Content by Brad Smith
Posted at 6:20pm on Apr. 26, 2008 Financing the General Election
How Big a Financial Disadvantage Will McCain Face?
By Brad Smith
Many Republicans have been worried that John McCain's decision to finance his general campaign by taking the federal subsidy, and thus subjecting himself to a mandatory spending cap, will leave McCain badly outspent in the fall, especially if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. Of course, we need to recognize that McCain probably didn't have a choice - it's not at all clear that he could raise more money in voluntary, private contributions than government is willing to give him. That said, how bad will he be outspent...
More after the jump.
Posted in campagin finance | FEC | McCain | public funding — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:35am on Apr. 22, 2008 Supreme Court hears major campaign finance case today
Bad decision would open floodgates to regulation
By Brad Smith
Today the Supreme Court hears oral argument in Davis v. Federal Election Commission, challenging the so-called "millionaire's amendment" of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. This case has enormous implications for future campaign finance regulation - a victory for the government, defending the law, will open the floodgates to more regulation in an effort to "equalize" political speech. And as most conservatives can readily guess, "equalizing" usually means silencing conservatives. More below the fold...
Posted in The Courts — Comments (19)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:41pm on Apr. 16, 2008 House Races: Ohio 18: Ney, Daily, and Space
By Brad Smith
I tried in vain to come up with some clever pun involving the names of the Democrat incumbent, the Republican challenger, and the previous incumbent in Ohio's 18th Congressional District, a race that ought to be a Republican pick-up opportunity but probably won't be.
The district is currently held by freshman Democrat Zack Space, a handsome, amiable young lawyer who, like many freshman Democrats, is a moderate on cultural issues. The seat was formerly held by Republican Bob Ney, currently in federal prison for conspiracy and false statements re accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff. The challenger is Fred Dailey, a cattle farmer and former Ohio Agriculture Director under governors George Voinovich and Bob Taft.
Posted in Archived — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:42pm on Apr. 14, 2008 House Races: Ohio 15, Stivers Fundraising Strong
By Brad Smith
One of the many House seats Democrats have targeted for the kill this year is Ohio 15, currently held by retiring Congresswoman Deb Pryce. Pryce, first elected in a tough three-way race in 1992, repeatedly breezed to re-election until the Democratic onslaught of 2006, when she held off Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy by just 1062 votes, after a recount.
Pryce, was a good campaigner but never much liked campaigning, and facing a rematch with Kilroy, decided to step down after this term.
Posted in Archived — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:40am on Mar. 26, 2008 You call that subtle?
By Brad Smith
Hey Adam - do you really mean to call this "subtle" media bias? I'd call it pretty overt.
Posted at 12:08am on Feb. 27, 2008 Ouch
By Brad Smith
78,000 registered Republicans, 47,000 registered Democrats, and we're still losing this special election in New York.
Posted at 10:04am on Feb. 25, 2008 Senator McCain, the DNC Complaint, and the Matching Funds Flap - All You Need to Know
By Brad Smith
Today the DNC announced it will file a complaint against Senator McCain for violating federal campaign finance law. Everything you need to know is in this post at the Center for Competitive Politics website, recently updated to account for developments.
Bottom line lessons: 1) Legal or not, Senator McCain will not abide by spending limits; and more importantly, 2) tax financing of campaigns is one bad idea.
Posted at 11:20am on Feb. 24, 2008 Everything you Want to Know About Senator McCain, Spending Limits, and the Federal Matching Funds Flap
By Brad Smith
So what the heck is up with Senator McCain and federal matching funds? Is Senator McCain stuck in the system, which would limit his spending to less than $5 million between now and September, thereby assuring certain, landslide defeat? Or can he wriggle free? What is the legal background? Is McCain behaving unethically? And what is Senator Obama's surprising role in all this?
Everything you need to know - and more - about Senator McCain and the flap over his agreement to take a federal subsidy for his campaign can be found in this posting at the Center for Competitive Politics website.
Posted at 9:31pm on Feb. 17, 2008 Dismantling Campaign Finance Laws
By Brad Smith
OK, OK, it's tacky, but cut me some slack, it's not like I do this every day. Here's our Washington Post piece on SpeechNow.org and its challenge to campaign finance laws. Speech now is represented by the Institute for Justice and the organization I chair, the Center for Competitive Politics.
Posted at 2:41pm on Feb. 15, 2008 Don't like Campaign Finance "Reform?" - Gotta Read This
"No Constitutionally Adequate Justification"
By Brad Smith
Yesterday a group called SpeechNow.org, represented by attorneys from the Center for Competitive Politics and the Institute for Justice, sued the Federal Election Commission in what one prominent campaign finance lawyer calls, "one of the more important and consequential [suits against campaign finance laws] in a long time," and which one supporter of broad campaign speech restrictions admitted is, "pretty brilliant."
There is much more to this suit than I have time to delve into here, but the basic claim is simple - if George Soros and other wealthy millionaires can Constitutionally spend whatever they want on politics, than under the Constitution groups of citizens banding together should also be able to spend whatever they want.
This page has a cornucopia of links to the pleadings in the case, a case "backgrounder," and tons of media links. If you care about free speech in America, check it out.
Note that I am one of the counsel for SpeechNow.org and am Chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics.