SCOTUS stands up for the first amendment

The Supreme Court finally scaled back a vital provision of the free-speech killing Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 – also known as McCain-Feingold.

Not only did this absurd bill limit political free-speech, but it also made it far more difficult to unseat incumbents. Many of us remember the buffoonish John McCain predicting that this would clean up the political system. McCain continuously claimed that money corrupts otherwise pure as the wind driven snow politicians. This is the same man that Republicans chose to represent the party in the most important election in a generation? I still can’t get over it!

As usual, when government sticks their long noses into things they should leave alone, there are always unintended consequences. Instead of Corporations, and non-profit advocacy groups we got the often sleazy 527’s which only corrupted the system more by making it harder to track contributions and their sources.

Even if you’re not an expert on campaign finance law (like me) you can tell that this was a good ruling simply by noticing who’s against it.

Barack Obama, our first Marxist president described the ruling this way:

“a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.”

Does he mean like the powerful special interests who were meeting with the Democrats behind locked doors to help ram national healthcare down our throats while securing special deals for themselves? 

Sorry Mr. President, but the ruling doesn’t drown out the voices of everyday Americans at all. Everyday Americans can still contribute to, volunteer, and campaign for the candidate of their choice. Everyday Americans can still conribute to, or volunteer for non-profit advocacy groups.  Everyday Americans are also the stockholders in many corporations and they do have a voice in where political contributions should go. Americans that don’t agree with certain Corporations giving money to, or financing ads advocating a candidate or position can show their displeasure by divesting themselves from the company, or by not conducting business with the company.

Justice Anthony Kennedy was the deciding “swing vote” in the decision siding with Clarence Thomas, Sam Alito, Antonin Scalia, and John Roberts.

Justice John Paul Stevens headed the dissenters which included Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Sonia Sotomayor.

 Justice Kennedy wrote the following for the majority:

“When government seeks to use its full power, including the criminal law, to command where a person may get his or her information or what distrusted source he or she may not hear, it uses censorship to control thought. This is unlawful. The First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves.”

Amen to that!

Thank you Justice Kennedy.