McCain warns FEC to act on 'soft' cash-Campaign Finance Reform Thread, Day 90

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | 3/11/04 | Brian DeBose

[Valin]

Sen. John McCain threatened yesterday to sue the Federal Election Commission if it fails to enforce federal election laws against groups that use "soft money" to influence presidential and congressional races.

"Senator [Russell D.] Feingold is right, use of soft money contributions by '527 groups' whose major purpose is to affect federal elections is not legal," the Arizona Republican said in a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing yesterday.

[Valin]

Soros Loophole Was Intended
Rush Limbaugh
March 10, 2004


The Bush reelection campaign has asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate MoveOn.org, which is George Soros' group airing anti-Bush ads, claiming that the ads are illegal. The name bestowed upon these groups by the government is 527s. The complaint filed accuses the Media Fund, the shell group running the ads, of violating a ban on the use of soft money, which is unlimited donations from corporations, unions, and individuals for federal election activity.



We have this great law, McCain-Feingold, an infringement on the First Amendment, that says corporate and union interests can't run commercials that mention a candidate's name 60 days before a general, 30 days before a primary. It's a direct infringement on the free speech clause of the First Amendment, and it also prohibited soft money, unlimited donations to candidates and parties. So, what the Democrats have done is set up satellite agencies of the Democratic Party. The Media Fund is run by Harold Ickes. If Harold Ickes isn't a Democrat, then I'm not a conservative.

So Ickes has set up and is running this thing called the Media Fund, part MoveOn.org, part of Soros' organization. They're collecting all this soft money left and right and they're out there running ads right now ripping Bush. McCain and Feingold testified on Wednesday on closing this loophole.

Close the loophole, my rear end! Anybody who read this bill knew that this loophole existed, which means it was put in there for a purpose, because campaign finance reform was never intended to get the money out of politics. They were just saying that.



They always say, "Money has corrupted us. We are fine, upstanding people but when you give us money you corrupt us so we've got to get the money out of politics." No, Senators, we have to get you corrupt people out of politics. Money doesn't corrupt people. You are corrupt to begin with. All they've done is set up a loophole where they can still get their soft money and keep it at arm's length, and it still gets used in the same way it always did. You can do one of two things in response: you can say, "Cheater! Cheater!" Or you can set up your own 527 and blow Soros out of the water, which is what we ought to do.

[sirchtruth]

ROTFLMAO...McCain is INSANE!

[Valin]

Yesterdays Thread

Status of H.R. 3801, The First Amendment Restoration Act
THOMAS 3/10/2004
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1094538/posts?page=5


If you want on/off this Campaign Finance Reform list please let me know.

If you are interested in posting some of these threads please let me know.
Fame Fortune could be yours.
Be the first on your block!
Builds strong bodies 12 ways.
Mom would want you too.
John McCain doesn't.
If you don't John McCain MAY be forced to sue you!

[Valin]

Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob
Special to FreeRepublic | 17 December 2003 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

This is nothing like the usual whine by someone whose post was pulled. JimRob pulled my previous thread for a good reason. "If direct fund-raising were permitted on FR, it would soon be wall-to-wall fund-raising."

So, let's start again correctly. This is about civil disobedience to support the First Amendment and challenge the TERRIBLE CFR decision of the Supreme Court to uphold a terrible law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush.

All who are interested in an in-your-face challenge to the 30- and 60-day ad ban in the Campaign Finance "Reform" Act, please join in. The pattern is this: I'm looking for at least 1,000 people to help the effort. I will run the ad, and risk fines or jail time to make it work -- AND get national support.

But there should be NO mentions of money in this thread, and not in Freepmail either. This is JimRob's electronic home, and we should all abide his concerns.

Put your comments here. Click on the link above, and send me your e-mail addresses. I will get back to you by regular e-mail with the practical details.

This CAN be done. This SHOULD be done. But it MUST be done in accord with JimRob's guidelines.


Fair enough?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1042394/posts



Update
I've already tested the idea of my in-your-face challenge ads, first in the print media and then deliberately illegal on TV, with certain editors I have a long relationship with. I could trust these two gentlemen, one in the print media and the other in the broadcast media, with a "heads up" on what I am planning. Both said they wanted to know, in advance, when I am about to do this.

The bottom line is clear. If I am willing to put my neck on the line, with the possibilities of a fine and jail time, THAT effort will put CFR back on the front page in all media. And that is part of the point. There's not much value of going in-your-face against the enemies of the First Amendment unless the press takes up the story and spreads the word. It is now clear they will do exactly that.

Update 2
QUICK PROGRESS REPORT, ANSWERING A SUPPORTER'S QUESTION:
We have about 15% of the needed 1,000 sign-ups.

Spread the word, direct folks to the front page link on my website.

Google-bomb the phrase "anti-CFR" directing readers to that page and link. (We're already #2 and #4 on Google.)

Target date is now August, since the NC primary looks to be put back to September. (Remember, the ad isn't illegal until the 29th day before the election.)


Cordially,

John / Billybob


Note if you are interested in more on this please contact Valin or Congressman Billybob

[King Black Robe]

Well, at least a lawsuit would waste some of their advertising money. Liberals are hypocrites.

[Valin]

Insane? I don't know, stupid..idiotic..egotistical.

This is one more reason whe Campaighn Finance Reform is a REALLY BAD idea.

And it's not going to go away until we force them to.
/subtle hint

[leprechaun9]

"Mr. Feingold says he has given up on the FEC and wants it overhauled ..."

Maybe Russie and McLame should appoint themselves as Co-CZARS of elections and merely select the office holder without an election. After all, they are outspoken members of the Bob and Billie Club (formerly known as the U.S. Senate).

[Waco]

They need to be reminded?

[The_Eaglet]

Bump for further review

[DManA]

McCain just thinks Americans can handle freedom. They need him between them and the evil ones. Here's a truth he holds to be self-evident:

“As my 15-year old son would say, ‘Duh!’ — they’re engaged in partisan political activities so therefore they should be regulated,” McCain said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4487131/

A man who dishonors multiple oaths to defend and support the Constitution is a man who needs to be driven out of town.

[Valin]

Maybe Russie and McLame should appoint themselves as Co-CZARS of elections and merely select the office holder without an election.

Now don't give them any ideas! :-)

(Seriously) I am of the opinion that where many of the CFR types are headed is the complete federalization(?) of ALL elections, with (of course) them in charge of who can and can't run.

[Valin]

?

[international american]

We knew this was going to happen:)

[Valin]

4:00 pm 12/10/03?
And King Canute tried to hold back the tide...and CFR will be even less successful.

[international american]

Posted on 03/11/2004 4:37:01 AM PST by dogbyte12


"Six months after promising to create an office to help the nation's struggling manufacturers, President Bush settled on someone to head it, but the nomination was being reconsidered last night after Democrats revealed that his candidate had opened a factory in China.

Several officials said the nomination may be scrapped because of the political risk but said that had not been decided. Bush's opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), has made job losses his chief point of attack, and some administration officials feared the nomination could hand him fresh ammunition.

In late afternoon, the administration announced that the new assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services would be named at a ceremony this morning. Industry officials were told that the job would go to Anthony F. Raimondo, chairman and chief executive of a Nebraska company that makes metal buildings and grain silos.

But Kerry's campaign, tipped off about the impending nomination several hours earlier, hastened to distribute news reports that Raimondo's firm, Behlen Manufacturing Co. of Columbus, Neb., had laid off 75 U.S. workers in 2002, four months after announcing plans for a $3 million factory in northwest Beijing."


Bush had better fire his re election team and hire some fairly intelligent high school kids. You cannot make these kinds of mistakes, period!

[Gen. Longstreet]

And King Canute tried to hold back the tide...and CFR will be even less successful.

Actually, Canute didn't try to hold back the tide. Rather, to prove to his syncophantic courtiers that he wasn't a god, he went down to the water to prove that he couldn't hold back the tide. Would be that Sen. McCain had such common sense as King Canute.

[JOE43270]

McCain must not be getting as much of Soros's money as he thought.

[The_Eaglet]

""They should be forced to register with the FEC and comply with federal contribution limits and source prohibitions for ads," Mr. McCain said yesterday. Similar words came from Mr. Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat.

"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."

- Amendment I

[The_Eaglet]

On March 10, Congressman Ron Paul reminded the House about how CFR attacks the freedom of speech:

"Just one year ago we saw a coalition of both left and right push through the radical Campaign Finance Reform Act, which strictly curtails the rights all Americans to speak out against particular candidates at the time of elections. Amazingly, this usurpation by Congress was upheld by the Supreme Court, which showed no concern for the restrictions on political speech during political campaigns. Instead of admitting that money and corruption in government is not a consequence of too much freedom of expression, but rather a result of government acting outside the bounds of the Constitution, this new law addressed a symptom rather than the cause of special interest control of our legislative process."