May 23, 2005
RESTORING FREE SPEECH:
GOP Targets Spending Limit (Thomas B. Edsall, May 19, 2005, Washington Post)
House Republicans are gearing up to push campaign finance legislation that would scrap post-Watergate restrictions on the total amount of money individuals can donate and parties can spend on candidates.House Democratic leaders, who see the GOP gaining a huge financial advantage, yesterday protested the bill, as did campaign finance advocacy groups.
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the bill's chief sponsor, said the measure makes a "a few modest changes" in the 2002 campaign finance law that "will restore freedom and fairness to the political economy of our nation."
Only those who qualify to vote should be allowed to give -- not corporations, unions, pac's, etc. -- but they should be allowed to give as much as they choose to. Every dollar donated should be reported on-line ASAP. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 23, 2005 6:02 PM
Corporations? Where'd that come from? Corporations can't give money now, and, unless I missed it, the article on the proposed changes didn't even mention them.
Posted by: David Cohen at May 23, 2005 9:08 PMoj,
Mike Pence continues to be the Republican Party's most unremarked upon hero.
Even more so than OH's next governor, Blackwell.
Mike
David:
Yes, reform needs to address them. Political contributions are a free speech issue, but only for individuals.
Posted by: oj at May 23, 2005 10:44 PMIt's the guns. The legislative history of McCain-Feingold made that plain. The N.R.A. rules by voter education, which is exactly what the law is aimed at.
Posted by: Lou Gots at May 24, 2005 11:21 AM