Reining In 527 Groups
Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has reserved comment on the various measures that were outraging many bloggers concerning the oversight of political blogs by the government. Quite a number of bloggers (including many read daily by your Maximum Leader) were quite alarmed (understandably) by the prospect of such oversight and/or regulation.
Well, it seems that the Federal Election Commission decided not to investigate/regulate blogs. At least those who receive no money from campaigns to blog. It is a different matter, however, if a blogger receives money from a political campaign. (Excursus: Would receiving money from a PAC or other 527 warrant investigation? Hummm.. It is unclear...)
And a few weeks ago a Senate committee voted to recommend changes to campaign finance laws with the express purpose of reining in 527 orgainizations.
Now, as loyal minions might remember, your Maximum Leader wasn't a fan of the 527 organization. They are the evil spawn of a misguided and despicable law. That law being the McCain-Feingold Act. McCain-Feingold was supposed to help take the money out of politics. That was, and remains, possibly one of the most asinine assertions ever made. As long as there have been political campaigns there has been money involved in the campaigning. And to think for a moment that the people who most benefit from that money would voluntarially separate themselves from it is to engage in what the Smallholder might refer to as "magical thinking."
Magical thinking you say? What does your Maximum Leader mean by magical thinking?
Certainly you noticed?
The McCain-Feingold law performed just as it was supposed to, right?
Oh... Yeah... The 2004 Elections were the most expensive ever.
All McCain-Feingold has done is drive the money to other places. To other groups. The 527s. Groups with names like: Moveon.org, America Coming Together, Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, and Emily's List. If you want to read some about how much money these 527s have raised and spent, you might read more here. (NB: And just in case you do read that link, McCain-Feingold is now known offically as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act or BCRA. Your Maximum Leader prefers McCain-Feingold as he likes to attribute blame by name where possible.)
Now let your Maximum Leader be clear here. He is all for letting people organize into interest groups and promoting their agenda. (At least until the MWO comes...) But what is really happening here is that people and groups who would rather be giving money to a particular candidate or campaign cannot legally do so. So they give money to surrogates. The surrogates then are free to do as they will.
Do you think George Soros would have given all that money to Moveon.org if he could have given it all to John Kerry? Would we even have heard of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth if their donors could have given more to Bush?
Loyal minions. We live in an era where information can be collected and distributed in moments. We have outlets ranging from traditional media to blogs where information can be reviewed and commented upon. Why don't we just encourage our political class to do what they really want to do? Just remove all the limits to campaign contributions by individuals; but require full disclosure of all campaign contributors and the size of their contribution within 10 days of its receipt.
Whilst your Maximum Leader doesn't think most people would actually give a damn about knowing that George Soros gave $30 million to John Kerry, the people who do care can do with that information what they will.
We don't need more limitations on campaign spending, we need more openness and transparency to who gives what to whom. You might think the Federal Election Commission is already doing that job. But if you actually stop to look at the FEC you would see that it is painfully underfunded. Woefully short-staffed. And consequently unable to respond promptly to anything. (Which, by the way, is just how the politicans want it.)
Trash the existing campaign finance laws and start from scratch. Use technology to get the word out. In the end, "the people" would be better served.
Carry on.
Well, it seems that the Federal Election Commission decided not to investigate/regulate blogs. At least those who receive no money from campaigns to blog. It is a different matter, however, if a blogger receives money from a political campaign. (Excursus: Would receiving money from a PAC or other 527 warrant investigation? Hummm.. It is unclear...)
And a few weeks ago a Senate committee voted to recommend changes to campaign finance laws with the express purpose of reining in 527 orgainizations.
Now, as loyal minions might remember, your Maximum Leader wasn't a fan of the 527 organization. They are the evil spawn of a misguided and despicable law. That law being the McCain-Feingold Act. McCain-Feingold was supposed to help take the money out of politics. That was, and remains, possibly one of the most asinine assertions ever made. As long as there have been political campaigns there has been money involved in the campaigning. And to think for a moment that the people who most benefit from that money would voluntarially separate themselves from it is to engage in what the Smallholder might refer to as "magical thinking."
Magical thinking you say? What does your Maximum Leader mean by magical thinking?
Certainly you noticed?
The McCain-Feingold law performed just as it was supposed to, right?
Oh... Yeah... The 2004 Elections were the most expensive ever.
All McCain-Feingold has done is drive the money to other places. To other groups. The 527s. Groups with names like: Moveon.org, America Coming Together, Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, and Emily's List. If you want to read some about how much money these 527s have raised and spent, you might read more here. (NB: And just in case you do read that link, McCain-Feingold is now known offically as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act or BCRA. Your Maximum Leader prefers McCain-Feingold as he likes to attribute blame by name where possible.)
Now let your Maximum Leader be clear here. He is all for letting people organize into interest groups and promoting their agenda. (At least until the MWO comes...) But what is really happening here is that people and groups who would rather be giving money to a particular candidate or campaign cannot legally do so. So they give money to surrogates. The surrogates then are free to do as they will.
Do you think George Soros would have given all that money to Moveon.org if he could have given it all to John Kerry? Would we even have heard of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth if their donors could have given more to Bush?
Loyal minions. We live in an era where information can be collected and distributed in moments. We have outlets ranging from traditional media to blogs where information can be reviewed and commented upon. Why don't we just encourage our political class to do what they really want to do? Just remove all the limits to campaign contributions by individuals; but require full disclosure of all campaign contributors and the size of their contribution within 10 days of its receipt.
Whilst your Maximum Leader doesn't think most people would actually give a damn about knowing that George Soros gave $30 million to John Kerry, the people who do care can do with that information what they will.
We don't need more limitations on campaign spending, we need more openness and transparency to who gives what to whom. You might think the Federal Election Commission is already doing that job. But if you actually stop to look at the FEC you would see that it is painfully underfunded. Woefully short-staffed. And consequently unable to respond promptly to anything. (Which, by the way, is just how the politicans want it.)
Trash the existing campaign finance laws and start from scratch. Use technology to get the word out. In the end, "the people" would be better served.
Carry on.
posted by The Maximum Leader at 5/07/2005 03:28:00 AM
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