Senator John McCain and other politicians advocate violating your right to contribute as much as you want to the political candidates you support. They also advocate violating your right to speak as much as you want, either positively or negatively, about a candidate.
Do they support these repressive doctrines out of misguided idealism, or misguided pragmatic politics? Doubtless the answer depends on the individual. But McCain certainly acts as if today’s confusing welter of campaign finance regulation best serves as a very convenient club to beat an upstart challenger over the head and shoulders.
McCain faces a tough primary. His conservative challenger, J.D. Hayworth, a former congressman, is also a radio talk show host. Or at least he was until buddies of the senator began yelping to the Federal Election Commission. See, Hayworth attacked McCain on his show, which supposedly makes his show a form of “political advertising.” As a result of this pressure, Hayworth and the station agreed to take the show off the air.
Jason Rose, who works with Hayworth, calls what happened a “political mugging.” Sounds right to me.
McCain is on record endorsing what his friends did here. So … Hayworth can say anything he wants to — à la the First Amendment — unless it’s a criticism of McCain.
Funny how the framers failed to stipulate this when they were putting together the Constitution and that First Amendment.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
5 replies on “Idealism or Brute Power Play?”
You are well out of bounds on this one – people are tired and disgusted with the well healed buying their political positions – look at the Kennedys – if you think that is within the Constitution – well! it ain’t
Candidates with radio programs always get kicked off the air during election years the minute they begin to use their shows as bully electioneering pulpits. Happened in ’93 in Jacksonville FL when an R competing for the R ticket in the primary used the show as a stage for baiting his R opponent. The incumbent FL3 D still holds the seat.
And Schumer (D‑NY) and others ( and Obama) (I believe that you had a column about this) want to reintroduce ‘THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE”- that if a radio (or television) station broadcasts a conservative show, then they have to give equal to time to a liberal one.
But, the television networks are (primarily) liberal AS IS NPR, and the newspapers (IE N.Y. Times- which ‑in my opinion- cannot distingusih between the editorial page and the news page-perhaps that is why it had to sell its hdqrs building and take money from Carlos Slim of Mexico-). But, I guess that this would not apply to them, or the friends of Schumer, et al.
Perplexing: While Hayworth enjoyed an advantage of campaigning on the radio, McCain still enjoys the advantage of campaigning from the Senate (moving right as the primary approaches), not to mention the option of sending out snail mail to constituents, campaigning under the guise of keeping constituents informed.
I always get unsolicited mail from elected officials during election years… if not before then. I have signed up for weekly email updates from elected officials of my choice, my dem rep included. (He was one of the excess votes that was allowed to vote no on ObamaCare because they had enough votes required to pass it in the House without his vote.)
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