Wednesday, July 12, 2006

BLUNT SIGNS FREE-FOR-ALL CAMPAIGN BILL

Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday signed House Bill 1900, an especially odious piece of legislation that eliminates all limits on campaign contributions.

Blunt's office issued a news release touting the signing, despite the fact that limits on campaign contributions were approved by Missouri voters in 1994 by an overwhelming margin.

Blunt's office called it a "strong ethics reform bill." How rich:
"This legislation came to my desk with strong bipartisan support from both chambers because state lawmakers, like me and many Missourians knew that the old system simply was not working," Blunt said. "The changes I am enacting today will shed light on the true sources of campaign contributions and the actions of lobbyists who work to shape public policy. This is a strong step in the right direction that empowers the people with greater information about the men and women who seek to serve them in public office."

House Bill 1900 includes a provision added by Sen. Tim Green (D-St. Louis) that eliminates campaign contribution limits. This measure will provide the openness many Missourians have called for to determine the source of campaign contributions and eliminates financial contributions from political parties and local committees. The United States Supreme Court declared campaign finance limits to be unconstitutional.
Randy Turner @ The Turner Report has a good write-up on the bill's specifics.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woo! I'm gonna spend like crazy!

Uh... anyone got a quarter-mil they can lend me, so I can beat Viebrock?

Disclaimer: I am *not* being serious.

Anonymous said...

The arrogance is incredible. Apparantly it doesn't matter that voters approved contribution limits by over 70% when they were given the chance to vote on them.

Anonymous said...

I think they know they are in deep trouble politically and the only way out may be to bury the Democrats in cash. nbnqs

Anonymous said...

How much do you think the Governor's step mothers employer (Altria) will be willing to contribute to keep the first step son happy? It contributes $100,000 a year in cash for Roy to pass around to various state candidates in the 7th congressioanl district Republican Committee.

Anonymous said...

The "will of the people" doesn't matter to King- er, Governor Blunt.

Anonymous said...

This is an interesting reaction to the Abramhoff, Duke, Ney and Delay scandals. Some might have expected legislation to pass designed to reduce the impact of money in politics. Not this bunch. They choose more contributions, more money more lobbyists,and soon more scandals.What per cent of the fee agent office revenue is Blunt going to demand be returned to his campaign now????

Anonymous said...

Be sure to listen to the boy governor tomorrow morning on VD(J)'s show.

Anonymous said...

Dear next-to-last anon:

You speak as if Democrats walk on water.

Lest we forget Rep. Jefferson who was caught with 90,000 in his freezer? How about boy Clinton? How about Rep. Murtha and his involvement in ABSCAM. Former Speaker Jim Wright. Rep Kennedy's Capitol Hill crash-test.

And to the other anon who says the only way Republicans can win in November is to smother the Democrats in cash? What?

If the GOP is in such terrible shape, why are Congressional Democrats running TV ads to raise money exploiting the dead soldiers' flag-drapped caskets coming home from Iraq? Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid should pull those commercials and apologize because if they don't, and enough people see them, the backlash will be devistating for Democrats.

Anonymous said...

by the way, here's the link to view the tactics of the left to regain control of the Congress. I'm sure most of you will applaud this.

www.dccc.org/multimedia/archives/new_directions

Anonymous said...

I don't recall saying Republicans are in bad shape only that they are misguided in their policies and demonstrate a complete lack of concern about the corruption that has overtaken public service. I don't see the relevance of your post. But if there is a backlash over soldiers dying in Iraq it should not be over Democrats shwoing the truth cost of the war to the American people. It should be against the Republicans who started the war on false pretenses and without a post war plan for Iraq in place. You think voters will vote out democrats for showing caskets. I think voters will vote out republicans for filling then with our brave soldiers.

Anonymous said...

No, the Democrats are using the caskets to line their campaign war chest. The Democratic Congressional Committee is airing television ads asking for donations using the caskets of Americans killed in Iraq.

And what is this "false pretense" stuff. Congressional Democrats had access to the same intel as did everyone. This intel was not done on our own. There were countries all over the world that thought the same. Even before Congress, when President Bush referenced the "yellow cake" Iraq was after, he quoted that from Brittish Intelligence, not US. Remember the truth and the facts and don't let emotion get in your way.

The relevance of the post is this: The left blames the GOP for corruption all the while they are guilty of the same garbage.

Anonymous said...

So newtster,

Will you condemn Dubya from using the 3,000 who died on September 11 as campaign props in his 2004 commercials?

Will you condemn him for failing to attend a single fallen soldier's funeral?

Republicans sent our troops to Iraq to risk their lives for a lie. They sent them with no plan for victory, no plan for exit, without the body armor they needed to stay alive. in insufficient numbers to get the job done. They sent them without even enough food.

Republicans cut the funding for veterans, and have left scores of Iraq war vets now homeless.

Republicans are understandably concerned about backlash from showing all those dead soldiers' coffins. After all, George Bush and the Republicans are responsible for the biggest US military failure since Vietnam.

Anonymous said...

Now, now. These manufactured hissy fits by the Republicans are getting a little old.

It's probably not the pictures of the coffins that have gotten them upset, more likely it's because former President Clinton appears at the end of the video.

Anonymous said...

Doc Larry, Doc Larry.

You are beyond hope.

Your comments run like a DNC talking points memo.

And Marcus you are wrong. It's not Clinton that sickens me. It's the entire left that makes me want to puke.

And just how many Iraq war vets has that mean old Mr. Bush left homeless? Is this from Al Franken? Jerry Springer? or maybe Rosie.

Will you also condemn LBJ for killing hundreds of thousands in Vietnam? Talk about a war build on lies and profits from LBJ's helicopter stock.

And thanks, Doc Larry for admitting what started all this was 9/11 as you list is at the top of your diatribe.

Anonymous said...

"It's the entire left that makes me want to puke."

Then why are you on this blog, newtster? Masochism is a treatable psychological disorder.

Anonymous said...

Cause it's fun Doc. F*U*N

You remember the old saying. "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer."

Why would I go on a "vast right wing conspirary" blog, anyway? No, it's more fun over here. Why, if I were a kid, this would be my Whitewater.

Wheeeeeee!

Anonymous said...

BTW, it was a dem, St Louis Senator Tim Green who offered the amendment that removed contribution limits.

http://www.senate.mo.gov/06info/BTS_Web/Actions.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=166774

Of course, his repub and dem colleagues were then happy to vote for it.

Anonymous said...

Actually I will condemn those responsible for the Vietnam debacle which killed an estimated 2 - 3 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans.

The responsible parties in order: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.

Don't assume that I will deify a leader because of party affiliation, a decidedly Republican trait. All four of the above played a role in a national shame.

But, all of this is deflecting the conversation away from the current war, the rationale for it, and its implications for the United States. And yeah, those homeless vets factor into the long-range implications. So, what is it? Do we all put one of those yellow ribbons on our cars and then tell them they're on their own when they get back. Or do we acknowledge their sacrifice and pony up to help them?

Anonymous said...

I have never been concerned about who proposed the elimination of campaign contribution limits. It's the act itself that is the problem. We spend so much useless time blaming one party or another for every problem that occurs, that we don't take care of the problem itself. Hopefully, the petition drive to get campaign contribution limits put on the ballot will be successful.