Begins day after tomorrow:

Something almost without precedent in America will happen Thursday. That’s the day when McCain-Feingold — aka the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 — will officially silence broadcast advertising that contains criticism of members of Congress seeking re-election in November. Before 2006, American election campaigns traditionally began in earnest after Labor Day. Unless McCain-Feingold is repealed, Labor Day will henceforth mark the point in the campaign when congressional incumbents can sit back and cruise, free of those pesky negative TV and radio spots. It is the most effective incumbent protection act possible, short of abolishing the elections themselves.

If I were going to impeach Bush, signing McCain-Feingold would be a lot better grounds for it than any of the loony Dem conspiracy theories, to me. We have him dead to rights on that one.

That link is broken; it's pointing to the page from the previous story.

Sorry--fixed now.

And Congress. And half the justices on the USSC as well. Can we get rid of all of them and start over again? Please?

Greg, are you suggesting that it is time for the tree of Liberty to be watered again?

Ed,
all that's needed is a ballot box revolution. We need to vote out every sitting elected official. My rascals and yours and Greg's, all of them, all 535 of the little darlings all need to go ASAP.

It's called corruption and it's certainly ingrained. Those in office for the last hundred years have succeed in moving the goalposts so far that it's impossible to discuss liberty in terms that mean anything anymore. Voting them all out of office wouldn't do a thing. There's nobody in the wings that understands this republic (or the meaning of the ninth ammemdment) anymore. Wow. I didn't realize what a pessimist I've become regarding goverment and politics.

Do you have an alternative CFR plan, or is it your opinion the current system works as well as it can?

Do you have an alternative CFR plan, or is it your belief the current system works as well as it can?

Even if one doesn't have an alternative CFR plan, that doesn't make this one acceptable, or constitutional. Why am I not surprised that you don't seem to have a problem with a bill that curtails free speech, Brian?

In any event, my plan is simply full disclosure of all contributions and sources of ads.

Apparently, in BS-land, one can only criticize CFR if there's an alternative in mind; but feel free to criticize the conduct of a war, whether you've half a clue on how the alternative would work (including niggling details like logistics, rotational policies, etc.).

I have an alternative to CFR, enforce laws against bribery that existed prior to CFR. Full disclosure is a nice idea, but people will cheat. However, I don't see how the solution to cheaters involves denying Americans the right to criticize the government for 60 days.

While this act is most certainly a very incomplete kludge (eg, 527 groups aren't covered), I don't see that the doom and gloom is warranted. Companies and labor unions, the entities, which covered under the ban, apparently can still donate to PACs. They can also still run issue advertising as long as they don't name names. In other words, my take is that you'll see plenty of advertising. They'll just have to be slightly more clever than usual.

In other words, my take is that you'll see plenty of advertising. They'll just have to be slightly more clever than usual.

How does this work with:

Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I wholeheartedly agree with Rand that this act
is a terrible invasion of our liberties. Political
speech was precisely the speech the founders wanted to protect!

If I recall, Bush even said when he signed it that he didn't think it was constitutional. He was being lazy and anticipating having the Supreme Court do his work for him, and they missed the boat too.

Wouldn't it be crazy if we had to have some kind of revolution just to get back the right to free political speech we're supposed to be guaranteed by the constitution?