Debunking the Bunkum
Norcross, David
\\.31-t.lt-e I IIII,t -'t[leIll AI IIl'1-1 ('.i]] ,n{)I,1~ l111C,. I l1tlel- ,,11 (1 t11At 1-c t.3k i[1, [i Ih • L.'.ti. \,n \. ] 't al[nle the Liiticd SiatC, ,n ,3 n holc. ]n ,ill-(nit (he Cot...
...They lament that the Court failed to accommodate their bleatings of the mid-seventies when it struck down most of the questionable regulatory schemes...
...It has not been...
...And, as Smith points out, that reform might be necessary to achieve a level playing field...
...The strategy worked to a degree but when November rolled around he had too little money to compete...
...That is, after all, what this is about...
...I-OvC\ 1),)t!-lot, in the SCn1te "t ,the L 11iECtI SI,ICC, voted til AIM-11d the I i]',I AnlrnLlnietlt •(, 1, [tI t.ic ]hL1IC ]]e [l(h\ C.nuli.u n, u] a hc'.llill\- t]t'[EIO4 r.LC\ :.lilt{ h,n 1[1LZ .iL1'CCLI that ti'(' should p iy the I,r4-e...
...1\'It;lt ),V...
...C1)1),11'dc 1).1, l,i l h.lie [lit ultlln.itL' 1)1-1CC (it LAM l,aiLf tirl,u]rL- lint IT() [)[1C i1OC]CCLI...
...Many reformists rail against the darkness of Buckley v. Valeo and cry for its revision...
...But hiti Lli<,3H]it\ made ihhn.11:itholit it...
...iat _'00[ extreme scrutiny...
...the rcfor- tiil\th\'aCrtc.ill\ hur,uC that elusive One tin.il lu(,1)hOlL• \\ Inch n ill n).1ke our anll),1i n\ --hC,lk Ell':' A, .t•1inc)rin' I.e.uiel- t iCI) hanit t'.1111 0111k C\110it11dCLl...
...eonJirsrs (Berns sf reputation as a leading student cfAnreriea c political cu It a re and (01150 tn/tonal principles...
...THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS u•uwre press...
...hii.lll\-, he \\,1\ hick" ;n 11;, ,ie.1[h, tI1r IC ]"fit the \L1,C Ut ])1,L(li-C AI...
...l• \rnn hu[ thL ln)I•r1L\• .nn.itL'uri\1] lic" Ot hl\ l,O,t-\r.n- lnh.i] \rr.ltr;~ h.ul ]1(it 1-et heeti e\r,(),LLI...
...Smith does not deny the societal benefit of disclosure but invites us to take a fresh look at the competing forces of regulation and free election discourse...
...edu 101 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR May 2001...
...it i, ilnhrl)hahlc 1)C wcnu]J hive oc,]1C tilt' till' 1)rc;idk'[1C...
...to]- at the key ] l[)n1Cl]t it -ot ]n\CCali the Lf]] l.llll[)lllll, l Iarn S. l run).ul- a ho, ""hen ST,1hni,I aL1L1rr„i[)n 3CVC,1lCt{ ]r,L•]t ][1 ,111 ]I• Ie]']']I\]1]f,C()I,e...
...Ii]-C i\c l\ the ri ft nu,nn'ut...
...That mistake has cost us dearly...
...What Smith does not explore is the reason we are lazily permitting the regulating of election speech...
...rite;' ntn11LI he]1Letin-tl1 hC 11,3} } to LlL•ti]1C "1)L.iltll\' till t() LletC!']11t]1C the 1)lrl]ntl.IriC\ Of C1CClien LIl,C(1LL]';L' 311 The CO[ICC'\t\ for ihcir ,C,1C, 51))irll CO]1l1T]CCit'L•\ \\ ith .1 ti't)rit:ll ,3s\,1llI[ ()i1 tilt' tt)I11- l]l)1-\l ]]]L'il lit ,11L•CCI1 rC' u1;[tiOti: too 1))1IC 1) ]))O]1C\ i, ,pent c)ll pLilitiCaI .lc Ci\ in-: C'.1 n111.119n• ILIIILied l\-irh 1.11-Le Ck)]ltrlhutlOll, LIC) ti()t ,Cnt public )hi])1C)ti: C,IIldILl,itl' III,- 1)1'eddetet'tt1111C...
...1 \\ Il]C 1) hC COl1tr,3,tLtl ])1M% 1) 11(n'C•rt\'-,tl'1C kL•]) Llhh]'1thlt1 With lt(i(1,L'\ L']I \ I,[ ]\ IIC,L•li C IIilL11)()t)Ll ,1]1Ll oil tlI, Ii\ „1ll.inl \ lnr]nC ,Cr\'1CC \\'ICl IZ(x),L \ Clt, •itC .1[)tl C1\\ \\.ir- Ill, ,L1CC C„ nil c{C,31it1L \\-itll i111C'nll,lt)\ 1t1L•])t ]n C:Crr1):ur\ n ]ill IZtx)\C\ e]t\ t.I]lu1-c )1) AI11L']']C a and...
...Such a calm and objective review has been overcome by a frenzy of journalistic self-interest and shortsighted politicians...
...How can 40 senators vote to amend the Constitution to restrict speech freedoms without an outcry...
...There were reasons for anonymity in the publishing of the Federalist Papers...
...Contribution limits are now the device of choice to limit freedom of expression in elections...
...But until our national discourse addresses why we so placidly embrace such pernicious schemes, Smith's efforts will fall on deaf ears and we will, as usual, rely on someone else to solve the dilemma: the Supreme Court...
...Indeed, you'll hear the banshees then...
...How can the minority leader of the House of Representatives blather on about happy elections overcoming basic rights without the media catching fire...
...IBuIt IT llillCdLitCIV 1rICt 1'C'.3]-1 H.li-ht)i-, 1 il[let- \I ell[ [ilLICIt tL11111er than l ..3C.ICr 11.01 (IC 1t1.3nt1L tl• .1nti t]]]ll.ile1-,311\- LiL'CI,IFC L{ n.lt- -I hl.' \}u'ec-h to the 1LL lc h\[a~ 1n n h]rh ] ht{ Ell]' L .i, \ 'I-\ much ,l pcr,cnl.ii dian-1he a aln,t lZ[1(l cvc]C...
...111e \\-odd \v,3, lucky too...
...C'C IEU]I K 1n-L)hlCi1i . It n;)\ .i Curinu• ,I,L'C'C11 hill rclrtun.3te tin the 1)),31) Ill the \C 111lL' I I(i11,e..- t a stroke :t rl•\o1\-ecl h1\ plain Llilciiiin.3...
...No one, as Smith notes, stands to benefit more from restrictions than the media, which in a world of severely limited money for television and other advertising, will be an increasingly loud voice...
...Walter $errs considers the unique nature of patriotism in the United States and its precarious state as we enter the twenty-first century...
...from the ancient Greeks through contemporary- life...
...rg(' F. \Vi II cloth $20.00 Available in bookstores...
...Princeton University Press, 286 pages, $26 MAKING Pn~o~s Walter Berns MAKING PAT R I OT S Guiding the reader through the histon' and philosophy of patriotism in a republic...
...That the result happened to be felicitous for New Jersey does not gainsay the point...
...Indeed, you'll hear the banshees then...
...is ;LI},1,()rted h\' ;ut til-ic'1)t C'3111111-IL-Al C \ ]LICnCC 111,11 the hre]1)i,C ,hCn11d I)L• .ILCCj)1Cd \\'iC11011C David Norcross Debunking the Bunkum BRADLEY SMITH'S UNFREE SPEECH: THE FOLLY OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Once the regulators suggest regulating editorials and column inches per candidate, the media will awaken...
...this is not a page-turner...
...kilt\\ C\.IC ll\ \\ ]).It I() tl(l .intl t]1J lt n ;1 tCr1-lill .111-C.1tIV 1iltCI-Cli \\ ill) [ 1C 1111131tV11tICCI (-0111c'C{ur'n(-C, C)tthC tl]-tit FCLIera] F.ILLtion L..1IIII'Llluii Act...
...C-()ttl]lliti\it)ne1- Brad liultl) Iloce, i]1 111, cLi[[pal"ll ti]1,1]1CC icti)i-ttl Ce)Lil' Lle 6)]'C L...
...If only we could level that playing field...
...The author takes a refreshing swipe at the Buckley decision and suggests that the court's mistake was in not striking down the entire act...
...tic t)t thosL' lihCrall\1tLCL'htl•CI Lliltl'L1t11...
...A proposal to prevent citizens or freely associated groups of citizens from campaigning for a candidate or candidates sixty days before elections should be laughed out of the chamber...
...III: \\11:IZIt:1\ till]{ I \101...
...And, as Smith points out, that reform might be necessary to achieve a level playing field...
...Often it reads like a lengthy law review article...
...That's a pity too, because the assault on the First Amendment has much weaponry and many troops...
...Regulations beget regulatory strategy and regulatory strategy has all too often become campaign strategy...
...A number of years ago, operating under a law publicly financing elections and therefore constitutionally limiting spending, an unpopular, incumbent New Jersey governor spent heavily early in September in order to "level the playing field...
...Though an extraordinarily important and thoroughly documented book, Unfree Speech does not come easy...
...We are, after all, messing about with our most precious freedom: the freedom to criticize our government...
...11,ive i, t\\ 0 il))1)t)rt llit 1;1111 In dnl.'et t tnltlict: trcCtlt)ttl Ot ,17CCC11 anti oil]- desire for Ilc'.llrh\- (-.in)hai~n, in a hC,1lTL- LICrtiOC]ac...
...I .+!rice' 11...
...It Hitler had t'ettl,tllied tiClt-t'l~]7TCtiu;l\ IlCLItl-,3...
...hC11 :IC \\.l...
...resultti: a])Cl illol]e .1 Ct)1't'L]1)Tlilo 1nt1uet1CC on the 1C0isl.ltun...
...For Smith, the reliance on a vague notion of corruption was not a sound enough underpinning for upholding limits on contributions...
...It is a learned and subtle uualysis of the iru:aning of patriotismu and the making of pa IrroIs...
...This book, like the decades of tiine{y writings that hare preceded i.l...
...a rh irago...
...C)r- In CnLILII le the lt•ir1 tIlC Wti-ar ill-I=(1rt)Iie-I ira lulliCV 01,11 \\.3\ .3t the ]iCAI-I t,t 1) )\ LCO,I1-,11CLI\\;1\ IL1x)\c \C1[ i1) gcIit-]-.11 .1 lure k\ Man' Scl])1C \\1111L1 ,a\- [lilt, h(1i[)tillO to his h11\-<iral ]'•1\ aLte...
...Suu1)Ll\ like' :I bi'eakta;t ti)Od eon nrlerci,ll.The L1r.attcr, of the (,o11"tltutlor1 \\c )II ILl hC plCa,CLl [t) know hat one of the leaLlCr\ ()r t)ur t\\'() n1:11c)t, political p tittles tillLl\ 1l)()tt] [il 1)1S \'.l1Ln.' ,\',ICtti 1,01, treL';lOn] C)f \I,CeC h- 13111 r-CgL11.I6,011 h()lc{, till.' In0h nnlntl...
...Unfree Speech invites serious reconsideration, long past due, of the effect of current proposals on freedom...
...I Ii)\\.Cti'i- ufl\\]till ] l\-• .1\ I'rc,[-c-„t)r acid FE...
...Smith steps back and considers freedoms already conceded...
...Though once the regulators suggest regulating editorials and column inches per candidate, the media will awaken...
...n ,ill-(nit (he Cot 1L{LIC,I Otlhe ti( )\ICt Lull([[[ ]nll\t l,L' ( OI))[)ICI...
...If George III had enjoyed the benefit of McCain-Feingold we would have Elizabeth II on our coins...
...let .11()nC \\1[l It Ill L11)I1]'CCCLIC]1CCLI tout' tittle...
...Surrendering anonymity by requiring political groups and candidates to register would have shocked our founders...
...tilt good [ilCatilll-C, aC cu-cdd C11C I,rC\ILler]t Ot dI1hnnC\t tinane]a] ,}1CClll,ICIOtl, JJC\'11I;1) Elicitl[1C',c• ;il1C{ s])CC]t1L•,tt-L]C [1 \CIIC,S- CIICPO,1nu \\,1r .15 A Cl)lLltinn tO hi, t.ulure To olvc An1L'rit a...
...I d0lilbt it koo) C\-Clt COLl1Ll C\-Cr Ila\-L' 1) C1-,LI.1LICC{ (.C)ilOt'e„ to ])i.lkc \\',)r i .inns h]ttl...
Vol. 34 • May 2001 • No. 4
