[BTR]

Parts of Campaign Finance Law Struck Down

By SHARON THEIMER
The Associated Press
Friday, May 2, 2003; 4:24 PM


WASHINGTON - A federal court Friday struck down most of a ban on the use of large corporate and union political contributions by political parties, casting into doubt the future of the campaign finance law that was supposed to govern next year's high-stakes presidential election.

The court also ruled unconstitutional new restrictions on election-time political ads by special interest groups and others. It barred the federal government from enforcing them and all other parts of the law it struck down.

The ruling clears the way for an immediate appeal by the losing parties to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court's decision will lay the ground rules for the 2004 presidential election and beyond.

The decision is a victory for the Republican National Committee and dozens of interest groups, who contended that the law would undermine their ability to participate in politics. It is a loss for Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin who fought for years to get a new law enacted. They argued that it was time to end the corrupting influence of big money in politics.

See rest of article:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6500-2003May2.html

[Hkmp5sd]

That is some good news.

[Standing Wolf]

Good riddance to leftist extremist trash!

[Coltdriver]

I hate to be so blunt about McCain, but the better part of his brain, his personality and his common sense were left behind in the Hanoi Hilton. Its a tragedy and a shame, I'm sorry that is the price he personally paid in service to our country. But it is hard to dispute.

The man has an opinion of himself that is not justified by anything and he behaves like a dictator.

McCains idea of campaign finance is really a ruse to insure incumbents remain in office.

For that man to get a law passed that says I have no right to exercise my opinion out loud, in public, in support of any special interest I may have is pure communism.

His attempt to cut into who can give what is an attempt to silence the little guy.

I am thankful the courts got it right on this one and I can not imagine any court upholding a law that prevents any Americans right to free speech.

[Monkeyleg]

Whatever McCain or Feingold's personal defects may be, what ticks me off about this whole issue is the mainstream media.

From the first editorial to the last, every single one pointed out that the law may be unconstitutional. If they believed so, then why champion a law that will cost taxpayers millions of dollars to debate, vote upon, pass, and challenge in the courts?

Debating the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin is intellectual masturbation; this test of the First Amendment was a headlong assault designed to probe the Court's limits. And it cost us a heck of a lot of money to find out what the Court would say.

Thanks, Senators McCain and Feingold. I'll send you my tax bill tomorrow with a request for a refund.

[Jim March]

The reason the media backed it was because if it survived, the media would have been the SOLE people allowed to endorse candidates within 60 days of an election.

They got greedy for power in a MAJOR way.

Barsterds.

[S_O_Laban]

What Jim wrote!! If the bill would have included the mainstream press it never would have seen life out side of the piegon hole:fire:

[Hkmp5sd]

Yep, the hole purpose of the bill was to shutdown AM Talk Radio and O'Reilly/Hannity TV shows for the two months before the election. Only "news" shows like Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw would be able to discuss political issues and politicians.

[PATH]

Good news indeed!

[jimpeel]

Don't be so fast to celebrate the parts that were shot down as you are to dread the parts that were left in by the so-called "severability clause".

They knew this P.O.S. would be ruled unconstitutional but the other things that were attached to it will survive long after Mssrs. McCain and Feingold are mouldering in their graves.

[HBK]

Vote for Liz Michael instead of McCain. Maybe she'll win...

[Jeeper]

I think that a lot of the people that voted for this knew it would be struck down. They voted for it to look good knwoing it would not go anywhere.

[Waitone]

I think that a lot of the people that voted for this knew it would be struck down. They voted for it to look good knwoing it would not go anywhere.And that is precisely how we get really bad law written into code.

Posturing instead of doing what is right.

Preening insteading of uphold sworn oaths.

Mouthing off instead of acting to defend our liberties.

Maybe some day before I rot in the ground I'll lay eyes on a politician who operates on principal. Opps! Me bad. I mentioned politician and principal in the same sentence. Silly me!