starfire_xes said:

So what kind of 'Campaign Finance Reform' are we talking about?  There are all kinds of regulations and rules on campaign finance at the Federal Level.

And if I remember correctly in the 2000 elections, McCain and (Nader?) where really big on campaign finance reform but where vehemently opposed by the ACLU and other big special interests.

In the 2008 pres campaign contributions to Obama made McCain look like a Pauper. 

I rather agree with some kind of reform, but what kind?  After all, in DC you have 536 Whores and Compulsive Spenders, including the president, and I don't think any of them are going to try real hard to stop the gravy train from rollin'. 


So please list some ideas, and ways to clean up campaign finance reform, because that is such a broad term its hard to get ones arms around.

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Citizen X said:

starfire_xes said:

So what kind of 'Campaign Finance Reform' are we talking about?  There are all kinds of regulations and rules on campaign finance at the Federal Level.

And if I remember correctly in the 2000 elections, McCain and (Nader?) where really big on campaign finance reform but where vehemently opposed by the ACLU and other big special interests.

In the 2008 pres campaign contributions to Obama made McCain look like a Pauper. 

I rather agree with some kind of reform, but what kind?  After all, in DC you have 536 Whores and Compulsive Spenders, including the president, and I don't think any of them are going to try real hard to stop the gravy train from rollin'. 


So please list some ideas, and ways to clean up campaign finance reform, because that is such a broad term its hard to get ones arms around.

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Big spending Obama? LMFA OFF!

Government spending under President Obama has grown at a slower rate than it did under any president since Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office six decades ago, according to an analysis from Bloomberg. That may not jibe with the conservative complaints that Obama has overseen a massive growth in government spending, but it’s true!

Oh those conservatives and their "facts"

Gotta love it, gotta laugh. Thanks Starfire!

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/22/515537/obama-spending-eisenhower/

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Citizen X said:

starfire_xes said:

So what kind of 'Campaign Finance Reform' are we talking about?  There are all kinds of regulations and rules on campaign finance at the Federal Level.

And if I remember correctly in the 2000 elections, McCain and (Nader?) where really big on campaign finance reform but where vehemently opposed by the ACLU and other big special interests.

In the 2008 pres campaign contributions to Obama made McCain look like a Pauper. 

I rather agree with some kind of reform, but what kind?  After all, in DC you have 536 Whores and Compulsive Spenders, including the president, and I don't think any of them are going to try real hard to stop the gravy train from rollin'. 


So please list some ideas, and ways to clean up campaign finance reform, because that is such a broad term its hard to get ones arms around.

---

Big spending Obama? LMFA OFF!

Government spending under President Obama has grown at a slower rate than it did under any president since Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office six decades ago, according to an analysis from Bloomberg. That may not jibe with the conservative complaints that Obama has overseen a massive growth in government spending, but it’s true!

Oh those conservatives and their "facts"

Gotta love it, gotta laugh. Thanks Starfire!

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/22/515537/obama-spending-eisenhower/

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Don't try to play statistics games.  'Rate' is exactly that--its in percentage.  Now look at this graph.  Who fucking spent more? 




Game over.  Don't you need to get sheared today?

Citizen X said:

Great question!
I would love to hear the responses from our republican/conservative friends.
I'd imagine being a conservative you'd not want that kind of thing?

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Enlil said:

I'm not sure what you expect Congress to do about it.  There are already strong campaign finance laws in place.  There is no way that Congress can regulate money spent independently of campaigns, or so-called, "soft money".  The only way to do that would be to change the Constitution in a way that would eviscerate the First Amendment.  If that ever happened, it'd be the beginning of the end of democracy in America.

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Enlil said:

I'm not sure what you expect Congress to do about it.  There are already strong campaign finance laws in place.  There is no way that Congress can regulate money spent independently of campaigns, or so-called, "soft money".  The only way to do that would be to change the Constitution in a way that would eviscerate the First Amendment.  If that ever happened, it'd be the beginning of the end of democracy in America.

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The Ecstatic said:

Why isn't there a way to regulate it?

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The Ecstatic said:

Seems to me you could restrict money without restricting speech,

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Enlil said:

The Ecstatic said:

Seems to me you could restrict money without restricting speech,

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This opinion, which many Americans share, is a knee-jerk reaction to an issue.  The more one thinks on the problem, it becomes apparent that restricting money spent on speech is restricting speech.

This nation has hundreds of millions of voters, and it is impossible to reach all of those voters.  It is impossible to reach even .001% of those voters with a message without spending money to do so.  For the marketplace of ideas to function in a nation of 300 million people, ideas have to be widely published.  Frankly, that was true when this nation was founded, but the problem is much larger today.

Whether it's a guy standing in front of the courthouse with a sign or Tony Alamo printing millions of flyers, money has to be spent to get a message out.  That's the way modern society works.

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The Ecstatic said:

How do you feel about Senate Republicans ignoring the people theyre supposed to represent, in order to grease the ballot box?

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