Activism Change

Campaign Finance Reform Bill: Stop Bush Veto

Question:

In a post here an article is reprinted advocating support to prevent Bush’s veto of a bill which would include public financing of COngressional candidates. I think public campaign financing is a BAD IDEA. The influence which presently resides in the moderately to extremely rich would under such a plan be transferred to the faceless bureaucrats in the Federal Election Commission who will the be free to create paperwork requirements, reporting requirements, major candidate criteria, etc. which will work to the advantage of "mainstream" candidates and against minority and anti-government candidates. The soultion th the role of money in campaiging is to create new media and new channels which will lower the cost of information distribution. Not to strengthen an undemocratic, unrepresentative and unaccountable ]bureaucracy. -Steve

Response:

        Reprinted *with permission* from Public Citizen. Campaign Finance Reform Bill Advances Immediate Action Needed to Stop Bush Veto President Bush is threatening to veto the most significant Clean-up Congress legislation to be sent to any president in nearly two decades. We need… to urge President Bush to sign this bill! We need to mobilize one million phone calls to President Bush…. Reeling from scandal after scandal, Congress is expected to enact sweeping campaign finance reform legislation which is strongly supported by Public Citizen and dozens of other reform organizations. A joint House and Senate Conference committee has agreed to a bill which may be sent to the President as early as April 29. The President will have ten days, excluding Sundays, in which to sign or veto the bill. The Campaign Finance Reform Bill, S.3, is the result of years of grassroots organizing and lobbying by thousands of citizens demanding that Congress clean up its act. While not perfect, the bill for the first time places spending limits on congressional campaigns. It also reduces special interest control of Congress by limiting PAC contributions and, most importantly, by providing a source of clean campaign funds in the form of voluntary partial public financing for congressional candidates. President Bush, while bashing Congress at every turn, has now stated his intention to veto this monumental legislation. Bush argues that spending limits and public financing benefit incumbents. Yet it is the status quo– where incumbents outraise challengers by a ratio of four to one– that has resulted in a permanent Congress. Bush, himself, has benefitted significantly from the presidential public funding system which was enacted to rid the nation of Watergate-type scandals. We cannot allow President Bush to get away with his hypocritical stand. He needs to hear from tens of thousands of Public Citizen members– and their friends who care about clean government– that the public wants him to sign S.3, the Campaign Finance Reform Bill. Please take the time to phone the White House today– and get nine friends to join you. Your help is critical to this effort. Thank you so much.                   Joan Claybrook What is the message? Phone calls should be placed to the White House Opinion Line. The phone number is 202-456-1111. Give the operator your name and city or town. Tell the operator that you are calling "to strongly urge President Bush to sign S.3, The Campaign Finance Reform Bill." The message is as simple as that! The phone call should take less than one minute. Mailing address: President Bush The White House Washington, D.C. 20500

Response:

Filed under: Lobbying

Related Posts

• ! Help for Diabetes
• Here is your proof
• Saving Private Lynch: Part 2
• Major Nazi war criminal still in Syria?
• Immune Sys Related Injuries, Cancer, Vaccines LAWSUIT
• Ephedra Ban - ABC News
• Near Vessel Information System Proposal
• HELP -- reduced fares for trtment
• Mickelson Sure Must Love Playing Golf
• With too much to lose, Congress holds its tongue