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Taking a scythe to the Bill of Rights by George Will
Washington Post ^ | May 4, 2012 | George F. Will

Posted on 05/06/2012 5:08:17 PM PDT by Innovative

...Now comes Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) with a comparable contribution to another debate, the one concerning government regulation of political speech. Joined by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 26 other Democrats and one Republican, he proposes a constitutional amendment to radically contract First Amendment protections. His purpose is to vastly expand government's power - i.e., the power of incumbent legislators - to write laws regulating, rationing or even proscribing speech in elections that determine the composition of the legislature and the rest of the government. McGovern's proposal vindicates those who say that most campaign-finance "reforms" are incompatible with the First Amendment.

Newspapers, magazines, broadcasting entities, online journalism operations - and most religious institutions - are corporate entities. McGovern's amendment would strip them of all constitutional rights. By doing so, the amendment would empower the government to do much more than proscribe speech.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: billofrights; congress; constitution; democrats; elections; obama
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Just one example of the danger of Dem majority in Congress and a Dem president, who would sign such a bill, after it passes in a Dem Congress, dismantling of the Constitution.
1 posted on 05/06/2012 5:08:25 PM PDT by Innovative
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To: Innovative
Just one example of the danger of Dem majority in Congress and a Dem president, who would sign such a bill, after it passes in a Dem Congress, dismantling of the Constitution.

Add to that the distinct fear of a left loaded SCOTUS and you have a recipe for disaster.

2 posted on 05/06/2012 5:12:06 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Innovative

Regulating and rationing speech and even mandating certain things. Onderful

I guess Romney will have to find a way to top them, so as to attract those moderates and stuff.


3 posted on 05/06/2012 5:12:20 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: Innovative

Dear George,

You’ve been more than willing to throw the 2nd Amendment under the bus your entire miserable life. Now they’re coming after the right you cherish most.

I’m tempted to say “’Ef you, you bow tie wearing pansy”, but better late than never I guess.


4 posted on 05/06/2012 5:15:13 PM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: Innovative

Any admenment to the Constitution has to pass 3/4 of the states before it can be adopted! 3/4 of the States won’t let it thru!
And the idiots in Congress needed to be voted clear out of the country! Deport ‘em!


5 posted on 05/06/2012 5:27:36 PM PDT by Sen Jack S. Fogbound (We have met the enemy and they is us!)
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To: Don Corleone

Yeah - not good. There are few recourses after such a national direction is undertaken; watering the tree of liberty is a grave endeavor. Pray it does not come to this.


6 posted on 05/06/2012 5:32:01 PM PDT by AD from SpringBay (We deserve the government we allow.)
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To: Innovative
Is McGovern one of the 70 Rat Representatives in the Socialist Caucus? "My" rep - Edwards - D 4MD is. Free Speech is, IMHO, the most important right set forth in the Bill of Rights. Without it, you can kiss the USA goodbye.



Nos genuflectitur ad non princeps sed Princeps Pacem!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

7 posted on 05/06/2012 5:42:43 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: Sen Jack S. Fogbound
Any admenment to the Constitution has to pass 3/4 of the states before it can be adopted!

What I don't understand is where these idiots think they are going with this grandstanding. It isn't going to happen. It simply isn't.

8 posted on 05/06/2012 7:12:00 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Innovative

Funny how the left loves “organizing” except when it’s people getting together to form a corporation. Then they want people to be as separate and atomized as possible, with no ability to multiply their power by acting collectively.


9 posted on 05/06/2012 7:22:53 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick
Funny how the left loves “organizing” except when it’s people getting together to form a corporation. Then they want people to be as separate and atomized as possible, with no ability to multiply their power by acting collectively.

As with all words used by the left, it only means whatever they want it to mean when it advances their "cause".

If a word actually meant something, why then they would be constrained by reality in a way they do not accept.

The left is built on pillars of false assumptions about reality and lies that derive from them.

10 posted on 05/06/2012 7:38:43 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: Innovative
The 14th Amendment citizenship clause is the real problem, not the First. It should be amended to read "natural persons similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 or eliminated altogether.
11 posted on 05/06/2012 8:16:58 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (The RNC would prefer Obama to a conservative nominee.)
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To: Innovative

Jim McGovern, a Mass. Marxist-Democrat, is one of those wackos like Jim McDermott, Kucinich, Murphy, etc. who infest the halls of Congress like a mental disease.

However, he is a bellwether of the Democrats desire to emasculate the Constitution. Watch him, he is dangerou.


12 posted on 05/06/2012 9:03:17 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Innovative

Remember, they are inalienable rights.


13 posted on 05/06/2012 9:08:00 PM PDT by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com/)
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To: Sen Jack S. Fogbound; All

It’s the fact that mainstream Democrats support such a thing that I find so scary.

Pelossi et al. really are wanna-be Fascists.


14 posted on 05/06/2012 9:54:33 PM PDT by AnalogReigns (because REALITY is never digital...)
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To: Innovative

“The amendment is explicitly designed to deny such rights to natural persons who.....come together in corporate entities to speak in concert.”


Does that apply to the New York Times and the Washington Post?


15 posted on 05/07/2012 1:10:51 AM PDT by zeestephen
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To: Yardstick
Funny how the left loves “organizing” except when it’s people getting together to form a corporation.

Or a Tea Party. You know -- those hate groups.

Hate speech is never protected by the BoR, you know. That's why they invented it, and then assiduously affixed that label to everything you and I say.

16 posted on 05/07/2012 3:37:17 AM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: Innovative
Joined by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 26 other Democrats and one Republican, he proposes a constitutional amendment to radically contract First Amendment protections.

How soon can that "one Republican" be removed in disgrace?

17 posted on 05/07/2012 7:07:23 AM PDT by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: ConorMacNessa
Free Speech is, IMHO, the most important right set forth in the Bill of Rights. Without it, you can kiss the USA goodbye.

Without the Second Amendment, the First Amendment is unenforceable.

18 posted on 05/07/2012 7:10:15 AM PDT by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: ConorMacNessa
Free Speech is, IMHO, the most important right set forth in the Bill of Rights. Without it, you can kiss the USA goodbye.

Without the Second Amendment, the First Amendment is unenforceable.

19 posted on 05/07/2012 7:12:22 AM PDT by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: Innovative; All
When the government grows to the point more than half of the people are working for the government in some capacity; and then it will indeed be all about the government and not about the people and their rights. We are dangerously close to this NOW!

God help America, and remove evil intended for America by faithless leaders in positions of power.

Did you notice the election in France and Greece went to those promising less austerity. !!!

20 posted on 05/07/2012 8:16:04 AM PDT by geologist (The only answer to the troubles of this life is Jesus. A decision we all must make.)
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