Posted on 04/06/2006 9:23:25 AM PDT by neverdem
The House yesterday narrowly approved new regulations for political 527 groups funded by multimillionaires -- a change to campaign-finance law that Republicans argue will curb the influence the "super-wealthy" have on elections.
Campaign-finance reform measures passed in 2002 that banned parties and candidates from receiving unlimited donations "actually empowered these ideologically driven outside groups," said Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, Michigan Republican. "This bill will help restore some balance to our system."
The House passed the measure by a 218-209 vote over the objections of most Democrats and 18 Republicans who felt it restricts the First Amendment rights of citizens.
The measure subjects the so-called 527 groups to the same federal election law governing political parties and candidates, including limits on contributions. Donors can give up to $5,000 per year toward efforts that directly affect a candidate.
Lawmakers said the groups, named for the section of the tax code under which they are regulated, played a significant role in the 2004 presidential election.
Rep. David Dreier, California Republican and chairman of the House Rules Committee, said the campaign-finance changes in 2002 left an "obvious and easy loophole to be exploited."
One of the best-known conservative 527 groups in 2004 was the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which targeted the military service of the Democratic candidate, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. On the liberal side were America Coming Together and the 527 arm of MoveOn.org, which ran ads critical of President Bush.
These groups were mostly funded by donations from millionaires -- 25 persons gave $146 million in 2004.
Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican, said 527 groups are the equivalent of "money laundering ... on a scale that would make Tony Soprano blush."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Once the financing limit has been reached, just start a new organization. Problem solved.
Count on massive donations to 527s before this bill becomes law.
BWAHAHAHA! Those same Democrats had no problem passing McCain-Feingold.
They are shrieking because they got far more mileage than the pubbies from the 527s. Don't get me wrong, I think 527s should be allowed and McCain-Feingold repealed. But the Dems have no real First Amendment principles here.
They just keep chipping away at the Constitution. A little here, a little there, and one day we wake up with no Constitution! We may not notice the full loss of it in our life time, but those who follow us will.
I know that the democrats are only screaming because It prevents Soros from funding them..but the bill is still bad and should be unconstitutional...but then so should all of McCain Fiengold.
Apparently we dont really have the right to political speech.
Which is why the Republicans are so damned STUPID in pushing through this restriction. What a bunch of morons.
That is dead wrong. The Swifties had 100 times the impact of the RAT 527's combined. The Bush campaign was struggling for a message against Kerry when the Swift Vets ripped the heart right out of his campaign and he never recovered. THEY defeated Kerry. Not Mark McKinnon. Not Karl Rove. The Swifties. This is just idiotic, not to mention unconstitutional.
No, but your right to burn a flag or do a striptease is soundly protected under the 1st Amendment!
I think it's becoming "freedom from political speech," something like our constitutionally protected "freedom from religion"
George Soros! George Soros! Please report to the dumpster area!
The basic problem with McCain-Feingold, aside from it's being unconstitutional, is that the Democrats get to cheat and the Republicans don't.
So, the media accuses Republicans of manipulation, and they're out. But if a Democrat does it, they get away with it.
The other dirty little secret is that the Republicans are now the party of the people and the Democrats are the party of the rich and elite. But they still talk the old Marxist populist talk, so not everyone has caught on yet.
Yesterday Congressman Pence joined 17 other House conservatives and voted against the Shays-Meehan 527 Reform Act.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times writes in this article that "a Republican opponent of the bill, Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, has compared the exercise to whack-a-mole, a carnival game in which a player hits one mole with a hammer and another pops up."
Tory Newmyer writes "the 527 bill passed despite opposition from some leading House conservatives, including Republican Study Committee Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.), who argued that it curtailed free speech" in this Roll Call article.
According to Joel Havemann's LA Times article, Rep. Pence "has argued that limits on contributions to 527 committees would leave a political vacuum that would be filled by other, unregulated groups."
Robert B. Bluey of Human Events writes that House conservatives came up short of needed votes, by a 218-209 margin, in his online column.
Bluey also writes about Rep. Pence's 527 Fairness Act and pro-freedom amendment in this article.
“The answer to problems in politics in a free society is more freedom, not less.”
Congressman Mike Pence
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.
So, why do you think the law of unintended consequences that applied to the 2002 bill won't apply to this.
By 2009 there will be a whole new set of highly funded political groups and there will be another call for reform.
I'd favor dumping all of these laws in favor of full and immediate disclosure via the Internet. My point was that there will always be creative ways to sidestep these laws. They are made to be broken, and the people most likely to suffer are the least devious.
But the X&%#*^ Dems have no X&%#*^ principles any X&%#*^ where.
Funny, Swiftboaters were funded mostly by small donations. It was Soros and other rich liberals who mostly exploited the 527 rules. That is why the Democrats did not like this, eventhough they hated what the Swiftboaters did. The Swiftboat types can still go out, while Moveon.org is sunk.
Fundraising mileage - the Dems raised a lot more 527 funds than the GOP.
They are not morons. They have fooled you to think that. They are owned by the elites, who have no interest in the middle class taxpayers because you all keep voting these flakes back in.
That's been true since at least the 1960s...
yup , to #11 , Cicero
... and , how does AirAmerica not qualify as a shill for the bolshviks/democRATS [????]
How is this in any way Constitutional?
Who cares about the Constitution? The pubbies see short term advantage in curbing Soros and his ilk.
that makes two issues i have problems with ehlers on.
Yup. Create a network of 527s. Give $5K to each of, say, 100 527s.
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