Email your Reps to STOP H.R. 1316, the "Make Congress More Corrupt" Bill

[Nothing Without Hope]

It would not ONLY increase the donation limit nearly 10-fold. Get a load of all the provisions in the Thomas summary, given later in this opening post - it would affect what the crooks can get away with in elections as well.

In keeping with the Orwellian neocon tradition of naming crooked laws to make them sound like they do the OPPOSITE of what they actually do, this monstrous bill is called by its 36 sponsors the "527 Fairness Act of 2005".

To e-mail your representative and demand that s/he oppose HR-1316 -- the "Make Congress More Corrupt" Bill, go to this site:
http://ga3.org/campaign/makecongressmorecorrupt

As described at great Tom DeLay muckraking blog The Daily DeLay by Meghan Scott:

http://dailydelay.blogspot.com/2005/06/oppose-make-congress-more-corrupt-bill.html

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is at it again. Yesterday, he passed out of the Committee on House Administration, which he chairs, HR-1316 - the "Make Congress More Corrupt" Bill.

The Republican-led Congress is trying to do away with the limit on the total amount of contributions to federal candidates so that wealthy donors can donate up to a million dollars in support of their preferred candidate. That's outrageous. It'll make Congress more corrupt and less accountable to us.

The "Make Congress More Corrupt" bill would give the wealthy and well-connected the ability to elect who they wanted. Politicians would spend their time collecting large checks from a small handful of donors, and no time talking to you.

If you think Congress doesn't listen to you now, think about what would happen if Republicans succeeded with their proposal to allow virtually unlimited donations.

Click here
http://ga3.org/campaign/makecongressmorecorrupt
to e-mail your representative and demand that s/he oppose HR-1316 -- the "Make Congress More Corrupt" Bill.

(snip)

Here is more info from the anti-HR 1316 site:

http://ga3.org/campaign/makecongressmorecorrupt/explanation

What's At Stake?

Stop the "Make Congress More Corrupt" Bill

Federal candidates raised more than $2 billion in the 2004 elections from individuals and political action committees. Under current law, individuals are limited in how much they can give per election cycle to $101,400.

But legislation passed by a congressional committee on a 6-3 straight party line vote (chaired by Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), a member being investigated for his connections to lobbyists) would remove that total limit on donations from individuals so that someone could funnel as much as $1 million to federal candidates.

It should come as no surprise that Tom DeLay supports this bill.

Wealthy donors have too much influence, not too little. Congress shouldn't be weakening campaign finance laws, they should be strengthening them by adopting comprehensive public financing like what is working well in several states around the country.

Here is the summary of H.R. 1316 from Thomas:

H.R.1316
Title: To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal the limit on the aggregate amount of campaign contributions that may be made by individuals during an election cycle, to repeal the limit on the amount of expenditures political parties may make on behalf of their candidates in general elections for Federal office, to allow State and local parties to make certain expenditures using nonfederal funds, to restore certain rights to exempt organizations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pence, Mike (introduced 3/15/2005) Cosponsors (35)
Latest Major Action: 6/8/2005 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended).

SUMMARY AS OF:
3/15/2005--Introduced.

527 Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to:
(1) repeal the aggregate limit on contributions by individuals;
(2) increase the limits for House and Senate candidates facing wealthy opponents;
(3) repeal the limit on the amount of party expenditures on behalf of candidates in general elections;
(4) index limits on the amount of contributions made to or by multicandidate political committees;
(5) permit expenditures for certain targeted electioneering communications by specified kinds of organizations;
(6) permit corporations and labor organizations to solicit political contributions from members by communications of any sort (currently, only by mail); and
(7) permit State and local political parties to use nonfederal funds for voter registration and sample ballots.

As of 8:50 AM ET Saturday, the anti-HR 1316 site said "6,674 citizens have emailed their member of Congress." Let's DU that sucker and SPREAD THE TRUTH about this blatantly crooked bill!

[cornermouse]

1. Owned by the republican president, republican senate, and

republican house of "representatives".

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. ATTENTION LEGISLATIVE MAVENS: What ELSE would this bill do?

Here is the text from Thomas. In particular, I'd like to know what "certain organizations" would get different treatment by the IRS - Section 5. But more clarification on the rest of it would be very welcome as well.

HR 1316 IH

109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1316

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal the limit on the aggregate amount of campaign contributions that may be made by individuals during an election cycle, to repeal the limit on the amount of expenditures political parties may make on behalf of their candidates in general elections for Federal office, to allow State and local parties to make certain expenditures using nonfederal funds, to restore certain rights to exempt organizations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 15, 2005

Mr. PENCE (for himself and Mr. WYNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal the limit on the aggregate amount of campaign contributions that may be made by individuals during an election cycle, to repeal the limit on the amount of expenditures political parties may make on behalf of their candidates in general elections for Federal office, to allow State and local parties to make certain expenditures using nonfederal funds, to restore certain rights to exempt organizations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `527 Fairness Act of 2005'.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF AGGREGATE LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTIONS BY INDIVIDUALS.

(a) Repeal of Limit- Section 315(a) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
(b) Conforming Amendments-
(1) INDEXING- Section 315(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)) is amended by striking `(a)(3),' each place it appears in paragraphs (1)(B)(i), (1)(C), and (2)(B)(ii).
(2) INCREASE IN LIMITS FOR SENATE CANDIDATES FACING WEALTHY OPPONENTS- Section 315(i)(1)(C) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(i)(1)(C)) is amended--
(A) by amending clause (i) to read as follows:
`(i) 2 times the threshold amount, but not over 4 times that amount, the increased limit shall be 3 times the applicable limit;';
(B) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows:
`(ii) 4 times the threshold amount, but not over 10 times that amount, the increased limit shall be 6 times the applicable limit; and'; and
(C) in clause (iii)--
(i) by adding `and' at the end of subclause (I),
(ii) by striking subclause (II), and
(iii) by redesignating subclause (III) as subclause (II).
(3) INCREASE IN LIMITS FOR HOUSE CANDIDATES FACING WEALTHY OPPONENTS- Section 315A(a)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a-1(a)(1)) is amended--
(A) by adding `and' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(B) by striking subparagraph (B); and
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B).

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF LIMIT ON AMOUNT OF PARTY EXPENDITURES ON BEHALF OF CANDIDATES IN GENERAL ELECTIONS.

(a) Repeal of Limit- Section 315(d) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(d)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking `(1) Notwithstanding' and inserting `Notwithstanding',
(B) by striking `expenditures or limitations on' and inserting `amounts of expenditures or contributions', and
(C) by striking `Federal office, subject to the limitations contained in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection' and inserting `Federal office in any amount'; and
(2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), and (4).
(b) Conforming Amendments-
(1) INDEXING- Section 315(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by striking `(d),'; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by striking `subsections (b) and (d)' and inserting `subsection (b)'.
(2) INCREASE IN LIMITS FOR SENATE CANDIDATES FACING WEALTHY OPPONENTS- Section 315(i) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(i)(1)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), as amended by section 2(b)(2)(C), by amending clause (iii) to read as follows:
`(iii) 10 times the threshold amount, the increased limit shall be 6 times the applicable limit.';
(B) in paragraph (2)(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking `, and a party committee shall not make any expenditure,';
(C) in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), by striking `and party expenditures previously made'; and
(D) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking `and a party shall not make any expenditure'.
(3) INCREASE IN LIMITS FOR HOUSE CANDIDATES FACING WEALTHY OPPONENTS- Section 315A(a) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a-1(a)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), as amended by section 2(b)(3), by striking `exceeds $350,000--' and all that follows and inserting the following: `exceeds $350,000, the limit under subsection (a)(1)(A) with respect to the candidate shall be tripled.';
(B) in paragraph (3)(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), `, and a party committee shall not make any expenditure,';
(C) in paragraph (3)(A)(ii), by striking `and party expenditures previously made'; and
(D) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking `and a party shall not make any expenditure'.

SEC. 4. INDEXING OF LIMITS ON AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO OR BY MULTICANDIDATE POLITICAL COMMITTEES.

(a) Indexing- Section 315(c)(1) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)) is amended by inserting after `(a)(1)(B)' each place it appears in subparagraphs (B)(i) and (C) the following: `(a)(1)(C), (a)(2),'.
(b) Timing of Increase- Section 315(c)(1)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(1)(B)) is amended in the matter preceding clause (i) by striking `after 2002' and inserting `after 2002 (or, in the case of the limitations established under subsection (a)(1)(C) or (a)(2), after 2004)'.
(c) Determination of Base Year- Section 315(c)(2)(B) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441a(c)(2)(B)) is amended--
(1) by striking `and' at the end of clause (i);
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause (ii) and inserting `; and'; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
`(iii) for purposes of subsections (a)(1)(C) and (a)(2), calendar year 2003.'.

SEC. 5. PERMITTING EXPENDITURES FOR ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS BY CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Permitting Organizations to Make Expenditures for Certain Targeted Electioneering Communications- Section 316(c) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6).
(b) Expanding Types of Organizations Eligible to Make Expenditures-
(1) IN GENERAL- Section 316(c) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(c)) is amended by striking `section 501(c)(4) organization' each place it appears in paragraphs (2), (3)(A), and (4)(B) and inserting `section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) organization'.
(2) DEFINITION- Section 316(c)(4)(A)(i) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(c)(4)(A)(i)) is amended by striking `section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986' and inserting `paragraph (4), (5), or (6) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986'.
(c) Clarification of Effect on Tax Treatment of Expenditures- Section 316(c)(5) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(c)(5)) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: `, or to affect the treatment under such Code of any expenditures described in section 527(e) of such Code which are made by a section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) organization.'.

SEC. 6. EXPANDING ABILITY OF CORPORATIONS AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS TO COMMUNICATE WITH MEMBERS.

(a) Types of Communications Permitted- Section 316(b)(4)(B) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(4)(B)) is amended by striking `only by mail addressed' and inserting `only by communications addressed or otherwise delivered'.
(b) Solicitations by Trade Associations- Section 316(b)(4)(D) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(4)(D)) is amended by striking `to the extent that' and all that follows and inserting a period.

SEC. 7. PERMITTING STATE AND LOCAL POLITICAL PARTIES TO USE NONFEDERAL FUNDS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION AND SAMPLE BALLOTS.

(a) In General- Section 301(20) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(20)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (i) and redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv) as clauses (i) through (iii); and
(2) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking `subparagraph (A)(i) or (ii)' and inserting `subparagraph (A)(i)';
(B) by striking `and' at the end of clause (iii);
(C) by striking the period at the end of clause (iv); and
(D) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
`(v) voter registration activities; and
`(vi) the costs incurred with the preparation of a sample ballot for an election in which a candidate for Federal office and a candidate for State or local office appears on the ballot, if the sample ballot includes the names of every candidate for Federal office listed on the sample ballot.'.
(b) Conforming Amendments- (1) Section 304(f)(3)(B)(iv) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 434(f)(3)(B)(iv)) is amended by striking `section 301(20)(A)(iii)' and inserting `section 301(20)(A)(ii)'.
(2) Section 323 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 441i) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by striking `clause (i) or (ii)' and inserting `clause (i)';
(B) in subsection (e)(4), by striking `clauses (i) and (ii)' each place it appears in subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting `clause (i)'; and
(C) in subsection (f), by striking `section 301(20)(A)(iii)' and inserting `section 301(20)(A)(ii)'.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office occurring after 2004.
END

[acmejack]

Instead of cleaning up Congress, they would like to sully it further1

What a bunch of corporate crooks!

[Nothing Without Hope]

94. kick n/t

[Zodiak]

3. Can't write my guy..have to write someone else's

Yes, I heard about it. Another payoff to the Bush "pioneers", and a counter to the power of small donors (who are totally financing the DNC at record levels, now).

But what stops me from wiring my Congresswhore is that he has a 95% Delay rating. There is no talking to this guy. Don't blame me, blame central Ohio (I'm talking about Pat Tiberi...pronounced Tea-Berry, dingleberry if you ask me).

Oh well, the letter can go to Henry Ford or Biden or some other spineless Dem who is likely to sign on with the Republicans in the spirit of "good will" towards the other party. At this point, I don't even know why any Democrats show up at all! One party systems run themselves the same whether the opposition is there or not. The only thing that would change is the perceived legitimacy by the public.

ON EDIT: For those that write to Congress regularly, I would recommend writing your own message instead of using the astroturf provided on the website (which you can edit, btw). The one provided on the website is vague and might be too partisan for SOME representatives afflicted with a pathological fear of liberals.

[acmejack]

4. My rep is a good pal of Delay's.

But that doesn't stop me from writing him once a day, I have to use the "digest" format now, he is so egregious! I never miss an opportunity to corner him at town halls or before or after his engagements. We have identified a good candidate to oppose him and this time we are going to be rid of him!

btw, I am talking about Lamar Smith, TX-21

[ProudDad]

118. Go get the bastard

Right on!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. kick - this is important, folks n/t

[quiet.american]

6. The "Bail Out Tom DeLay" Bill

Thanks for drawing attention to this -- I've written (using my own term for this unbelievably irresponsible proposal).

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. It wouldn't only bail him out, it would make them ALL Tom DeLays

because they would be rolling in money and able to apply coercive pressure much more openly.

[quiet.american]

9. Everybody's Doing It

Yes, I know -- if they make it legal for everyone to be corrupt, no more probs for DeLay.

[Nothing Without Hope]

7. Section 6 is sorta cute too - makes it easier for corporations and

labor unions to pressure the people under their power to contribute or vote the way the boss wants. It's not enough for these greedy pigs that it's currently legal to do this by mail - they want the harder-to-refuse in-your-face approaches to be legal too. Mandatory campaign rallies and contribution drives? You betcha!

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. kick - this is important n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. Why aren't more people interested in this horrible bill? n/t

[Turn CO Blue]

12. Big kickaroonie - Their greed is showing in this one

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. It's not just money greed, it's intrusion into the electoral process too

and in a big, brazen way.

I can't understand why more people aren't interested. Please consider helping to spread the word about this.

[mermaid]

15. I'll Tell You Why they Aren't Interested...

because it doesn't affect their ability to VOTE FOR AMERICAN FUCKING IDOL!!!

Christ, if you prevented people from voting for that piece of shit, there would be hue and cry. but, voting on things that REALLY MATTER?? the american electorate doesn't seem to give a flying fuck.

It drives ME batshit!!

[Turn CO Blue]

68. Hey, I'm busy reading my tabloid paper, and watching my tabloid

news (CNN), don't ya know? Don't bother me with all that boring, egghead "news" about democracy and stuff! I'm much more interested in what Paris Hilton is saying and wearing... Oooh oooh, look what Michael is wearing today!

/sarcasm

[mermaid]

69. Exactly! Except Most Americans AREN'T Sarcastic when They Say That!!

They really DO care more about that shit than the stuff that REALLY MATTERS.

And it drives ME batshit.

[chomskysright]

73. KICK IT!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. kick n/t

[graywarrior]

16. I signed it, but it goes to Katherine Harris

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. Oh my. Your duck tape animation is sure appropriate. Geez.

We can still media-blast and get the word out to the public about what they're trying to do. It's a helluva lot worse than just easing those ethics rules for good ole Tom.

[chomskysright]

75. SOMEONE missed when they tried to run her over back in Nov:

She's in on this kind of crapola:

an oldie but a goodie, serving dual purpose of kicking this thread:

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/Jordan-Daw...

Bush's fifth ace: A crooked Panhandle
Plop some green eyeshades on blind Bob Butterworth
By Elizabeth Jordan and Oliver Dawshed


. . .
What we found was implausible enough to justify an investigation by law enforcement authorities. Precinct level information from 11 northern counties revealed that two parameters which can be logically connected to electoral fraud (ballot spoilage and the number of Gore votes divided by the number of Nelson votes) account for two-thirds of the variation in Gore's performance; the chances of this happening by chance are about 1 in 1047 (10 raised to the 47th power). This was true in aggregate as well as individually. Each of the eleven northern counties that we studied had patterns consistent with cheating by Republicans. These were Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gulf, Hamilton, Jackson, Suwanee, Union, and Washington. Precincts in some counties had discard rates of up to 40 percent of ballots cast! Calhoun and Dixie showed profiles possibly suggestive of ballot box stuffing. We suggest that the most consistent explanation of the statistical anomalies is a pattern of criminal tampering with ballots, primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) by Republicans. In just 14 suspicious precincts with suspiciously high ballot discard rates, 844 ballots for Gore were destroyed in excess of what would be expected. In the 11 counties, the total number of Gore ballots involved is probably in the tens of thousands, our model suggests that 7,100 votes may have been destroyed, so the number destroyed in all northern counties may have been many tens of thousands.

[derby378]

17. I got here as soon as I could

BTW, this thread is now on the Greatest Page. You're welcome. :toast:

And suffice it to say that I agree. GOP neo-cons can then say "WHAT MoveOn?" if this passes.

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. thanks, derby! I hope more people will see this now. I do feel it needs

much more attention than it's gotten so far. How awful if they managed to sneak this one past us - it's hideous!

[derby378]

18. Signed

But it goes do Pete Sessions, one of DeLay's laughing boys.

I changed the last lign to read: "Please write me back letting me know that you will oppose this treasonous bill." I suggest that all DUers sending this to their representatives follow suit.

[savannahana]

21. just found this... reading fully now.... nominated

with a big thanks to you, Hope!

:kick:

[lady lib]

22. Done. This one is incredibly important.

This basically seals the deal and allows corporations to run their candidates for corporate (puke) control of America for many years to come. It's a Rovian dream come true.

[derby378]

23. Just told the Dallas AAR Meetup about it, too

Share this info with everyone!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. GOOD! Let's spread the word around the internets and blast the media n/t

[chomskysright]

77. sent it to ROLLING THUNDER REVIEW : Western NC, Asheville

[chomskysright]

78. sent it to 'justslackin' yahoo group, full of activists

[chomskysright]

79. sent it to Laurie who manages CITIZENS FOR LEGITIMATE GOV:

[e-mail]

[chomskysright]

80. SENT IT to these OH papers:

OH papers:

Reach Kymberli Hagelberg at 330-996-3038 or
[e-mail]. Carl Chancellor can be reached at
330-996-3725 or [e-mail]. David Knox can be reached
at 330-996-3532 or [e-mail].

Contact Mehul Srivastava at [phone]. [e-mail] writer Jim Bebbington
contributed to this report. Dayton Daily News

[chomskysright]

81. sent it to these PLAIN DEALER reporters

[e-mail] Scott Shiasen at Cleveland Plain Dealer

[e-mail], 513-631-4125

[chomskysright]

82. sent it to BUSH'S HOMETOWN PAPER; The Iconoclast:

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/default.htm

lead headlines:


MEMOGATE
'Impeach Bush' Movement
Drives Harder After Release
Of Downing Street Memo

Former FBI #2 Man
Admits Being ‘Deep Throat’

Amnesty, White House
Butt Heads On ‘Gulag’ Term

[chomskysright]

83. sent it to BLOGGERMAN: Olbermann

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/

[e-mail]

[chomskysright]

84. sent to yahoo group: 'ourrealnewsplace':

ourrealnewsplace.yahoogroups.com

full of activists with very handy daily posts.

[chomskysright]

85. sent to these activists who sure move around a lot:

"MALCOLM MILLS" <[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

[PaulaFarrell]

24. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. Here is sponsor and cosponsors. Some are not surprises, like Tom Feeney,

but I was suprised to see Ron Paul, whom I thought was a class act despite being a Republican. (He's the one that voted against the Texas redistricting, forcing them to scramble into that ridiculous charade of chasing the boycotting Dems where they were hiding out of state.)

Bob Ney (R-OH) was the chair of the committe that just voted it out into the House. Tom DeLay supports it.

We need to publicize this list as well as those who voted for it in committee - WHY would an HONEST politician vote for such a thing?

Sponsor:
Rep Pence, Mike

Cosponsors:

Rep Akin, W. Todd - 4/19/2005
Rep Cannon, Chris - 4/19/2005
Rep Cole, Tom - 4/13/2005
Rep Cubin, Barbara - 4/21/2005
Rep Culberson, John Abney - 4/28/2005
Rep Doolittle, John T. - 4/13/2005
Rep Feeney, Tom - 4/28/2005
Rep Flake, Jeff - 4/19/2005
Rep Franks, Trent - 5/16/2005
Rep Garrett, Scott - 4/19/2005
Rep Gohmert, Louie - 5/26/2005
Rep Hensarling, Jeb - 5/5/2005
Rep Herger, Wally - 4/19/2005
Rep Johnson, Sam - 4/19/2005
Rep King, Steve - 4/19/2005
Rep Kline, John - 5/5/2005
Rep Lewis, Ron - 5/10/2005
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. - 5/5/2005
Rep Manzullo, Donald A. - 4/19/2005
Rep Marchant, Kenny - 5/26/2005
Rep McHenry, Patrick T. - 4/19/2005
Rep Miller, Jeff - 4/13/2005
Rep Paul, Ron - 4/13/2005
Rep Poe, Ted - 5/10/2005
Rep Pombo, Richard W. - 5/5/2005
Rep Price, Tom - 5/5/2005
Rep Radanovich, George - 4/28/2005
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana - 5/10/2005
Rep Ryun, Jim - 5/5/2005
Rep Sessions, Pete - 4/13/2005
Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. - 4/19/2005
Rep Weldon, Dave - 5/10/2005
Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. - 5/5/2005
Rep Wicker, Roger F. - 5/16/2005
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell - 3/15/2005

[chomskysright]

74. Feeny: eeny, meanie,minie,moe: pick the liar and the thief...

NEVER LET HIM GO.

[Nothing Without Hope]

113. I am surprised and disturbed to find Rep. Ron Paul here - he's supposed

to have integrity. This bill is utterly shameless, an open door to legally bought elections.

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. Need help from legislative maven: Please explain "last major action"

We see it being voted out of the committee, as we knew. But the Thomas annotation today also says "amended":

(from Thomas)

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2005 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended).

So, what about the "amended" part? How do we find out what was changed? Or does this mean something else?

The text of the bill from Thomas is upthread here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1847357&mesg_id=1847384

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. Here's a link to a pdf file of the bill. Are parts of it retroactive?

pdf file:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h1316ih.txt.pdf

Need an expert to figure this one out. We need to know IN DETAIL, EXACTLY what the provisions mean and whether any have been changed since it was first introduced into the committee. (Is it possible to amend bills while still in committee? There's that language in the "last major action" that suggests this.)

We need an expert to go over this thing.

The pdf file is only 10 pages long with a lot of white space, but it's referring to a previous law - amending various bits of it referred to by line.

Clearly it's very bad, but what are we missing by not being experts who can really comprehend it? Are parts of it even retroactive, to let corrupt pols like Tom DeLay off the hook? The last section does say it applies to elections after 2004 - but what if there's a loophole for some contributions? You know they will try to sneak the worst parts past any scrutiny.

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. CALLING FOR A LEGISLATIVE EXPERT to go over this thing in DETAIL

Which would require comparing it with the law that it would amend. I have a feeling it's even worse than it looks, but I don't know enough to be sure.

If we're going to fight this effectively, we need to know EXACTLY everything it would change.

[Nothing Without Hope]

30. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. If this amendment to election law is passed, bye-bye last vestiges of

democracy. It'll be fat-cat empire from sea to sea.

Why don't people pay attention to this?

[Nothing Without Hope]

32. Virtually unlimited donations and direct intrusion into the workplace

and voter registration funded by by them - and more. Like the email site says,

If you think Congress doesn't listen to you now, think about what would happen if Republicans succeeded with their proposal to allow virtually unlimited donations.

So far, 6,886 citizens have emailed their member of Congress. (6:10 PM ET Saturday)

[mrdmk]

33. Here is the letter I sent to Christopher Cox a.k.a. Mr. SEC

I am writing to demand that you oppose H.R. 1316 that would do away with total contribution limits. This bill destroys the principle of one person, one vote by allowing virtually unlimited political donations. There was bipartisan campaign finance about three years ago that was a good start. This bill is in total reversal of that trend. With all of the problems that elected officials are having at this point, the citizens of the United States of America do not need to be subject to this type of undermining of the democratic process. This bill H.R. 1316 needs to be denounced and taken off of the floor immediately. Thank You.


This bill is absurd at best. What the hell are these people thinking?

What does need to be considered is the person writing the bill (supposedly) may be brought up on corruption charges from the problems in Ohio. What we also need to look at is the co-sponsors if they are in any trouble at all and what that may be.

Also, how the hell did this bill get out of committee so fast considering that H.R. 2236 To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 With 157 co-sponsors is still stuck in committee.

Lets really raise some hell!

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. We need to translate this into clear talking points and go to the public

They already are realizing that the GOP is corrupt. This bill makes it even more obvious and should drive it home to many if presented in a clear way.

First, we need a legislative expert to go though all the fine print of this bill, clarifying EXACTLY all the things it would change from pre-existing law. I have a feelng there are some things buried in there that are not obvious.

Then we need to publicize this travesty. Sure, we need to email our reps. But the public needs to be told about this. Why not use it to demonstrate just what corrupt monsters the GOP have become? Write some articles, spread the word. Surely there will be some response.

And how about a "pet" name for this thing? I sorta like

"The FatCat Bill"

for a short nickname. But the "Make Congress More Corrupt Bill" is surely true.

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

35. How do they get so many INSANE ideas?

Do the Reps have entire institutes full of people scheming up new ways to harm millions of Americans?

I know they do. It's just so shocking. I honestly can't believe they can introduce so many bills designed to destroy the fabric of our once-great nation. And the media plays right along, defending the "majority" that controls Washington and doing everything possible to undermine thoughtful people with positive, uniting-not-dividing ideas. Do the people in the top .01% wealth strata of this country really need to be so greedy? And can the people in the "red" states (many of which I don't believe are nearly as "red" as the "facts" suggest) really accept the tilting of the playing field so heavily against low- and middle-class America?

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. Not insane, just perfectly lined up to assure fatcat power and one-party

domination without any legal limits, forever.

Look at it that way, and it's perfectly logical. And that's the way we have to look at it. They're dead serious about a permanent dictatorship. This bill would be a significant step in that direction because it would totally gut any hope of fair elections or accountability to the voters.

The corporations and foreign countries would pile up the money and the GOP could do whatever they wanted. Talk to your congressman? He won't be interested - he's paid by the corporations - and paid very well indeed - to vote for robber baron legislation.

[Nothing Without Hope]

36. A recent adventure of the sponsor of HR1316, Mike Pence (R-Ind)

Just to give you an idea of the his caliber. He's the one who, during the 2 hour Patriot Act hearing abruptly and unilaterally terminated by Sensenbrenner, had this to say about Amnesty International:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/10/AR2005061002110_pf.html
Democrats charged that the episode was another example of Republicans abusing their control of Congress and trying to stifle dissent over Bush's approach to counterterrorism. During the two-hour hearing, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) accused Amnesty International of endangering U.S. soldiers because a top official of the group had called the prison at Guantanamo Bay a "gulag."

Obviously a sterling character who wants the best for the country and cares for all the lesser mortals who are not major campaign contributors. :sarcasm:

[savannahana]

37. hard to believe that in 8+ hours this thread has so few responses

so :kick: again while i've got the chance

READ UP, people -- this MATTERS, & it DEMANDS our attention, efforts at wide dissemination, & responses to our Reps, whoever they may be (mine is no prize, but he's gonna hear from me in no uncertain terms)

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Yes, it's so very frustrating to see this just sitting with so little

attention.

We need to get this bill analyzed by an expert, lay it all out clearly, and go to the public. This is PROOF that they are deliberately going for rule by the rich corporations and other donors. It should be used AGAINST THEM.

[savannahana]

41. clearly, a not-to-be-missed opportunity to turn their hubris...

...into a powerful grassroots *backfire* of merciless exposure,
and regardless of party ... it occurs to me we need to bombard Dr. Dean and the DNC with our responses to this insufferably self-serving piece of stealth legislation.

but like everything else, if folks don't pay sufficient attention,
where's it gonna go, & what do we know quite well to expect???

if this is allowed to fall down the memory hole, it will come back
to haunt us all for a very long time to come... anybody who gets exercised about &/or is actively working toward election reform and election-finance reform needs to get onboard EARLY re this dangerous Trojan-horse bill.

since somebody by the name of "NEY" introduced this travesty,
the cry is "SAY NEY" long & loud to this legislation!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

42. And let's start TALKING about it, loudly, clearly & often.THE FATCAT BILL

Maybe you guys - all two or three of you! - can come up with a better nickname. We need to make this thing

NOTORIOUS!!!!

[savannahana]

44. "THE FATCAT BILL" - that nails it good & proper!

the sense-inverted Orwellian title of it,
the sheer almost unbelieveable arrogance of it,
the ^just how *stupid* they must think we are^ implications of it
the "YOU VOTED FOR THIS & WANT ME TO VOTE FOR YOU AGAIN IN 2006???" (or whenever) outrage of it

NOTORIOUS, INDEED!!!

(why can't i learn to make those font-size-color changes LOL)

SAY ***NEY*** TO THE DOUBLESPEAK PIG-TROUGH HORSES-ASS FATCAT BILL

subtitled

MAYBE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THAT IT'S YOU WHO WORK FOR US & NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND???

...a three-hour mutual-rant & thought-comparision on the ground here with a good friend the other day: the topic we kept returning to re the Congress was staked on the theme of how our Constitution and the system of government it set forth never foresaw such rampant CAREERISM...which has turned the very concept of "public service" and "representative government" on its head in our time, in this sick, dumbed-down society...

...the only remedy i can see is the same concept used within the literacy work i used to do, many years ago: EACH ONE TEACH ONE ... if each one of us practiced this with a fellow citizen even ONCE every week or month, just think what a difference that could bring about.

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

43. The problem is they're swamping us with insanity

I can't keep up with all the crap they're spewing out. I can't imagine how much effort it must take to fight against all of it. And the media covers none of it. That doesn't help.

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. I'm afraid we have no choice. But this CARTOON expresses what you say

so perfectly. How can we be positive and move forward when it's exhausting just to keep up with the nightmares they spew out?

But we MUST.

(This image may take longer than usual to come up because I'm sending through a public cache. It's worth the wait.)

http://workingforchange.speedera.net.nyud.net:8090/

[savannahana]

46. WWTBO, i'm in total sympathy with you...

it is overwhelming on a daily basis (even considering the number of hours per day/per week i spend here, mostly reading & learning) just to try not to be swamped by the insanity, or sunk under our own sense of cumulative outrage as decent, intelligent human beings...

feels like sinking in quicksand, far too often

but think of it this way: each one of us can do *something* each day, however small, even if limited to a single issue, or 2 or 3 issues on our good days - issues which speak most clearly and directly to us as individuals

and if we don't know *how* to speak to something effectively, we can learn how to do so... this is the great virtue of DU, as i've experienced it: people here are so generous of their time and knowledge, and many are excellent teachers, too - as to both nuts-&-bolts politics, and by example

i've only been here since late February...and learn more every day that i can find ways to apply and address both by using my "voice-vote" through this lightscreen, and (in good time) by application here on the ground locally

keep hanging around, and thread by thread, you'll discover how your mind and heart and skills can weave into the tapestry

if they're weaving evil and lies and destruction,
then we will counter-weave: and which fabric will hold up best
under time and truth? -- the one woven from intention toward
peace and justice, & crafted from REASONED PRINCIPLES, first and last

if i couldn't believe at least this much, i'd give up...
but i can't give up: no kids of my own, but have a stepson & several young neices & nephews, and their lives personalize all this for me, most powerfully

welcome to DU, BTW! :hi:
post away & just keep reading & thinking your own thoughts, and you'll find your teachers, mentors, fellow-travelers, & kindred spirits here :-)

ana (long-politically-aware but novice-activist) in KY

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

47. Thanks for the welcome

I've actually been on board since a day or two after the election. I was nearly convinced the election was stolen within a day or two, and DU was the best place I could find for such analysis (which I was proud to do a bit of). November was a crushing month for me. I cherish the ideals of this nation and suddenly realized how naive I have been for so many years. I realized that the '60s never ended.

I haven't posted much since January, but DU is my best source of news. God knows we can't rely on "the news" for news any more.

[Nothing Without Hope]

48. We are a COMMUNITY, and I believe that this is the key to fighting

these monsters back into the sewer. If we can get the truth and get it out to the people, we can break through the wall of lies.

This bill is IMPORTANT. It's depressing and it's one more in a whole string of outrages, but it's IMPORTANT. We can't let them rush this through, and we have to start fighting it so they won't be able to.

We need a legislative expert to spell out all the real changes this bill would cause. We can see some of them, enough to know it would be a blow to what's left of democracy in the US, but we need to understand it very well. You can be there will be attempts to deal and "compromise," and if we don't know this thing in detail, we won't be able to bring the right pressure and tell the true story.

[chomskysright]

76. you're right on there, boyo:it takes a busload of faith to be by: L.Reed

[Nothing Without Hope]

40. If anyone can suggest a DUer who is a legislative expert, I'll PM them

this is very important, and it's not attracting nearly enough attention. We need it analyzed, talking points drawn up, and we need to go to the people. This bill itself can actually serve as convincing evidence of the corrupt plans of the GOP.

And it MUST NOT PASS. And no stupid wimped-out "compromises," either.

[merh]

49. Kick

and bookmarked for action in the morning.

:kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

50. Thank you merh. I've been terribly frustrated at the lack of response

so far. It's already out of House committee! And how many of us have even heard of it? The Downing St Minutes and all the other important and exciting events being discussed now will be largely MOOT if this legislation passes, it seems to me.

[merh]

51. We Need to push this.

Maybe a full post in GD tomorrow. I'll help you keep it kicked as best I can.

This is a piece of legislation that needs to die. Hell, McCain won't vote for this, he hates campaign abuse. I betcha moderate repuke senators won't go for this. Damned house is full of hungry, greedy fake dems. :argh:

[Nothing Without Hope]

52. Thank you. I'll repost tomorrow evening in GD, since it hasn't

done much in GD-P. But we really need a legislative expert to analyze this thing side by side with the original law that it would amend. There's language that isn't obvious in its meaning. For example, there's a section that is referring to "after 2002" - does this mean that parts of the amendment would be retroactive, so that DeLay and others would be off the hook? Do the different kinds of organizations that would now be allowed to hold political events on-site and with basically any form of communication include churches? Or just corporations and labor unions as the summary says?

We need to understand this thing better, and then we need to go to the people and the press and SHOUT VERY LOUDLY about the utter corruption, the selling of what little is left of our democracy, that this represents.

These creatures MUST BE EXPOSED - no more distractions, no more stealth bills passed without counterattack. This is TOO DAMNED IMPORTANT to let slip by.

[merh]

55. Have you considered asking nothingshocksmeanymore

or OldLeftieLawyer?

They might be able to help with the weird language.

I'll look at it and see what I can make of it! Don't give up, we will get some attention on this!

You may want to ask understandinglife too, he is very active and informed!

NEVER GIVE UP! :patriot:

[Nothing Without Hope]

57. Thanks, merh. I've already talked to UL - he gave one of the

recommendations but is too deeply involved in a major international meeting right now to do more. I have not yet contacted nothingshocksmeanymore or OldLeftieLawyer. I was going to shut down for the night and get out of this heat - but now I'll PM both of them before doing so. Thanks for this suggestion and I hope they can help or suggest someone else.

I really feel we need to go to the people on this one. The corruption is brazen and the public is already coming to realize that the GOP is corrupt. This will be another indication of HOW MUCH.

[merh]

58. What are you doing in the heat?

You can pmail them in the morning. Shut down for the night and rest.
Take care of yourself.

[Nothing Without Hope]

59. Thanks. I've just finished PMing them, hope they respond.

I don't know either one of them, though of course I've seen their posts. (I really like OLL's beer-drinking cat animation!)

I hope one of them can help with the analysis. There's so much more that may be hidden in the language. For example - the Internal Revenue Service is mentioned - raising the possibility that perhaps churches might be among the groups to be granted the right to do campaign work and collecting on-site. And there is the phrase "after 2002" - does this mean parts of it are retroactive? Tom DeLay would love that.

There's nothing too low for these people, and Sensenbrenner just demonstrated in what contempt they hold the power of us or the Dem lawmakers from stopping then from doing anything they want. The veils are being dropped.

Good night - I'm heading for another cool shower - my 3rd of the day - and the only air-conditioned room in my apartment.

And thanks for your encouragement and help.

[merh]

61. Move your computer to that air conditioned room!

Both for your health and the health of your computer!!

Get some rest, tomorrow is another day! :hug:

[Nothing Without Hope]

62. THanks another time, merh. I have to figure out why the AirPort card

isn't meshing with my Verizon DSL wireless modem - many failed tryings of this and that. If that can be made to work, I can take it anywhere in the apartment, into the cool basement, or on the back porch. Which was the idea when I paid for the addition of the AirPort card.

Good night! (This time for sure)

[Nothing Without Hope]

53. I'm not so sure about McCain - I don't trust him. Whatever he once was,

he's after the presidency and power now. And power has corrupted him, I believe. He's voted for horrible legislation and unspeakable candidates.

I wouldn't put it past him to vote for this bill.

[merh]

54. I don't trust him either, but he has this ego thing and a legacy

thing. He has been battling campaign reform for years, he is not about to give up on it now.

[Nothing Without Hope]

56. If so, then it's another reason to be LOUD AND CLEAR in getting the

message out to lawmakers, media and the public about this horrible bill. Maybe it would embarrass some into voting against it. We need to make clear just how corrupt this legislation is and what it would lead to: bought elections, 100%.

For myself, I remain unconvinced that McCain's current frame of mind and plans would preclude him from voting for this bill if he thought he could do it unnoticed. I distrust him profoundly.

[dogonarug]

60. Kick

[ebayfool]

63. kicking for the A.M. n/t

[Gelliebeans]

64. done and kicked n/t

[NMMNG]

65. Done, I'm 7026

[in_cog_ni_to]

66. Good grief! That's HORRENDOUS!

I signed it, but it goes to my asshole repuke rep who just happens to be married to the campaign manager, daughter of an ex brutal Guatemalan dictator...Jerry Weller. He's PURE SLIME! I don't doubt for one second that he will vote for this piece of shit legislature. :grr:

Illinois Rep. Jerry Weller married to mass killers daughter
author: Stephen Kinzer
the Illinois Congressman and the Dictator's Daughter Saturday, July 10th 2004

I know it helps CORPORATISTS
''She is a very intelligent and well-educated woman, but she is also one of her father's main strategists,'' Frank LaRue, director of Guatemala's Presidential Commission on Human Rights, said in a telephone interview. ''We
have two main concerns about this marriage. The first is that if this congressman is going to seek some kind of political advantage from having
married a Hispanic woman, people should be aware of what woman we're talking about. Second, we worry about what effect this could have on Congressional policy toward Guatemala.''


The Illinois Congressman and the Dictator's Daughter Saturday, July 10th 2004

Stephen Kinzer

A love story that raises memories of bloody repression in Central America has suddenly intruded into Illinois politics.

Representative Jerry Weller, a Republican from the small farm town of Morris, surprised friends and supporters this week by announcing that he was
engaged to a member of the Guatemalan congress. His fiancee, Zury Rios Sosa,is the daughter of Gen. Efrain Rios Montt, a former Guatemalan dictator who presided over one of the most brutal military campaigns in modern Latin American history.

Mr. Rios Montt, who is under house arrest pending trial on charges of organizing a political riot last summer, remains a major political figure in
Guatemala. His daughter has for years been one of his principal advisers and strategists.

Because Mr. Weller is a member of the House Committee on International Relations and sits on its Western Hemisphere subcommittee, his newly
announced tie to one of Guatemala's most notorious political figures has added spice to
his re-election campaign. His opponent, Tari Renner, a political science professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, has made it a campaign issue.

''At the very least, Weller needs to repudiate the Rios Montt regime and his party, and also resign from the international relations committee,'' Mr.Renner said. ''This is not about private life. It's a matter that could affect not
just policy, but national security. National security is not a personal issue. Genocide is not a personal issue.''

Guatemalan news organizations pressed Mr. Renner for interviews on Friday, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington went on the attack. The committee's press secretary, Greg Speed, said in a statement
that Congressman Weller has a clear conflict of interest serving on the committee that sets American policy for Central America while he's marrying into the family of a Guatemalan dictator.''


Mr. Weller was not available for comment on Friday. His spokesman, Telly Lovelace, said the wedding, which was to take place after the November election, posed ''no difficulty and no conflict.''

''It's like a congressman who's a farmer and serves on the agriculture committee, or one who's on the finance committee even though his wife works at a bank,'' Mr. Lovelace said. ''It has nothing to do with policy.''

In a radio interview here on Thursday, Mr. Weller said he was ''not going to talk about Guatemalan domestic politics.''

''I support my fiancee, she's a wonderful woman, I love her with all my heart,'' he said. ''For my opponent to attack her shows he is the lowest
form of politician.''

Mr. Rios Montt seized power in a military coup in 1982 and immediately began what the Guatemalan press called a ''scorched earth'' campaign against
leftist insurgents. A United Nations commission later concluded that during his period
in power, which lasted less than two years, the army committed 626 massacres of civilians. The commission's chairman, Christian Tomuschat, said Mr. Rios Montt's government was responsible for ''acts of genocide against groups of the
Mayan people.''

Over the last decade, Mr. Rios Montt has re-emerged as the head of a political party, the Guatemalan Republican Front. Adriana Beltran, a
researcher of Guatemala for the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights group, said that the party ''supports the interests of the right-wing military.''

When Mr. Rios Montt ran for president of Guatemala last year, his daughter called him ''totally democratic.'' She said that people in one town who pelted him with rocks and drowned out his speech with chants of ''Murderer!'' had
violated his human rights.

''Zury has supported her father very strongly, and as far as I know she has
never distanced herself from the atrocities, the scorched-earth policy or the massacres that were part of his presidency,'' Ms. Beltran said.

Mr. Weller, who is 47 and has never married, met Ms. Rios Sosa at a reception given by the United States ambassador to Guatemala last year. He was
visiting Guatemala City as part of a Congressional delegation. This week he said
that both he and Ms. Rios Sosa planned to keep their legislative jobs and would spend time together whenever they could.

''She is a very intelligent and well-educated woman, but she is also one of her father's main strategists,'' Frank LaRue, director of Guatemala's Presidential Commission on Human Rights, said in a telephone interview. ''We
have two main concerns about this marriage. The first is that if this congressman is going to seek some kind of political advantage from having
married a Hispanic woman, people should be aware of what woman we're talking about. Second, we worry about what effect this could have on Congressional policy toward Guatemala.''

Mr. Weller is serving his fifth term in Congress. His district was drawn to protect the incumbent, and his seat is considered secure. Still, in 2000 the combined votes given to Al Gore and Ralph Nader in the area slightly exceeded those cast for George W. Bush. Some Democrats hope that Mr. Renner can win if Senator John Kerry and Barack Obama, a Democrat running for the Senate, pull
enough anti-Bush voters to the polls.

Mr. Renner said he doubted that Mr. Weller's marital plans would change many votes, and political analysts agreed.

''I doubt it's going to affect the race much,'' said Chris Mooney, director of the Institute for Legislative Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield. ''It's something unusual, and it might attract people's attention in what would otherwise be another sleeper Congressional election. But you have to ask how many people in the district could even place Guatemala on a map.''

[Nothing Without Hope]

67. That's awful! But we also need to go to the media and to the public

with the clear facts about this horrible bill. They are now so sure of their invincibility that the veils of pretended democracy are starting to fall. Sensenbrenner's tantrum was a significant indication of that, and this bill is another. Unlike many that are worthy, the hideous thing is already out of committee into the full House and on its way to passage if we don't get the word out.

We need legislative experts to compare with the language of the original election law that this would amend - more like destroy - and clarify ALL the changes it would make. Some are obvious but others may be hidden in the esoteric language. (I've mentioned a couple of possibilities above.)

I believe we can sue the Fat-Cat Bill to prove to the public just how corrupt the GOP have become.

The corrupt lawmakers are angling for a pipeline into the corporations and anyone else who will bribe them and no legal accountability to the voters at all. That's the final step into fascism, by definitition.

[ProudDad]

119. Holy crap

Some of these guys are worse than one can imagine!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

70. kick n/t

[lady lib]

71. Kick. n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

72. Thanks, LL. I'm thinking I'll repost tomorrow or Tuesday, after

some of the excitement over the new DSM-related information has passed. This bill needs much more attention - it's GOT to be fought, and so many people don't even know about it.

I'm also worried by the fact that it zipped out of committee so fast. They clearly mean to pass it.

If you or anyone can suggest someone who is versed in legislative analysis, it would be a very good thing to have them go over this bill side by side with the law it would so profoundly modify. I'm fearing that some of the worst may be buried in esoteric language I'm not equipped to interpret. We need some expert insight here.

[Independent_Liberal]

86. Enough is enough!

Time to hammer the corruption! Hammer the Hammer!

[Turn CO Blue]

87. Bookmarking (and kicking, too) n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

88. kick - I'll post again on this Mon or Tues night and try for more interest

Thanks for all who have supported getting the word about this horrible bill out. We need to push HARD on this - it got out of committee and they intend to pass it.

And we need legislative analysis on the details of this thing. You can bet that "compromise" will be offered if the vote is close - and we MUST see everything that is affected by this bill if we are to avert another disaster. Neocon "compromise" is ALWAYS a trick - they give up nothing.

[paineinthearse]

89. Been away, it's good to be "home"

Wish I had been able to give this a "geatest" but all I can do is bump it and will be writing messages to my Congresspeople.

Hope everyone's weekends were excellent.

[Nothing Without Hope]

90. Hello, Paine, welcome home!

If you can recommend anyone I can PM about getting some expert legislative/legal analysis of the full language of this bill, please advise me. Even what I can read is horrendous, and I think there may be more hidden in the esoteric language.

The full text of the bill, with plenty of white space in it, is only 10 pages long. It constantly refers to the text of the law it would amend, for which I do not have a copy.

This passed out of committee pretty quickly, so we had better start pushing hard to spread the word. I believe we can use good, clear talking points about this bill - I call it the "Fat-Cat Bill" - to demonstrate to the public how corrupt and power-hungry the GOP has become.

[paineinthearse]

91. I'll PM you nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

92. kick n/t

[derby378]

93. "Wake up, sleepyhead DUers" KICK!!

This one's a doozy, folks. Do what you can!

[Nothing Without Hope]

95. kick n/t

[redacted]

96. KICKING AND SCREAMING! Outrageous.

[me b zola]

97. .

:kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

98. kick - will repost tomorrow night and hope more people notice this

oncoming catastrophe that seems to be off most people's radar for some reason

[Nothing Without Hope]

99. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

100. kick n/t

[True_Blue]

101. Kick

:kick:

[kimchi]

102. Short and sweet

I trust you see the Orwellian spirit in the bill HR-1316 "The 527 Fairness Act of 2005". I would be exceedingly disappointed if you were to actually be in favor of increasing the amount of donations to politicians. I beseech you, at least rein in your brazen peers, and allow us the fantasy that politicians cannot be bought.

[Nothing Without Hope]

104. Nice! We also need to media-blast on this. And look at Provsion #7:

(7) permit State and local political parties to use nonfederal funds for voter registration and sample ballots.

Even with the old law in effect they were throwing away Dem registrations or not allowing them at all last time. What would be unleashed with THIS provision?

There are also isolated phrases and references that seem to hint that other things would also happen, but we need an expert to parse it out. For example: "after 2002" - does that mean that parts would be retroactive, thus letting DeLay and other corrupt criminals off the hook? And a reference to the Internal Revenue Service - does this mean something about permitting political campaigning and fiundraising inside churches? I can't tell.

This horrible bill is still way, way too much under the radar, and it is already out of committee. If it passes, it's the end of even the HOPE of non-bought, non-coerced elections.

[jojo54]

103. Done

This one IS a real doozy.

[Nothing Without Hope]

105. WE MUST MUST MUST GET THE WORD OUT ON THIS!!!! Why is there so

little interest??? This bill, if passed, would make clean, fair elections IMPOSSIBLE. But no one seems to know about it, or if they do, most don't seem to care.

This has to change NOW NOW NOW

[Nothing Without Hope]

106. kick n/t

[genius]

107. Who are the 35 co-sponsors?

[Nothing Without Hope]

108. They're listed upthread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1847357&mesg_id=1848001

I've found a lot more info on this thing - it's horrendous all right, and it looks like it's being rushed to a vote, maybe before the July 4 break.

I'll post a new thread on it tomorrow and hope that more people will see it.

In the meantime, check this out:
http://tinyurl.com/btx8k
"28 House Republicans Who Voted for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 Urged Not to Reverse Their Support for the Reform Legislation"
Good idea - push them to turn their backs on this corruption since they did it before for the BCRA.

[Nothing Without Hope]

109. I WILL REPOST ON HR 1316 IN GD-P THIS WEEKEND.

IT NEEDS MUCH MORE ATTENTION THAN IT'S BEEN GETTING.

[Nothing Without Hope]

110. kick - this needs more attention, it's very serious n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

111. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

112. Kick n/t

Still planning to repost

[Nothing Without Hope]

114. Will try to repost with new findings tomorrow

still ill but feeling better - think I can do it

[Nothing Without Hope]

115. Was unable to repost today, will try for tomorrow

my fibromyalgia has been acting up

[Nothing Without Hope]

116. For anyone reading this, I STILL am unable to put all the pieces together

and repost this thread yet. I HATE being ill!

[Nothing Without Hope]

117. OK, one more kick. I want to keep this topic live - it has gone under

the radar here at DU for too long.

[Nothing Without Hope]

120. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

121. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

122. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

123. another kick

keeping it alive until I'm well enough to repost

[Nothing Without Hope]

124. Just keeping it live so I can post a link to new thread in the next couple

of days