Group says Bush proposal protects First Amendment
WASHINGTON- George W. Bush unveiled a campaign finance reform proposal Tuesday that safeguards the First Amendment, calls for a "paycheck protection" law, prevents roll-over contributions from one campaign to another, and implements restrictions on giving by lobbyists to Congress members.
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, issued the following statement on Bush\’s campaign finance reform plan:
"Gov. Bush\’s campaign finance reform plan protects the First Amendment while Sen. John McCain\’s tramples on it.
"Under the McCain plan, advocacy groups such as Americans for Tax Reform and the National Right to Life Committee would be unable to run issue ads during political races. The Bush plan allows groups to run ads while McCain\’s plan would prevent them, effectively trampling on the groups\’ First Amendment rights.
"Moreover, Bush calls for a "paycheck protection" law to prevent unions from spending their members\’ dues in support of candidates without prior consent.
"Bush also called for instant disclosure on candidate\’s websites and proposed that federal candidates should not be allowed to rollover contributions from a campaign for one office into a race for another, as Chairman McCain has done with his Senate campaign funds.
"Bush would also prevent lobbysists from giving to members while Congress is in session. Senator McCain is notorious in Washington, DC for using the power of his Commerce Committee Chairmanship to bolster his campaign funds. According to the Legal Times, lobbyists who deal with the Commerce Committee have been asked to raise $5,000 to $10,000 for the chairman."