kids knows why. The kid whines and whines for something you know that the kids gonna hate. You can do two things, say no, or let them waste their time/money/patience or other asset on it. The first let’s them think you’re an oppresive bully. The second makes them come running to you yelling ‘fix it’ or ‘I hate this’ or ‘help!’
And didn’t Kerry and McCain just come running?