BigDog
07-11-2001, 06:35 PM
> ###
> CONGRESS TO CONSIDER ANTI-GUN CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
>
> There are currently several campaign finance reform bills circulating in
> Washington. ###These bill have the potential to silence activist
> organizations like SCI, NRA, GOA, WLFA, and so many others. ###Politicians
> "of the people" apparently have chosen to ignore the fact that these are
> organizations "of the people". ###The average U.S. citizen does not have the
> time, wherewithal, nor inclination to track every bill in congress.
> That's why they pay membership dues to such watchdog organizations to
> track the bill, as well as congressional voting records, and keep them
> informed. ###These bill by very well leave you and I in the dark as to what
> our elected officials are up to in Washington.
> Please read the following two E-mail Alerts from the Gun Owners of America
> and the Liberty Committee. ###They explain the details of these bill and
> their possible implications. ###Each alert offers a sample letter and a way
> to contact your elected officials to let them know in no uncertain terms
> that these bills ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE! ###Please contact them today, before it
> is too late.
>
> ================================================== ========================
> ==
> GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA E-MAIL ALERT
> http://www.gunowners.org
>
> (Monday, July 9, 2001) -- Over the objections of pro-gun advocates, House
> Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) has moved to force House consideration
> of the anti-gun campaign finance deform bill, also known as the Incumbent
> Protection Act. ###The version the House is expected to consider may be H.R.
> 2356, H.R. 2360, or another as-yet-unnumbered bill.
>
> The Senate version of this legislation, passed on April 2, would ban TV
> and radio appearances by tax-exempt groups like GOA which mention a
> congressman's name within 60 days of a general election [section 203, as
> amended by the Wellstone amendment].
>
> In the House, Republicans and Democrats are expected to push competing
> proposals:
>
> ### * H.R. 2356, the Democratic bill, adopts the McCain-Feingold approach,
> requiring GOA to report its large donors if staff members appear on TV or
> radio and mention a congressman's name. In addition, it would label these
> activities on behalf of the Second Amendment as "electioneering," thereby
> threatening the tax status and the very existence of groups like GOA.
>
> It is true the bill would invoke a $10,000 threshold -- immediate
> expenditures under that amount would not trigger the "electioneering"
> provision -- but every moment our staff spent
> studying gun control issues in preparation for radio and TV appearances
> could arguably count toward this threshold.
>
> ### * Section 302 of H.R. 2360, the Republican bill introduced by
> Congressman Bob Ney (OH), would require reporting of "targeted mass
> communications" on TV and radio which exceed $50,000 in costs, but would
> not require disclosure of contributors.
>
> But, whatever version the House adopts, the House leadership, if
> successful, will have moved an unacceptable anti-gun bill a step closer to
> enactment.
>
> ACTION: Call your congressman. ###Ask him to vote against final passage of
> the Incumbent Protection Bill, IN WHATEVER FORM. ###Please use the
> pre-written letter below to help direct your comments to Capitol Hill.
> You can call your Representative at 1-877-762-8762(toll free) or at
> 202-225-3121. ###To identify your Representative, as well as to send a
> message via e-mail, see the Legislative Action Center at
> http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.
>
> ----- Pre-written message -----
>
> Dear Congressman:
>
> Every version of the anti-gun Incumbent Protection Bill is
> unconstitutional and unacceptable to me. ###The Senate bill would ban free
> speech within 60 days of an election if it mentions a
> congressman's name on television.
>
> The Shays bill would register groups which engage in this form of
> communication. ###Even the Ney bill would register pro-gun groups exercising
> their First Amendment rights.
>
> Please vote against final passage of this abomination, IN WHATEVER FORM IT
> IS REPORTED by the Committee of the Whole.
> ###
> Sincerely, ### ###
>
> ================================================== ========================
> ==
> THE LIBERTY COMMITTEE E-MAIL ALERT
> http://www.thelibertycommittee.org
>
> Dear liberty activist,
>
> (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)-- One thing politicians will fight to keep is
> power, whether that power is stolen from the people or not. ###As long as
> the people are asleep, politicians get away with their illicit power
> grabs. ###One power grab leads to another, and too soon, the people are
> without liberty because piece by piece, they let their political power
> slip away.
>
> Representatives and senators who oppose campaign-finance reform bills
> because all such bills are unconstitutional are correct. ###McCain-Feingold,
> Shays-Meehan, Ney-Wynn -- or any other campaign-finance reform bill --
> violates the First Amendment. ###That makes such bills illegal. ###Even
> Senator McCain admits it!
>
> What these politicians won't admit is that they don't have the power. ###The
> Constitution specifically does not give to representatives and senators
> the power to make laws affecting campaigns so they cannot control the
> outcome of their own reelections (and for good reason!). ###But how many
> Washington politicians will stand on the floor of the House or Senate and
> admit the truth...that the only power they have is that limited, specific
> power
> granted by the Constitution?
>
> Today, we sent to every House and Senate office a one-page reminder that
> Congress has the enumerated power to regulate only the time, place, and
> manner of elections - not campaigns (those are two very different things).
> Campaign-finance reform is illegal. ###We sent along an invitation to read
> the clear and unmistakable explanation prepared by esteemed constitutional
> expert and our senior legal advisor Herbert W. Titus. ###To read Mr. Titus'
> important work, go to http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/campaign.htm
>
> Now, send your representative and senators the message they don't want to
> hear. ###Tell them "You don't have the power." ###Go to the "Take Action" box
> at http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/bills/?bill=42533
>
> Do this now, while you still have the power...because if one version of
> so-called "campaign-finance reform" passes as that bill is currently
> written, E-mail messages such as this one will become illegal!
>
> Kent Snyder
> The Liberty Committee
> ================================================== ========================
>
> CONGRESS TO CONSIDER ANTI-GUN CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
>
> There are currently several campaign finance reform bills circulating in
> Washington. ###These bill have the potential to silence activist
> organizations like SCI, NRA, GOA, WLFA, and so many others. ###Politicians
> "of the people" apparently have chosen to ignore the fact that these are
> organizations "of the people". ###The average U.S. citizen does not have the
> time, wherewithal, nor inclination to track every bill in congress.
> That's why they pay membership dues to such watchdog organizations to
> track the bill, as well as congressional voting records, and keep them
> informed. ###These bill by very well leave you and I in the dark as to what
> our elected officials are up to in Washington.
> Please read the following two E-mail Alerts from the Gun Owners of America
> and the Liberty Committee. ###They explain the details of these bill and
> their possible implications. ###Each alert offers a sample letter and a way
> to contact your elected officials to let them know in no uncertain terms
> that these bills ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE! ###Please contact them today, before it
> is too late.
>
> ================================================== ========================
> ==
> GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA E-MAIL ALERT
> http://www.gunowners.org
>
> (Monday, July 9, 2001) -- Over the objections of pro-gun advocates, House
> Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) has moved to force House consideration
> of the anti-gun campaign finance deform bill, also known as the Incumbent
> Protection Act. ###The version the House is expected to consider may be H.R.
> 2356, H.R. 2360, or another as-yet-unnumbered bill.
>
> The Senate version of this legislation, passed on April 2, would ban TV
> and radio appearances by tax-exempt groups like GOA which mention a
> congressman's name within 60 days of a general election [section 203, as
> amended by the Wellstone amendment].
>
> In the House, Republicans and Democrats are expected to push competing
> proposals:
>
> ### * H.R. 2356, the Democratic bill, adopts the McCain-Feingold approach,
> requiring GOA to report its large donors if staff members appear on TV or
> radio and mention a congressman's name. In addition, it would label these
> activities on behalf of the Second Amendment as "electioneering," thereby
> threatening the tax status and the very existence of groups like GOA.
>
> It is true the bill would invoke a $10,000 threshold -- immediate
> expenditures under that amount would not trigger the "electioneering"
> provision -- but every moment our staff spent
> studying gun control issues in preparation for radio and TV appearances
> could arguably count toward this threshold.
>
> ### * Section 302 of H.R. 2360, the Republican bill introduced by
> Congressman Bob Ney (OH), would require reporting of "targeted mass
> communications" on TV and radio which exceed $50,000 in costs, but would
> not require disclosure of contributors.
>
> But, whatever version the House adopts, the House leadership, if
> successful, will have moved an unacceptable anti-gun bill a step closer to
> enactment.
>
> ACTION: Call your congressman. ###Ask him to vote against final passage of
> the Incumbent Protection Bill, IN WHATEVER FORM. ###Please use the
> pre-written letter below to help direct your comments to Capitol Hill.
> You can call your Representative at 1-877-762-8762(toll free) or at
> 202-225-3121. ###To identify your Representative, as well as to send a
> message via e-mail, see the Legislative Action Center at
> http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.
>
> ----- Pre-written message -----
>
> Dear Congressman:
>
> Every version of the anti-gun Incumbent Protection Bill is
> unconstitutional and unacceptable to me. ###The Senate bill would ban free
> speech within 60 days of an election if it mentions a
> congressman's name on television.
>
> The Shays bill would register groups which engage in this form of
> communication. ###Even the Ney bill would register pro-gun groups exercising
> their First Amendment rights.
>
> Please vote against final passage of this abomination, IN WHATEVER FORM IT
> IS REPORTED by the Committee of the Whole.
> ###
> Sincerely, ### ###
>
> ================================================== ========================
> ==
> THE LIBERTY COMMITTEE E-MAIL ALERT
> http://www.thelibertycommittee.org
>
> Dear liberty activist,
>
> (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)-- One thing politicians will fight to keep is
> power, whether that power is stolen from the people or not. ###As long as
> the people are asleep, politicians get away with their illicit power
> grabs. ###One power grab leads to another, and too soon, the people are
> without liberty because piece by piece, they let their political power
> slip away.
>
> Representatives and senators who oppose campaign-finance reform bills
> because all such bills are unconstitutional are correct. ###McCain-Feingold,
> Shays-Meehan, Ney-Wynn -- or any other campaign-finance reform bill --
> violates the First Amendment. ###That makes such bills illegal. ###Even
> Senator McCain admits it!
>
> What these politicians won't admit is that they don't have the power. ###The
> Constitution specifically does not give to representatives and senators
> the power to make laws affecting campaigns so they cannot control the
> outcome of their own reelections (and for good reason!). ###But how many
> Washington politicians will stand on the floor of the House or Senate and
> admit the truth...that the only power they have is that limited, specific
> power
> granted by the Constitution?
>
> Today, we sent to every House and Senate office a one-page reminder that
> Congress has the enumerated power to regulate only the time, place, and
> manner of elections - not campaigns (those are two very different things).
> Campaign-finance reform is illegal. ###We sent along an invitation to read
> the clear and unmistakable explanation prepared by esteemed constitutional
> expert and our senior legal advisor Herbert W. Titus. ###To read Mr. Titus'
> important work, go to http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/campaign.htm
>
> Now, send your representative and senators the message they don't want to
> hear. ###Tell them "You don't have the power." ###Go to the "Take Action" box
> at http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/bills/?bill=42533
>
> Do this now, while you still have the power...because if one version of
> so-called "campaign-finance reform" passes as that bill is currently
> written, E-mail messages such as this one will become illegal!
>
> Kent Snyder
> The Liberty Committee
> ================================================== ========================
>