Centerfield

Let's Go Mets! And whoever the dems nominate!

Which part of "free speech" confuses you? Why is it an issue for anyone to donate money to a cause? When you are as concerned about George Soros, wake me. Until then, "hypocrite" is the word that comes to mind.

Money is not speech. See also Buckley v. Valeo, Nixon v. Shrink Missouri, and Austin v. Michigan State Chamber of Commerce.

What other contributions have the YES Network, Steinbrenner and other related principals have made? What was the full constellation of moneyed interests trying to deny Dean the nomination? Did the contributions in individual cases indicate a responsive friendship with fundraisers or an active interest in discrediting Dean? These are important questions to fully understand the politics of 2004, whether or not one backed Dean or another candidate. Keep up the good work.

Great job getting at the facts; what concerns me is not the free speech angle (Rogers correctly notes that the Supreme Court is clear on this) but the way these groups can exploit the timing: by raising money and spending it in the same spending cycle. Since they don't need to disclose their sources of money until the FEC deadline, they're able to manipulate a window of time in which they can raise and spend the money, significantly hurt a candidate, and after the damage is done and the opportunity to refute them has passed, only then do they have to reveal who's responsible for the ads.

Seems to me a likely result of this will be a revision to the McCain/Feingold law which will require organizations or individuals who are materially responsible for 527 disbursements.

As for the individual who sees Steinbrenner's and Soros's involvement as identical, I think that's conflating two entirely different scenarios. Soros couldn't be more open about the money he's spending and what his goals are. Steinbrenner hasn't said a word publicly about his involvement, and the 527s are geared to hide the individuals behind their facade.

It's a free country. I have no problem with lots of money in politics, it's been that way since the beginning of these United States and we're still doing well.

I don't wish for or expect a Utopian society like some do, they seem to die out before they even get started, ala Dean Campaign.

I'm going to contribute to President Bush's reelection bid with a small donation that shouldn't raise the ire of anyone who understands the way the American political system works.

I may even send a few dollars to the Ralph Nader cause to help him make his points. He's already being attacked by the Democrats (that's what Democrats do best, they sure can't govern worth a damn) and may need my dollars to offset the audacity of the Democratic Party.

That's the Party that tries to get people "not to run" when in fact, they have every right to run just like anyone else, the recent Howard Dean Campaign comes to mind. The Democrats bitch about Americans "losing rights" (?), but here they are again trying to deny Ralph Nader from the basic American right of representation and running for office. There's no end to their un-American activities on so many levels.

Don

Un-American? Lighten up, Don.

My big laugh of the week was the GOP accusing Kerry of being beholden to special interests, such as "the drug companies."

All of which brings to mind that scene from Casablanca, when Inspector Renault shuts down Rick's to satisfy Major Strasser, proclaiming himself to be "Shocked, SHOCKED, to find gambling going on in this establishment," just as Rick's employee comes up to Renault to hand him his winnings. (The look Bogart gives the employee is priceless.)

Welcome to reality. Regardless of who wins the election, certain groups will always have a seat at the back-room table, paid for in advance.

It's a bit disturbing to me to see that people think big money has no effect or relation to "free speech". Of course, it doesn't "take away" our right to it, but it sure as hell does tip the scales quite a bit toward who gets heard, and this should be scary to anybody....becuase it CAN come from both sides or ANY side. What "sells" is not , obviously, always in step with "what's right". Duh.

Dale

The corporate/business managerial class completely dominates American politics. Their numerous, "small" contributions give the Republican Pary a huge "hard money" base. They are the best organized and most active interest group in American politics since the antebellum Slavepower, and unlike the Slavepower, they have no effective opposition. Big Labor is no longer big; civil rights has long since faded away.

The Bush administration's economic policies have benefitted the corporate/business managerial class to an almost unimaginable extent. Huge productivity increases, with no wage increases; virtual elimination of many taxes on corporate income and personal wealth; minimal reform of corporate governance, despite huge scandals; changes in environmental, energy and labor policy to benefit corporate business; consolidation of media control in the hands of a few large corporations; etc. The corporate business managerial class is getting a highly satisfactory return on their investment in politics, and they know it and like it, and will fight to keep it that way.

McCain-Feingold, and similar idealistic attempts at reform, might be able to make the role of money in politics more transparent, although the disinterest of the Time-Warner/Fox/Viacom/Disney news media, makes such transparency pretty useless to a public, which doesn't pay attention anyway. A lot of late Baby Boomers are never going to retire because they let CNN entertain them with Monica Lewinsky, but were bored by the deficits used by Bush to bankrupt Social Security or the corporate governance problems, which looted most private pension plans. McCain-Feingold cannot make up for the fact that most Americans do not care enough to participate by organizing and contributing cash dollars.

Rogers - spot on. Anyone who hears voices when they open their wallet needs to adjust their tinfoil hat.

Rick - the FEC is a huge part of the problem there.

Don - good point about Dean and the Dems. I agree. Thing is... the GOP establishment did McCain the same way in 2000. In fact what the GOP establishment did to McCain was arguably less ethical than what the Dem establishment did to Dean this election cycle.

Well, duh. Everyone knows that the Yankees are evil.

Boss was bored. Remember, this was before A-Rod signing; George doesn't like down-time. And he thinks he's Patton. Dean was closest thing to a hippie he could reach out and kick.

/lifelong Yankee fan

Centrist organization .......why don't you bend over and let me put my 8 inche dick in your centrist position