Thursday, September 06, 2007
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The Bradley Smith Sessions: Blogs, 527s, Fred and McCain-Feigold, and 'Is There Hope?'
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Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
11:51 AM
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There are very few men and women in this country who really, really understand campaign finance law. Bradley Smith, former FEC Commissioner and FEC Chairman, is one of them. Watch the video to find out who he says doesn't understand it so well...
When news broke that the FEC had decided to extend the "media exemption" to political blogs, so that we're not subject to onerous regulations of free speech (thanks, guys!), I thought I'd call Brad and ask him about a few things that will be hot in the coming election cycle. Then, I figured I might as well video it while I was at it. Makes me look more like a "media entity," less susceptible to regulation. Ha.
He's an extremely smart guy and it was a privilege to be able to steal some of his day to ask him some questions. This first video has advice to bloggers, explanation of current law, and what the recent ruling means for all of us. I split the interview into segments, so I'll post all four, so you can choose your poison:
The future of 527s?
So, What did Fred Thompson have to do with the passage of McCain-Feingold?
Can we ever make campaign finance law work?
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Brad's first hand knowledge with regard to Fred's involvement in McCain-Fiengold is limited to FDT's working to RAISE the allowable contributions.
After that, Brad gets his 'on the other hand' info from the NEWSPAPER REPORTS of the time??! Yeah- that's always my first source for accurate unbiased reportage! When you want the negative go to the media! |
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...some "Scenes of Washington D.C." stock footage, or something, if you're going to make everything into a video, when it's really just audio. :^)
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No mirrors in your apartment? |
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...4 times the Hammer. I like it. |
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Since I work with the camera all the time, and not the audio equipment, this is actually the quickest way for me to get a recording and transcript material on the spur of the moment. It's the YouTube age. Everything is video! Don't you know that? Ha.
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These comments say they're from Matt Bower, but they're actually Mary Katharine. I'm working on his computer for the moment. Oops. |
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because there are people out there like my father-in-law. I say to him that CFR is bad law that actually hurts people without doing what it is supposed to. His response is, "Well, there's too much money in politics and we have to do something about it." His response to the question of exactly what we should do is, specifically, "something." How do you argue with that? No amount of facts, no amount of logic changes his refrain from, 'well, its just not good and we need to do something.' |
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to SonnyJim for actually commenting about the subject matter rather than the video itself.
I am tempted to give Fred more of a pass on CFR than McCain, but MKH is right about why...it's mainly that I just don't like McCain for a host of other reasons. |
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Mr. Smith would have been the perfect person to put a slew of Hsu questions to! He could have elucidated the key issues and perhaps given some historical context to a matter that is opaque to so many of us.
Call him back!
The interview was informative. I thank you for it.
Number me among the majority who just like to see you before the camera as much as possible.
Hope you get an A today (9/7). |
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