Thread: Democrats still trying to stamp out 'Grassroots' Lobbying

'Grassroots' Lobbying Reform: What are Democrats Trying to Hide?

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20239

by Mark Fitzgibbons
Posted: 04/13/2007

In January, the “Bennett Amendment,” named after Senator Robert Bennett (R.- Utah), removed the provisions from the Senate lobbying reform bill that would have regulated advocacy communication to and among the general public: the grassroots. Forty-three senators, all Democrats, chose politics over principle and voted to keep the unconstitutional grassroots provisions in that bill. Fortunately, they failed.

Six Washington-based lobbying organizations with strong insider ties to the Democratic Party are still pushing hard to regulate grassroots, citizen-supported activism under the guise of lobbying reform. They know they need a watered-down version in the House compared to the Senate provision that was roundly criticized as an unconstitutional assault on citizen political activism.

Around late February, these stealthily-financed lobbying organizations were provided a copy of revised grassroots language expected to be introduced in the House as part of that chamber’s lobbying reform legislation. The Democratic leadership recently announced that it will move on the lobbying reform bill soon after Congress returns from Easter recess. An informal coalition of conservative and liberal grassroots organizations that are trying to protect the First Amendment (including the American Civil Liberties Union) have been shut out.

Some Dems, using not only the clichéd but false pretense of “sunshine,” want to legislate away First Amendment rights of citizens in the dark.

Opponents of the legislation, who vastly out number the Washington-based lobbyist proponents, have made the case that regulating grassroots communications to and among the general public would violate five First Amendment rights (freedom of speech, press, association, petitioning and religion). Opponents have also shown that the proponents have categorically mislead Congress and the public about the scope, effects and even the true intent of the grassroots legislation.

Either someone in Congress gave the new language to this handful of lobbyists and Democrat lawyers (despite the fact that they have consistently mislead the public) or the legislation was drafted by these Democrat lawyer/lobbyists themselves. Shocked? It happens all the time.

By leaking the revised language to friendly lobbyists and lawyers who work for the Democratic National Committee (while withholding the language from those who would be regulated) House Democrats appear to be concealing their plan to prevent a debate. Democracy 21 and Campaign Legal Center, two of the lobbying organizations in the combination advocating for the grassroots legislation, have already begun misleading Congress and the public about the revised legislation.

Nancy Pelosi told America that she and her Democratic colleagues were going to clean up the secretive, special interest lobbying shenanigans. The so-called “K Street” project for Republican lobbyists would be crushed, and lobbyists would no longer rule Washington.

The so-called “good government” lobbyists have used their insider connections with the new majority to spread more misinformation about the grassroots legislation. Maybe Nancy Pelosi meant just Republican shenanigans were to be verboten. And maybe some Democrats believe that violating the First Amendment is the key to holding their newfound power.

None of this sounds like “good government,” does it?

And now we know why IMUS was fired.

Now we know why the liberal nutcases in the press who, for years, shmoozed Imus to hawk their wares, turned on him. Was he their best sacrificial lamb?

They've been pushing for this unconstitutional crap for a long time.
Why? Obviously, they would be the only voices heard if this ever were to see the light of day!

By allowing 2 racists to take front and center stage with the ignorant public pushing this one to the finish line, they sliced their own throats and ours in the long run. Will they be using this as an example when attempting to ram this insanity through Congress?