Campaign finance bill heads for Wednesday vote as Republicans give up

Associated Press ^ | 3-19-02 | JIM ABRAMS

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) --

[follow your bliss]

Congressional Republicans are such girly-men!

[liberalism=failure]

"...as Republicans give up..."

I'd say those 4 words sum up their strategy on just about everything.

[Saundra Duffy]

Thank you, Jeffords! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!

[goldstategop]

Its a sign the battle lines will shift shortly to the courts. The constitutionally forcible rape tsunami is simply to big to be stopped in Congress. That's why Republicans have decided to make the best of a bad situation and fight the battle to save freedom of speech on more friendly territory.

[snopercod]

"Republicans Give Up"

Sounds a Lott like Traitor Lott at work.

[Feiny]

Such a load of crap. These wankers know that this law is unconstitutional, but they pass it anyway. Basically admitting that they can't control themselves around money...that they can be bought. This so call reform will change nothing except our ability to speak out about bad policy, bad people & bad ideas.

[MamaLucci]

"The opponents of this bill are ready to move on," he said.

Has anyone else had about enough of that particular phrase?
It is generally used when politicians are fixin' to do the wrong thing.

[follow your bliss]

So when the RNC calls me asking for money, what shall I say?

A two-word phrase starting with the letter 'f' immediately comes to mind

[Dan from Michigan]

P**@ies.

It's not even the Soft money that @##@es me off so much as the ban on ISSUE ads and the GAG rule.

They will NEVER shut me up.

[Molly Pitcher]

So when the RNC calls me asking for money, what shall I say? A two-word phrase starting with the letter 'f' immediately comes to mind

I've already given them that message...well, not exactly in those words....;^)

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Which Rep Senators are voting for this piece of garbage-other than McCain ?? I hope to God that the MIA pilot from Irag is still alive, aside from the obvious reasons that one wishes for things like this-but, maybe we could get an honest to God, real POW to overshadow that Arizona phoney!!

[GiovannaNicoletta]

I hope you're right because if he signs this bill he will lose my vote.

[Reagan Man]

McConnell said that, following passage, he would move quickly to challenge portions of the bill in court. Opponents say that restrictions on campaign contributions violate First Amendment free speech rights.

I sure hope McConnell follows through with a court challenge. I don't think the President will be vetoing CFR, anytime soon.

The parts of this CFR bill, that would directly restrict 1ST Amendment rights, will probably reach the USSC at some time. At that point, those restrictions will hopefully be voted down by the SC justices and determined to be, unConstitutional. I can't see the high court siding with such unadulterated trash.

[EternalHope]

I think the President is going to save us from this bill. I really do.

I hope you are right, but so far I do not see it.

"Republicans give up" seems to summarize the situation nicely.

[thucydides]

Posters to this thread are characterizing this as a great republican defeat. I don't think so. It has become apparent that the republicans enjoy such a huge advantage in hard money that the democrats would never pass an increase to it on a stand alone basis. Now, I think the republicans are counting on the courts to throw out garbage and leave the increase in hard money in place. As for the democrats, they had assumed Bush would veto it based on what they regard as the laughable republican commitment to principle, giving them an issue for the fall ( poor babies, they have nothing to run on ). Now they may be hoist by their own petard.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[Molly Pitcher]

In fact, guess what just arrived in the mail?? A letter asking for money from the National Republican Senatorial Committee!

Another opportunity to send them the message!!

Maybe someday, these people will wake up and listen!! I'm dreaming, I guess...