I've made reference to this before, but few seem to have noticed. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) makes pre-election broadcasts of issue ads - by groups like the NRA and the Sierra Club, and by all labor unions - a crime. Further, it makes way for public financing of campaigns and requirements that TV stations offer free airtime. And, the sleazy, low-life politicians who took our rights already get free airtime from international conglomerate media like Disney, Time-Warner, GE and Viacom, who are exempt from any spending limits of these (BCRA) reforms.

I cannot believe what happened to us as a country. I liken it to 9-11, except this time, it was our elected officials and our supreme court who were wielding the box cutters on our constitution.

 

Subtle, quiet methods are the only way a govt. can dominate and oppress a populace without it becoming a bloodbath. Its easy to win a battle or war if your opponent doesnt even realize he has been attacked!!!!!!!

 

Who sponsors such legislation?

 

This is the McCain-Feingold Bipartison Campaign Reform Act, which has been around for a year or so now. Nobody wanted to vote against it, because everybody wants to reform the shameful way our officials sell out. Nobody thought it would stand up to Supreme Court scrutiny - let someone else fix it. When it passed, the NRA was literally waiting on the court house steps to present a challenge.

Up until that point, our friends in the media only told about the soft money reforms the bill was addressing, and didn't mention the free speech thing (why worry a bunch of citizens about some silly old amendment; what do they know?). But then, on Dec 10, 2003, our very own Supreme Court shackled our rights. They already told us that the First Amendment protects virtual child pornography, as well as sexually explicit cable programming, but now they say it does not protect the right to criticize the government.

I've ranted about many things before, but this truly scares the hell out of me. (I'll round up the sponsors of the bill and get back later.)

 

Thank you.This is the first I heard of it .I'll watch the thread to get an idea what it's all about.

 

First introduced by McCain of AZ as S27 on 01-22-2001, with 41 sponsors (I'm unable to find their names so far). In the House it was HR2356. It was passed and became Public Law 107-155 on 03-27-2002. I knew about it because of the NRA, but have been unable to get anyone to seriously listen. Whenever they hear "NRA" they roll their eyes and give me a 'he's on his soap box again' look.

But the NRA is not the only organization affected. Any group that wants to place an ad about any political subject - Sierra, PETA, Boy Scouts, the Organization of Retired Police Chiefs, labor unions. The only organizations exempt are national media outlets that I've already mentioned.

Castro would be proud. (So would Hussein & Hitler, et. al.)

 

Wow.This just blows me away. Geez!!!!!!!!!:-staun

 

Here's the senate sponsors:
Sen Bayh, Evan - 1/30/2001 [IN] Sen Bingaman, Jeff - 1/30/2001 [NM]
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 1/22/2001 [CA] Sen Cantwell, Maria - 1/22/2001 [WA]
Sen Carnahan, Jean - 1/30/2001 [MO] Sen Carper, Thomas R. - 1/24/2001 [DE]
Sen Cleland, Max - 1/23/2001 [GA] Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham - 2/27/2001 [NY]
Sen Cochran, Thad - 1/22/2001 [MS] Sen Collins, Susan M. - 1/22/2001 [ME]
Sen Corzine, Jon - 1/22/2001 [NJ] Sen Dayton, Mark - 1/22/2001 [MN]
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. - 3/30/2001 [CT] Sen Dorgan, Byron L. - 3/14/2001 [ND]
Sen Durbin, Richard J. - 1/22/2001 [IL] Sen Edwards, John - 3/8/2001 [NC]
Sen Feingold, Russell D. - 1/22/2001 [WI] Sen Feinstein, Dianne - 1/24/2001 [CA]
Sen Graham, Bob - 3/15/2001 [FL] Sen Harkin, Tom - 1/22/2001
[IA]
Sen Jeffords, James M. - 1/22/2001 [VT] Sen Johnson, Tim - 2/8/2001 [SD]
Sen Kerry, John F. - 1/22/2001 [MA] Sen Kohl, Herb - 1/22/2001 [WI]
Sen Landrieu, Mary - 3/14/2001 [LA] Sen Leahy, Patrick J. - 2/8/2001 [VT]
Sen Levin, Carl - 1/22/2001 [MI] Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. - 1/22/2001 [CT]
Sen Lincoln, Blanche - 1/25/2001 [AR] Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. - 1/24/2001 [MD]
Sen Miller, Zell - 2/27/2001 [GA] Sen Nelson, Bill - 1/23/2001 [FL]
Sen Reed, John F. - 1/22/2001 [RI] Sen Reid, Harry M. - 2/8/2001 [NV]
Sen Sarbanes, Paul S. - 2/8/2001 [MD] Sen Schumer, Charles E. - 1/22/2001 [NY]
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. - 1/22/2001 [ME] Sen Stabenow, Debbie - 1/22/2001 [MI]
Sen Thompson, Fred - 1/22/2001 [TN] Sen Wellstone, Paul D. - 1/22/2001 [MN]
Sen Wyden, Ron - 1/22/2001 [OR]

The house version was sponsored by Meehan, Martin [MA]

 

Holy old dying eyed--------.Two senators from my state are on that list!!!!!!!!!!Sue Collins comes from Caribou,about 18 miles up the road from where i am. Gentlemen I am speechless.:-staun

 

As soon we all shall be.

 

Man you had me going there for a minute.I read your post,and it seemed to say it was a crime to broadcast issue ads by the above mentioned parties.Not being familiar with the legislation,I thought it to be so.Upon further investigation,I find that it is not a crime to broadcast the ads,but those ads must have full disclosure of who is funding the ad.It has something to do with soft money.I have to look into it more ,but it doesn't sound as bad as i first thought it to be.You have to be more careful how you word these accusations.I feel a little foolish for overreacting.It's been quite a day!

 

The ONLY casualties of this Law are the (1) the corrupt politicans who accept money from corporate bribers and then do their bidding when Congress is in session , and (2)The corporate bribers as well as any and all Special interest groups who Purchase the favors of our elected officials, and (3) All the major media organizations who, like street *****s, sell their TV time to anybody to broadcast ads of unsubstantiated assertions and innuendo that have NEVER been subjected to any verification whatsoever. Mostly BS in my opinion. This law is just the FIRST STEP in an ongoing battle to Legislate Honesty, unfortunately , back into our National system. They (the politicans) don't seem to have any compunction or moral stature about who they are supposed to be representating so we have to proceed in this fashion............s.kuteman

 

I'm glad you did your homework and shared what you found. I suspected that some details were getting lost in hyperbole. I'm skeptical as soon as I hear "The sky if falling" (They're shredding the Constitution! They're taking our right away!).

 

One of the Maine senators,Sue Collins,grew up in the same general area as i did.I shop at her brothers lumberyard.I'm familiar with her cultural background.It shocked me to think she would vote for any bill that would endanger our rights.I don't research all of her votes on bills but we do trust her to make decision on our behalf.She's kinda like a hometown hero up here,very popular.I'm learning a lot about the issues here at FTE,but i realize i have a long way to go.Misinformation is very destructful.It seems difficult to pick through the facts sometimes.I'll chalk this one up to experience.lol.I do believe in campaign reform.It should have been done years ago.Soft money is very dangerous to our system.

 

Hi Fordfaggiole,

I don't think soft money is all that terrible. Hasn't the supreme court decided it's a form of free speech?

regards