Like “Patriot Act,” the title “Fair Elections Now Act” sounds great. Like the Patriot Act, the devil is in the details. Here’s Senator Durbin’s description of the act:
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Congressman John Tierney (D-MA) today unveiled two bipartisan bills - one dealing with Senate races; the other focused on House contests - to restore public confidence in the Congressional elections process. Both bills would allow qualified candidates to receive campaign financing from a public fund instead of from lobbyists and other special interests.
In general, the bills create “voluntary” public financing of House and Senate races. It is voluntary (until they make it mandatory, at least) for the campaigns to engage in the program, but there is no provision to make it voluntary for the taxpayers. In other words, expect your hard earned money to be used to support candidates you dislike.
There’s more. Let’s take a peak at a portion of the House bill (H.R. 1614)(emphasis added):
‘(a) Major Party Candidates and Certain Independent Candidates- The requirement of this section is met if, during the clean money qualifying period, a major party candidate (or an independent candidate who meets the minimum vote percentage required for a major party candidate under section 501(9)) receives 1,500 qualifying contributions.
‘(b) Other Candidates- The requirement of this section is met if, during the clean money qualifying period, a candidate who is not described in subsection (a) receives a number of qualifying contributions that is at least 150 percent of the number of qualifying contributions that a candidate described in subsection (a) in the same election is required to receive under subsection (a).
You read that right. Libertarian Party candidates would have to one-and-a-half times the amound of qualifying contributions. Just to rule out the possibility of a typo, let’s look at the Senate version (S.936):
‘(2) MINOR PARTY AND INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES-
‘(A) REDUCED AMOUNT FOR CERTAIN CANDIDATES-
‘(i) IN GENERAL- In the case of a minor party candidate or independent candidate described clause (ii), the base amount is an amount equal to the product of–
‘(I) a fraction the numerator of which is the highest percentage of the vote received by the candidate or a candidate of the same political party as such candidate in the election described in clause (ii) and the denominator of which is 25 percent; and
‘(II) the amount that would (but for this paragraph) be the base amount for the candidate under paragraph (1).
‘(ii) CANDIDATE DESCRIBED- A candidate is described in this clause if, in the most recent general election involving the office of Senator, President, or Governor in the State in which the candidate is seeking office–
‘(I) such candidate, or any candidate of the same political party as such candidate, received 5 percent or more of the total number of votes cast for any such office; and
‘(II) such candidate and all candidates of the same political party as such candidate received less than 25 percent of the total number of votes cast for each such office.
‘(B) EXCEPTION- Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any candidate if such candidate receives a number of qualifying contributions which is greater than 150 percent of the number of qualifying contributions such candidate is required to receive in order to meet the requirements of section 505(a).
The bills are filled with other really bad ideas, too. For example, they intend to force media outlets to provide political advertising at a loss.
The system would also provide for a media market adjustment to address variations among states. Participants would receive vouchers for purchasing broadcast airtime and would receive a 20% discount beneath the lowest unit cost on all advertising purchased near the end of the primary and general campaigns.
Regardless of the intentions, these bills are pure electoral evil. To begin, they force people to financially support political campaigns they dislike.
If you think McCain/Feingold is bad policy with disastrous results, just wait until you see the results of “Fair Elections Now.” Because incumbents use constituent services, local offices and franking privileges, it will make them even harder to beat.
If enacted, the right of free political speech will only apply to the two major parties.
Both bills clearly target “minor party” campaigns, with the apparent goal of stifling political opposition.
A quick Google search found all sorts of progressive sites favoring the bill, with no sites opposing the bills. Republican sites seem conspicously silent on the issue.
Roll over McCain/Feingold, the meaner bills is movin’ in.
From US Libertarian Party
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
