On October 18, four U.S. Senators introduced SJR 21, a proposed Constitutional amendment. It says, “Congress shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money, including through setting limits, for campaigns for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office.” It also says, “A state shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money, including through setting limits, for State or local ballot initiatives, referenda, plebiscites, or other similar ballot measures; and campaigns for nomination for election to, or for election to, State or local office.” The four Senators are two Democrats, Charles Schumer of New York and Tom Harkin of Iowa; and two Republicans, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Thad Cochran of Mississippi.
Election law professor Rick Hasen has severely criticized the measure. See his October 23 entries at http://electionlawblog.org.
I don’t like it. Just as you can’t trust a legislature to pass ballot access laws for upcoming elections, you can’t trust elected Democrats and Republicans to totally control campaign finance laws. How can they assume that the two-party monopoly is the only solution?
The New Age TYRANTS (aka ENEMIES of the PEOPLE) wanting PERMANENT POWER are on the march.
See the 1930s with the Hirohito, Hitler and Mussolini tyrants on the march.
SJR 21 is an act of WAR against the PEOPLE by the wannabee monarchs / oligarchs in the ANTI-Democracy gerrymander Congress and State legislatures (full of tyrants in *safe* one party gerrymander areas).
Everybody’s LIFE, LIBERTY and PROPERTY is in super- extreme danger.
Democracy NOW
Party Seats = Party Votes X Total Seats / Total Votes
I have mixed views about ‘campaign finance reform’ in general.
It would seem that this amendment could be a round about way to basically allow states to ban or tightly control who can circulate a ballot access petition.
All a state would have to do is prohibit people to pay other people to circulate a petition and it would become even harder to get on the ballot.
I got some of my own proposed amendments on my webpage, which I think are much better.
Considering how badly the economy may be next November, the entrenched incompetents may be looking for an excuse to conduct a Soviet-style sham election or no election at all because of “terrorism”. Bomb Iran and call off the election. Banana Republic.
Maybe it’s time to break up the country.