There is, I think, a difference between limiting freedom of political speech and limiting the ability of those with money to dominate political speech.
If you limit people's ability to spend their money to get their message out then you limit political speech.
In fact, big money in politics limits political speech by very strongly encouraging politicians to listen only to the
speech of those with big bucks, and shut out the speech of the average voter and taxpayer. When one person can buy access to an overnight in the Lincoln Room simply by shelling out $100,000, and thereby getting their political voice heard above others, that makes my right of political speech less valuable.
The limitations McCain has pushed through and those he has proposed include things like limiting the ability to run political adds within 60 days of an election. That is not just a limitation on how or how much money can be collected it is a direct infringement on political speech.
So personally, I see campaign reform as going a small part of the way -- a
very small part, it's true, but part way -- toward equalizing the rights of all to speak politically.
To the extent that this is so (and with a lot of campaign finance reform ideas that extent is not very great) it makes things more equal the same way socialism makes things more equal. If all have almost no money (or ability to communicate political speech) then all are equally poor (or equally silenced)
Nobody is trying to limit the right of Exxon, or AT&T, to speak politically.
That is simply not true. The campaign finance reform ideas most recently passed in to law, or currently being pushed include major restrictions on corporate political speech.
But I have a right to speak politically, too.
And your right to speak politically, or if you don't have enough money to get your message out to work with others who have similar ideas to get your ideas out, also faces restriction.
All I want is for them to line up with me to have our voices heard, not have the right to jump to the head of the line because they have deeper pockets than I do.
It costs money to buy a full page add in the New York Times or to run a national TV campaign. If they silence those that have the money to have their voice heard it doesn't mean that all the sudden your whisper will be heard across the country. It even means that if you work together with others and get enough money to buy that add in the Times or run a radio commercial or TV campaign, you would also be silenced.
Tim |
