April 6, 2004
Fat Dumb And Happy
In case you wondered if the the FEC was independent from the White House, check out the proposed FEC Rulemaking (as reported by the Alliance for Justice) and Bush Greenwatch.
This is just another way the current administration is trying to lock people out of the political process. The Bush Administration wants America fat, dumb and happy
so he can tell us what to think -- or perhaps more accurately -- when not to think. The idea that there are still some folks out there thinking for themselves and acting on those thoughts has the Administration going to ridiculous lengths to quelch the citizenry.
These new FEC rules would tape the mouth shut of lots of organizations the Bushies don't like such as Moveon.org and People for the American Way and the Sierra Club. But perhaps they haven't noticed that it will also affect some of their pals at the NRA, the Christian Coalition and other right wing organizations.
Here's some of the most noteworthy aspects of the changes per OMB Watch's "Talking Points":
- The proposed rules would transform overnight many 501(c)s and 527s into federally regulated political committees
- Many 501(c)s and 527s would be forced to choose between ceasing normal operations or facing crippling restrictions on fund raising.
- Would expand the definition of a federally regulated ?expenditure? to include communications that ?promote, support, attack, or oppose? a federal candidate or policy position of a candidate.
- Nonpartisan voter registration, voter identification, and GOTV would be restricted and in some cases prohibited from using messages that express views about a candidate or political party.
- "Look Back Rule" would require a group that becomes a federal political committee due to the new rules to raise hard money to repay the soft-money expenses designated as hard-money payments under the new rules. Further work would be halted until debts to the ?old? organization were repaid. effectively.
This is bad. Again. Time to do something. Again. Send this letter to your Congressfolk using the Alliance for Justice's handy "Take Action" form. Please.
Posted by Lori at 6:24 PM | Permalink