Democrats' new campaign funding groups may face regulation

[Freddie Stubbs]

WASHINGTON -- Democrats who have been forming groups to avoid spending restrictions in the campaign finance law may face bad news: The government's new chief election regulator is warning that their activities could be reined in.

Bradley Smith, the Republican chosen yesterday as chairman of the Federal Election Commission, said he believes a recent Supreme Court ruling may require his agency to limit the groups' activities.

"If so, it's a huge issue. And it means there are a lot of groups already out there that would have accepted contributions beyond their limits," Smith said.

Smith, who takes over as chairman Jan. 1, said the FEC will formally decide the issue early next year when it also considers a request from a special Republican group on whether it is free to spend unlimited amounts of money promoting President Bush in the 2004 election.

more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/12/19/democrats_new_campaign_funding_groups_may_face_regulation/

[Mika]

1. Of course, you know how this will turn out..

The Dems will be sanctioned, and W*'s pals will be free to spend to the hilt. Daschle will say ' we can work with that'. Move along..

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. The FEC is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans

So it would require the support of at least on the Democratic members for it to show favoratism toward Republicans.

[Mika]

6. Now, we know that wouldn't happen

"So it would require the support of at least on the Democratic members for it to show favoratism toward Republicans."


Naw.. couldn't happen. :+

[Code_Name_D]

2. Its a growing trentd to skert past McCaine Fingold (That didn't take long)

Both the Democrats and Republicans are doing this. In fact, the Dean-attack adds have been comming from just such groups. So this will be a good thing. I hope any way. Of course, it always seems to be the Democrats the get investigated and prosicuted, but the Republicans that are found guilty.

[GRClarkesq]

4. Money will always find a way into politics

the rules of the game just change from time to time. As long as government has goodies to pass out people will find a way to influence government to get more goodies.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Agreed

That is why I was not a very big fan of the McCain-Feingold law. All it did was re-route the money trough different channels, and those channels will be harder to monitor than the old ones. Plus it appears that the new rules are more favorable to Republicans than to Democrats.