Elections have consequences – and here’s one, now.
Thursday, the House of Representatives approved the bill 219-206, with 36 Democrats and 170 Republicans in opposition to the measure, which was written by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this year, and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who led the Senate Democrats’ campaign panel in 2008.
The bill is full of draconian restrictions on individual political speech expressed via corporations, but gives privileged status to the Democrats’ union masters. A provision pushed by Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Bob Brady, for example, allows unions to transfer unlimited funds among affiliated groups to pay for political ads with no disclosure whatever. That makes campaign funding more transparent?
Believe me, it gets better and better – for given values of ‘better’ – so read the whole thing. Quite a few special-interest exemptions in there, mostly involving unions but also (and notably not mentioned in the Examiner article) the NRA, the Sierra Club, and AARP*. About the only good thing that you can say about this bill is that it’s going to be extremely hard to find a Republican Senator dumb enough to sign off on it. And before you say “John McCain,” he’s already come out against it:
But McCain says he will be no part of advancing a bill that requires more disclosure of corporations than it does of labor unions. “It’s no surprise that Democrats craft a bill that favors their supporters,” he said, after the House vote.
Amazing what a contested primary will do to focus a man’s mind, huh?
Moe Lane
*Labor unions, the Sierra Club, AARP… and the National Rifle Association. Six months ago, I would have started singing “One Of These Things (Is Not Like The Others)” in response to a list like that.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Quick question
mschmitt (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 10:57AM EST (link)What happens if all conservatives in the country get together and create their own “anti-Labor Union Labor Union”?
usque ad finem
Great idea - and it would be dues-free...
momma Friday, June 25th at 11:16AM EST (link)Just a voluntary sign-up list and a unique ID for each member.
They just need on R to pass this in the Senate.
earlgrey (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 11:13AM EST (link)Snowe
Collins
Brown (isn’t MA a big union state)?
Voinovich
I have to admit to being low on morale. For all our victories, we don’t have the numbers to stop them from radically changing the country before we can have a say. I couldn’t even get upbeat about Neil’s analysis on the Gallup poll numbers.
They just held together and
deano64 (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 11:20AM EST (link)filibustered the jobs bill. Let’s hope they can do it with this one too.
Precinct Committeeman before it was cool.
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
Alexis De Tocqueville
Because this one is infinitely WORSE than the 'job's pork bill
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 11:26AM EST (link)If McCain comes out THIS strongly, then I think he brings the NE liberal senators with him. Rmember that Brown is real chummy with McCain.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Because this one is infinitely WORSE than the 'job's pork bill
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 11:26AM EST (link)If McCain comes out THIS strongly, then I think he brings the NE liberal senators with him. Rmember that Brown is real chummy with McCain.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
I would not count on Brown...
Marcus_Traianus (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 2:26PM EST (link)especially considering he just jumped in with the Dem’s on “Financial Reform” (in some circles now called the Financial Taxation and Consumer Loan Limitation Act) when the price got high enough.
This is unquestionably one of the biggest assaults on the First Amendment in our history. It reads like a piece written by Stalin’s Politburo.
BTW, I am shocked beyond explanation that the NRA threw in with this lot.
“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson
Well, I Don't Think The Dems Can Count on Lincoln and Nelson (NE), So...
IJB Friday, June 25th at 2:58PM EST (link)…I think it balances out. (And I doubt will vote ‘Yes’, if these two are going to vote ‘No’.)
But I don’t see pols as ‘running scared’ as Lincoln and Nelson jumping off the cliff over the DISCLOSE Act.
Lincoln perhaps
JamesSmith130 Friday, June 25th at 3:02PM EST (link)Nelson, I wouldn’t bet on. Once the NRA sold out, I think he’ll be on board for this.
Although if the polls continue to show Lincoln losing by 15%, she might just throw in the towel and vote for this garbage.
No surprise about the NRA's betrayal!
nikolateslajohngalt (Diary) Monday, June 28th at 1:20AM EST (link)Ask the vets about Bush/NRA/Dems taking away their 2nd. rights as opposed to what GOA/mental health groups tried to offer as vouchers instead of the suspension list that exists now thanks to NRA/Bush’s betrayal!
What about Bennett?
earlgrey (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 3:33PM EST (link)He is probably pretty mad right now?
McCain
JamesSmith130 Friday, June 25th at 3:11PM EST (link)Depends on when Uncle Harry brings it up. If it is before the Arizona primary, McCain votes no, after the primary he votes yes.
LOL, quite possibly true -nt
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 3:31PM EST (link)Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
LOL, quite possibly true -nt
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 3:31PM EST (link)Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
lawsuits
joecollins (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 11:18AM EST (link)This type of bill, if passed, is headed straight to the courts. Perhaps the 41 Senate Repubs will stand shoulder to shoulder and say, “NO.”
Would be nice. Mark Levin was going off on this last night.
bannedtroll Friday, June 25th at 12:19PM EST (link)He said it would get struck down by the courts, but they’re hoping to get a couple of elections’ mileage out of it before then. He had a guest on from the NRA who was lamenting what they’ve become, how they used to stand up for the 1st amendment and how they totally sold out on this bill.
I’m a banned Democrat who came here to promote the idea that Republicans are racists for disliking Barack Obama.
I'm skeptical of this actually being struck down
JamesSmith130 Friday, June 25th at 3:06PM EST (link)Scalia’s concurring opinion on the petition disclosures on the pro-marriage amendment (as well as his position on disclosure in the Citizens United case) suggest that he would uphold this quite easily.
There might be a good argument on the NRA or union special exemptions, but even there, it isn’t clear that it would be struck down, IMO.
Yeah
aesthete (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 12:03AM EST (link)Scalia’s a little too similar to Bork in his judicial philosophy, unfortunately.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Castle and Cao voted for it.
bens (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 12:26PM EST (link)http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll391.xml
Yep
IJB Friday, June 25th at 12:45PM EST (link)Which is why neither is worth supporting. (Cao’s going to lose anyway, so that one doesn’t really count anyway…)
I would rather have another D in Delaware
earlgrey (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 12:48PM EST (link)than Mike Castle. For voting on this, he should have just switched parties.
Mike Castle is on the threshold
JamesSmith130 Friday, June 25th at 3:09PM EST (link)of being bad enough not to support in the general.
I don’t give that designation easily, but those like Tom Campbell get it.
Impressed
JamesSmith130 Friday, June 25th at 3:07PM EST (link)that Djou voted no.
Yes, far better to have Dollar Bill Jefferson in the seat nt
aesthete (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 12:04AM EST (link)The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Don't Be Absurd - Jefferson Is Gone, And He's Not Coming Back
IJB Saturday, June 26th at 1:21AM EST (link)But Cao is proof of the kind of “Republican” you get in a D+25 district. They’re probably not worth having…
They all are worth one vote against a Dem majority - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 1:28AM EST (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
No, They're Worth One Organizing Vote
IJB Saturday, June 26th at 1:47AM EST (link)That’s one third of the picture – will they vote for your agenda if you’re in the majority? will they vote against the other guy’s agenda when you’re in the minority?
I want someone who’s going to deliver on all of those, not just a third of it.
People in jail want out
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 2:15AM EST (link)smile
I want Reagan’s DNA implanted in boys from Illinois…
First do no harm, or at least FAR less harm than Democrats do when they hold power: Get Republican majorities.
The most liberal republicans voting records in congress are FAR more conservative than the most conservative dems. Look it up. There are no conservative dems in practice.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Exactly
aesthete (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 8:31PM EST (link)I can’t say that Reps covered themselves in glory from Clinton’s impeachment onwards, but it was obvious to anyone with ears to hear that the GOP’s move to the left only emboldened the leftist elements of the Dem coalition (e.g, Howard Dean, the rise of the online Left, rhetoric on the plight of “working Americans” [a clarion call to activist government if ever I heard one], state governments under the Dems, etc).
Cao’s the best we can get from that district, he’s a good guy, and he votes more conservatively than we could hope from that district. Messaging problems aren’t really an issue with him; he stays under the radar (unlike McCain) and shuts up when he votes “wrong”.
Like you said, he’s going to lose the seat anyways. Let’s let sleeping dogs be, and be thankful that Cao’s joined onto the Rep agenda for the time being more faithfully than even the most conservative Dem (at least, since Moynihan and Zell Miller left).
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Any Republican Voting "Yes" Must Be Primaried
jaybo (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 2:15PM EST (link)This has to be made crystal clear to every republican senator. Today I took the time to e-mail The Senate Republican Leadership concerning The Disclose Act to say the very same thing. I asked them if they have received the message that we are trying to send them yet by way of the primary process.
Bad votes this consequential must have consequences.
Of course, the NRA got it’s carve out last week.
Jeff Weimer (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 3:42PM EST (link)When asked, they flipped the country the bird and said,
“We only care about the first amendment as far as it helps us defend the second amendment.”
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
-Voltaire
It may be time to play chicken
mikerazar (Diary) Friday, June 25th at 3:57PM EST (link)If this blatantly unconstitutional law passes, it should be ignored. Civil disobedience. Cooperate with no part of it. Figure out a way to run ads with pledges.
Bring it on Rahm. Just try to put us in prison for publishing an illegal political opinion. You will back down or be run out of town.
Meanwhile, let’s draft an amendment which strengthens the first amendment. In particular, there should be no protected class of journalists. Every American or group of Americans is entitled to a free press and the same protection as helen thomas got for fifty years.
We have a nation to save, people.
Anyone see Hank Johnson
aesthete (Diary) Saturday, June 26th at 12:06AM EST (link)fret about how if the Act doesn’t pass, Republicans will have the advantage?
http://www.examiner.com/x-35532-Dallas-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m6d25-Disclose-Act-passed-House-Hank-Johnson-frets-Republicans-will-tip-balance-of-Democrat-power-Video
These people are loathsome.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
I was going to post that same video.
klondike Saturday, June 26th at 5:59AM EST (link)Rep. Johnson needs to step down. His health problems and resultant pharmaceutical treatment have rendered him unable to be an effective participant in the legislative process. I would say the same if he were a Republican.