Posted on 08/19/2004 5:12:53 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON— Campaign finance reformers Wednesday vented their frustration at the Federal Election Commission for failing to curb independent groups that are using huge "soft money" donations to change the political landscape.
The FEC, set to take up the issue Thursday, signaled in advance that it remains divided over how to deal with the groups, which are running massive voter mobilization drives and filling the airwaves with hard-hitting advertisements.
Many of these projects are financed by labor unions and wealthy individuals who give multimillion-dollar donations — the unlimited "soft money" that new campaign finance laws forbid parties and candidates to accept. So far, the FEC has not issued rules on how the new law applies to independent groups.
"There is no conceivable justification for the FEC to fail to act," said Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who was the chief author of the ban on unlimited "soft money."
Saying that the FEC has "one last chance on Thursday to act responsibly," McCain fired off a statement insisting that groups whose "major purpose" is to influence federal elections must register with the federal government and restrict their contributions.
Joining his protest, the watchdog organizations Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center blamed the FEC for allowing the private groups, often dubbed "527s" for the section of the tax code that authorizes them, "to brazenly operate outside these laws during the 2004 elections."
The six-member FEC has been deadlocked on the issue, with only two members favoring a comprehensive crackdown on the groups.
Three commissioners this week floated a much less restrictive plan. "Our proposal addresses the specific abuses that people are complaining about," said Republican member David M. Mason, one of the three co-sponsors, in an interview Wednesday. He acknowledged that the draft rules were not as far-reaching as a proposal offered earlier by Democrat commissioner Scott E. Thomas and Republican member Michael E. Toner.
Although it's impossible to know whether the nonprofit groups will make a difference in this election, evidence is mounting that Democrats are the biggest beneficiaries by far.
More than 60 groups reported as of mid-year that they have raised a total of $118 million to influence the federal elections. Of that total, 87 percent went to groups that lean Democratic, said Derek Willis, who tracks these 527s for the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity.
America Coming Together (ACT), one of the most active of the groups, has already sent canvassers to knock on 2 million doors in Ohio alone and about 1million doors in the rest of the 17 swing states, said spokeswoman Sarah Leonard.
ACT, which was launched with help from a $5 million gift from billionaire businessman George Soros as well as from labor unions and liberal interest groups, had originally planned to spend $100 million this year. It has now upped that budget to $125 million.
As for the possibility that the FEC will restrict groups like ACT, Leonard said, "We'll see what the FEC has to say. We believe we've followed the letter of the law."
Leonard also speaks for The Media Fund, another independent group, which expects to collect $50 million to run anti-Bush ad campaign.
Among the few efforts on the other side, the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has reported raising more than $150,000, mostly from Republican donors, to run an ad attacking Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
The Bush White House and Republican Party have responded to the 527 movement by urging, without success, that the FEC stop all of the independent groups that accept unlimited "soft money" donations.
Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, said Republicans should have forged ahead with their own independent groups instead.
"In an election this close, anything could be a decisive factor," Ayres said.
Julia Malone's e-mail address is jmalone(at)coxnews.com.
Poll: Voters Eyeing National Security - Number One Concern*** But Kerry has struggled with stating his position on Iraq, defending his vote authorizing the war while criticizing the Bush administration's conduct of the war and difficulties in postwar Iraq. Democrats say Kerry has a "nuanced position" and Republicans call the Democrat's position a series of flip-flops.***
It's a little late in the day to start whining about the FEC's not controlling the 527's! The democrats began their abuse of the new law long ago...
Well, that's what happens when you sign unconstitutional laws. Who expects Democrats to be fair? These are not your grandfathers Democrats, these are Hitler's new disciples.
More to the point Johnny McInsane was as dumb as an ox if he really believed he could drive money out of politics. No matter how many restrictions you impose, there will always be a loophole to squeeze it in somewhere.
Was anyone screaming until the Swift Vets started to get notice?
ARE YOU AWAKE, RNC??? The Dems are ready with the "knock-and-drag" tactic in Ohio and other toss-up states that gave Mary Landreau the Senate victory in LA last year. They go through the black precincts on Election Day and knock on every door and take the voters to the polls. What is the RNC doing in answer to that? The LEAST they can do is check registrations and whether felons are voting...which makes the Dems scream "Voter intimidation" and "Every vote should count!" This is exactly why the Founders warned us against a democracy. Democracy is mob rule. Ex: Venezuela.
ACT, which was launched with help from a $5 million gift from billionaire businessman George Soros as well as from labor unions and liberal interest groups, had originally planned to spend $100 million this year. It has now upped that budget to $125 million.
Leonard also speaks for The Media Fund, another independent group, which expects to collect $50 million to run anti-Bush ad campaign.
Among the few efforts on the other side, the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has reported raising more than $150,000, mostly from Republican donors, to run an ad attacking Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
Bump!
ditto.
Something about "weighed on the scales of Justice"...
Rush must have read my post!!!! Discussing this right now.
The Demoncrats do this for months and months, and have millions of dollars behind them, mainly from a foreigner, and yet, they finally bring it up as a MAJOR ISSUE when a group that's not even affiliated with the Republicans other than some R's are giving them money, start drawing blood. What are these 527's getting for their money? Not a thing, apparently, since Bush is gaining ground, or ahead in almost every instance, and Kerry is losing ground rapidly due to the Swifties.
Paul
(Whatever happened to "Bring it on"? I guess when it was brought, it was over.)
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