13. Bush Supports Liberal Restrictions on Free Speech

This bill exposed a lot of phonies in Washington. Without question it is a liberal Democrat bill that restricts free speech in violation of the very first Amendment of the Bill of Rights. It's not to surprising that overtly liberal Republican joined with ultra-liberal Russ Feingold, but it was a bit surprising that the Republican-majority Congress blew their pseudo-conservative cover and passed the bill, and the Republican-majority Supreme Court upheld it. It shouldn't have been surprising to anyone who pays attention to what's going on that fake conservative Republican President George Bush signed it.

It's amazing how conservative Christians can't see through these fakers, when they hardly even make a pretense at being Constitutional conservative Americans anymore. At least there are a few conservatives who are trying to rescind this abomination.

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\\Politics\\archive\\200502\\POL20050209b.html

McCain-Feingold 'Antidote' Re-Introduced in House

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com
Morning Editor
February 09, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - Those who believe that campaign finance "reform" didn't reform anything are rallying behind a newly re-introduced bill called the First Amendment Restoration Act.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), is intended to overturn portions of the McCain-Feingold law that prevent advocacy groups from running certain political ads in the days leading up to an election.

Free speech advocates describe Bartlett's bill as an antidote to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, which they see as an effort to protect incumbent politicians from criticism.

"Passing the First Amendment Restoration Act will be a good and necessary first step toward repairing the damage done to Americans' constitutional rights by so-called 'campaign finance reform,' said the Center for Individual Freedom."

Right now, those 'reforms' prevent voters from talking about their elected representatives just when other citizens are most likely to be listening -- before elections.

The First Amendment Restoration Act will begin to give Americans back their free speech rights, said Reid Cox, the Center's general counsel.

Under McCain-Feingold, advocacy groups may not buy broadcast ads naming a specific candidate ("Vote for Joe", "Defeat Sam") within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary.

To the surprise of many McCain-Feingold opponents, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld key elements of the law that Congress passed and President Bush signed.

"Our leaders should be listening carefully to what the American people have to say, especially during elections, rather than trying to ban them from saying anything at all," Cox said in a press release."The First Amendment Restoration Act will help ensure that our elected representatives hear from their constituents 365 days a year. Surely all Americans can agree that our government should not be limiting political speech in the days, weeks and months before we decide who should lead us next."

Despite the law intended to curb campaign spending, the 2004 presidential election was the most expensive in history.

Sen. McCain is now proposing a crackdown on 527 groups -- which accounted for much of the political spending in 2004. Those 527 groups, named after a section of the tax code, are exempt from "soft money" limits imposed on political parties