[Cincinatus]

I cannot see how McCain, who isn't in charge yet, can be blamed.

McCain-Feingold

[MARTIAL MONK]

Do you mean McCain-Feingold-Thompson which became and was passed as McCain-Feingold-Cochran?

Campaign Finance Reform was a fairly mechanical bill which revised previous limits and sought to limit "soft money" donations to parties. Snow and Collins added an amendment that prevented unions and corporations from "electioneering" with ads that mentioned a name close to an election. That was a bit dubious but unions and corporations were state created entities with special priveleges and the regulations were well within Constitutional limits.

At the last minute Senator Wellstone cobbled together another amendment that extended prohibition to "non-profits" ie. the NRA. This is the infamous "Wellstone Amendment". Everyone thought that it was unconstitutional, including John McCain. He fought against it and voted against it.

The vote was close but it passed due to the support from MITCH MCCONNELL AND TRENT LOTT AND PHIL GRAMM. In trying to preserve their thiefdoms they were looking for a poison pill for the Supreme Court to find unconstitutional and strike down the bill.

Unfortunately for them the bill was made severable (if one part were held unconstitutional the others would remain standing). AND THEN THE COURT FOUND THE BASICS OF THE CFR (INCLUDING THE WELLSTONE AMENDMENT) CONSTITUTIONAL.

Everyone was shocked, including McCain. The dirt-for-brains goober conserbatibes had breached the First Amendment by trying to be too cute by half.