2012 Tuesday: Newt on work, and the scourge of super PACs
By the time we’ve reached the third state in the Republican primary process and are witnessing the umpteenth debate, expectations for hearing something novel at one of these forums are pretty low. A debate at this stage might be best compared to a NASCAR race — in which a sizable segment of the audience is watching in case there’s a wreck — or a heavyweight boxing match — in which many viewers are hoping to see one guy deliver a knockout blow to another.
Nevertheless, Monday night’s debate in Myrtle Beach was notable for two moments. One came when debate panelist Juan Williams asked Newt Gingrich if he could see that Gingrich’s past comments about work ethic and food stamps are “viewed, at a minimum, as insulting to all Americans, but particularly to black Americans,” and the former speaker responded with a flat “No” — and proceeded to rip apart the meme bit by bit:
The other one came after a verbal brawl among the candidates about the charges leveled by various candidates’ “super PACs” toward other candidates. Mitt Romney suggested the problem lies with the campaign-finance laws that led to the creation of super PACs in the first place:
ROMNEY: We all would like to have super PACs disappear, to tell you the truth. Wouldn’t it nice to have people give what they would like to to campaigns and campaigns could run their own ads and take responsibility for them? But you know what, this campaign is not about ads, it’s about issues.
DEBATE MODERATOR BRET BAIER: So, Governor Romney, in the general election, if you are the nominee you would like to see Super PACs ended?
ROMNEY: Oh, I would like to get rid of the campaign finance laws that were put in place — McCain-Feingold is a disaster, get rid of it. Let people make contributions they want to make to campaigns, let campaigns then take responsibility for their own words and not have this strange situation we have people out there who support us, who run ads we don’t like, we would like to take off the air, they are outrageous and yet they are out there supporting us and by law we aren’t allowed to talk to them.
I haven’t spoken to any of the people involved in my super PAC in months, and this is outrageous. Candidates should have the responsibility and the right to manage the ads that are being run on their behalf. I think this has to change.
Now, many observers are skeptical about the actual lack of coordination between campaigns and super PACs and believe the Chinese wall is more like a leaky dike without the little Dutch boy. But we are only having this discussion about whether campaigns talk to super PACs because the effort to “get the money out of politics” only led to less accountability. Romney is right: It would be better to eliminate, or at least raise, the government-imposed limits on contributions; have clear and immediate transparency about contributions; let candidates defend their decisions to take money from whoever is giving it to them; and let voters make up their minds.
—
P.S. – At this point, some of you will ask why I take this position on campaign finance while advocating a limit on gifts from lobbyists to our state legislators. Let me explain, briefly.
As the Supreme Court recognizes, contributions to candidates are a manifestation of political speech, which in our political system must be protected vigilantly. And as Richard Cohen details well, campaign contributions are sometimes the best, or only, way for those opposed to the current political leaders to bring about a change. (One problem with moving totally toward public financing of campaigns is that, in the name of not wasting taxpayer dollars, there inevitably will be thresholds of support that candidates must clear to qualify for public funds — and history teaches us that elected officials set such thresholds to minimize competition, not increase it.)
Political campaigns cost money to run, and it is appropriate that Americans be able to help finance the campaign of a candidate they support. While some people — including, it seems, Romney — support eliminating limits completely, it strikes me as more prudent to increase the limit first and, after examining the results, determine whether it makes sense to keep moving in that direction.
Lawmaking, on the other hand, does not require financial contributions, particularly ones that come in the form of dinners, tickets to sporting events and concerts, or travel. In the vast majority of cases, there is no reason a lobbyist can’t communicate the same point about legislation without buying something for the legislator. For those cases when circumstances dictate otherwise, modest expenses covered by a cap of perhaps $100 should suffice to avoid incriminating people unnecessarily. And I am open to discussion about where the limit should be set in order to minimize such unnecessary problems and to avoid creating new problems as much as is practical.
(Note that we are not talking about the right of a person, group or company to spend money to hire people and pay those employees’ expenses to make said point. That, not gifts, would be the appropriate analogy to campaign contributions when it comes to political speech; lobbying per se is not a problem.)
– By Kyle Wingfield
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192 comments Add your comment
Dusty
January 17th, 2012
11:20 pm
Stinky,
I took French for two years to no avail. But it does not take a Rhodes Scholar to translate your simple thoughts.
Et tu, Brute! I also took Latin. Au revoir, mon “ami”…..
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
January 17th, 2012
11:23 pm
carlosgvv
January 17th, 2012
12:46 pm
————————–
Whoever spoofed carlosgvv’s good name should be ashamed of themselves for spewing such know-nothing liberal fascist nonsense. Go back to your Obozo receptacle meeting.
MarkV
January 17th, 2012
11:24 pm
Dusty @11:00 pm
No I am not talking about materials things vs. living things. I am talking about what is the meaning of the word “people.” It is not a building + people, or a factory + people, or anything else material + people, it is just people. Even if a church does not have a building, it is a church, something different from just “people.”
As for 9/11, I wont argue that. It has no relevance to now, As I said, I will leave that to historians.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
January 17th, 2012
11:26 pm
Why are Democrats obsessed with race?
Republicans don’t care about it, and believe that everyone should be treated equally.
It’s really that simple.
Democrats: Racists.
Dusty
January 17th, 2012
11:33 pm
Ah Mark V,
So that’s where all my birds went when they up and left. Well, I don’t blame them . I don’t like cold water showers either. Brrr…
My solar power must not be working much. I do have plenty of food for my feathered friends.
I’ll send you one of my nightime ‘possum visitors if you will send back the birds. Deal?
Getting late. So I will say…G’nite..
PS…Newt Gingrich is a historian if you need one. Now smile!!!
GodHatesTrash, Superstar
January 18th, 2012
6:02 am
Awww – now a corporation is a person AND a church, Somebody get Dusty her crayons and see if she wants to color a picture for us.
@@
January 18th, 2012
7:23 am
ROMNEY: We all would like to have super PACs disappear, to tell you the truth. Wouldn’t it nice to have people give what they would like to to campaigns and campaigns could run their own ads and take responsibility for them?
Newt beat Romney to the punch two days prior on Huckabee’s Q&A.
Romney’s slow.
schnirt
K C
January 18th, 2012
7:32 am
Let’s keep our folks on the Democrat plantation! They can’t take care of theirselves! Read your history!
independent thinker
January 18th, 2012
8:02 am
What’s wrong with Newt’s idea of requiring Black high school students to be janitors at below minimum wages?????It teaches them how to be successful at well paying jobs doesn’t it?. More brain flatulance from Newt.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
8:25 am
@Lil’ Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
January 17th, 2012
11:26 pm
Why are Democrats obsessed with race?
Republicans don’t care about it, and believe that everyone should be treated equally.
It’s really that simple.
Democrats: Racists.
***********************************************************************************************
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV.
Newt, Rick, Mitt, Perry and Ron Paul have the stench of racism spewing out of their souls.
They are all STINKING UP AMERICA and they will pay dearly.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
8:31 am
@K C
January 18th, 2012
7:32 am
Let’s keep our folks on the Democrat plantation! They can’t take care of theirselves! Read your history!
**************************************************************************
YOUR folks maybe on the Democratic planation. THAT IS THEIR FAULT.
My folks can take care of THEMSELVES (NOT THEIRSELVES – bad grammar).
You need to read “HOW TO SPEAK CORRECT ENGLISH” before you can criticize others.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
8:39 am
@Dusty
January 17th, 2012
11:20 pm
Stinky,
I took French for two years to no avail. But it does not take a Rhodes Scholar to translate your simple thoughts.
Et tu, Brute! I also took Latin. Au revoir, mon “ami”…..
************************************************************************************
I am NOT impressed.
Every 8th grader I KNOW can speak more french and latin than (Et tu, Brute! Au revoir, mon “ami”).
UGA 1999
January 18th, 2012
9:32 am
They should air a debate with Newt and Obama on PPV. I would pay to see that whipping!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
January 18th, 2012
9:45 am
“The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV”
———
Link please.
Didn’t think so.
Racist liar.
Uncle Jed
January 18th, 2012
9:52 am
UGA 1999
January 18th, 2012
9:32 am
They should air a debate with Newt and Obama on PPV. I would pay to see that whipping!
+++++++++++++
Yep. I would even be okay if Obama were allowed an inner-ear device for real-time coaching. Newt would still spank the King and his Court.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:03 am
“Why are Democrats obsessed with race?”
Because they can’t run on real issues and they like to divide people.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:03 am
“The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV.”
Like what?
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:04 am
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy = God Hates Trash Superstar
Dude, get a life.
MarkV
January 18th, 2012
10:22 am
Dusty January 17th, 2012@11:33 pm
Thank you very kindly, I appreciate your offer, but we have enough nighttime visitors. Possums, raccoons. We used to be overrun by raccoons, before we learned to safeguard every edible thing thoroughly, but some are still coming..
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
10:57 am
@Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
January 18th, 2012
9:45 am
“The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV”
———
Link please.
Didn’t think so.
Racist liar.
**************************************************
LINK PLEASE……that is your usual response.
If you watched the debate in SC you heard Newt spewing racist vomit that stunk up the place.
Whew! Stinky stinky Newt.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:00 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:03 am
“Why are Democrats obsessed with race?”
Because they can’t run on real issues and they like to divide people.
************************************************
POT calling the KETTLE black?
Newt can’t run on the issues.
All he does is STINK up the place with his RACIST remarks about blacks.
HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:04 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:03 am
“The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV.”
Like what?
********************************************************
YOU PEOPLE need to stop acting retarded like you don’t know.
Obviously you did not watch the SC dabate.
There was so much STENCH of racism and the FOUL odor of Hate that it filled the room and airways with rotted rhetoric and lies.
I can still smell the stinch of hate.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:06 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:04 am
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy = God Hates Trash Superstar
Dude, get a life.
**************************************************************************
I have a life.
Do you?
Obviously you don’t have one.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:06 am
“LINK PLEASE……that is your usual response.”
Ok so you can’t back up your lie with actual facts.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:07 am
“All he does is STINK up the place with his RACIST remarks about blacks”
Stop lying.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:07 am
“Obviously you don’t have one.”
There’s your sign.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:10 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
10:03 am
“The Republican candidates have been VOMITING racist remarks all over the TV.” Like what?
********************************************************************************
HEY SOMEWHERE OVER THERE Independent Thinker knows what.
independent thinker
January 18th, 2012
8:02 am
What’s wrong with Newt’s idea of requiring Black high school students to be janitors at below minimum wages?????It teaches them how to be successful at well paying jobs doesn’t it?. More brain flatulance from Newt.
NOW WHAT?
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:12 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:06 am
“LINK PLEASE……that is your usual response.”
Ok so you can’t back up your lie with actual facts.
**************************************************************************
USUAL RESPONSE
Do us all a favor Boy and go play in traffic.
You will be ONE LESS idiot to deal with.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:14 am
“Do us all a favor Boy and go play in traffic.
You will be ONE LESS idiot to deal with.”
Kyle, kind of junk is what ruins blogs. Could you please ban that guy again?
Thanks
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:18 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:07 am
“All he does is STINK up the place with his RACIST remarks about blacks”
Stop lying.
*******************************************************
You don’t give up do you?
NEITHER DO I !
What is that PUTRID smell?
Oh, its that stench of racism and the funky odor of hatred coming from somewhere over there .
.
The Stench of Racism and the Foul Odor of Hypocrisy
January 18th, 2012
11:22 am
@Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:14 am
“Do us all a favor Boy and go play in traffic.
You will be ONE LESS idiot to deal with.”
Kyle, kind of junk is what ruins blogs. Could you please ban that guy again?
Thanks
******************************************************
Folks this is what these people do. This is what happens when these people get angry because you won’t bow down to them.
When they don’t agree with you and you confront them with the same intensity they ban together and have you banished for speaking your opinion.
If this is AMERICA we are all in trouble.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
January 18th, 2012
11:37 am
Stinky: If you watched the debate in SC you heard Newt spewing racist vomit that stunk up the place.
———
Quote one of them.
Didn’t think so.
Racist liar.
Somewhere over there
January 18th, 2012
11:44 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
That troll is some piece of work. Better to let Kyle ban him then to get tangled up in an argument. He reminds me of the unibomber.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
January 18th, 2012
12:07 pm
Somewhere, I wouldn’t ban Stinky from the blog. He / she / it serves a useful purpose in showing us the darker side of liberal “thought”. They can’t run on the issues, so they race bait and deflect from the real issues using race.
Nat Turner
January 18th, 2012
1:25 pm
If Kyle bans him, then he is a hypocrite. Lil’Barry Bailout is the biggest troll, and let’s him write all sorts of vile things on Kyle’s blog.
Lil’ Barry should have been banned months ago. But he is a conservative and a Republican, so I doubt he would.
Nat Turner
January 18th, 2012
1:26 pm
As for Republicans not caring about race, that’s the biggest joke I have read today. Wasn’t somebody just talking about blacks having a slave mentality the other day? That they strive to do only so much, and the rest given to them.
Uh-huh, whatever.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
January 18th, 2012
2:42 pm
Lil’Barry Bailout is the biggest troll, and let’s him write all sorts of vile things on Kyle’s blog.
————–
Name one.
Didn’t think so.
Liar.
Nat Turner
January 18th, 2012
4:31 pm
I love chin-checking. Here is not just one, but four of your finest:
Lil’ Barry Bailout
July 24th, 2010
5:25 am
It’s over in November, Democrat fascists.
Lil’ Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
5:07 pm
Remember back during the campaign when the Idiot Messiah and his receptacles were bragging about how the Wall Street types were donating more cash to his campaign than to McCain’s?
Haven’t heard much about that lately, have we?
Idiot Messiah: Hypocrite.
Lil’ Barry Bailout
July 26th, 2011
6:44 pm
Note that the truly great speeches didn’t require a teleprompter. The speakers were intelligent enough and passionate enough to SPEAK, not READ. Your Idiot Messiah pees his pants and starts talking about “spreading the wealth” when he doesn’t have his crutch to lean on. Makes his handlers nervous!
Nat Turner
January 18th, 2012
4:35 pm
Here is the fourth one that got cut off:
Lil’ Barry Bailout
May 29th, 2011
4:35 pm
BTW, I learned today that my Dad’s health care plan was discontinued thanks to Obozocare. Whatever happened to “if you like your plan, you can keep it”?
Idiot Messiah: Liar. But we knew that.
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