The Incumbent Law

8/26/2004

The Incumbent Law

The election of 2004 is heating up, Kaitlyn Mae, and Grandmother is going to generate a missive daily (well, almost daily) in order to document it all.

Because the way I figure it, Kaitlyn, had a wise grandmother such as myself documented the nuances and finer details of the political landscape during the Vietnam War or any of the elections of Grandmother’s lifetime, then we could stop all this argument of who said what, when or why.

As Grandmother would have it documented, you understand Kaitlyn, and the arguing public would only have to refer to Grandmother’s tome for the truth.

So why would the American public, indeed the entire planet, accept Grandmother’s very opinionated world view young Kaitlyn would wisely ask? Not too much longer as I figure, Kaitlyn, because already, only 9 months old, you say “ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba …” many times during the day and I find this quite encouraging.

Indeed not one single soul should accept Grandmother’s version of events as God made delete keys and such to handle such nuisance. But by golly, Kaitlyn, Grandmother has her word and she is free to share it with those with faulty delete keys.

Which brings me to the issue of the this missive, Kaitlyn, and for many months it has left Grandmother inwardly fuming towards a flaming end.

Grandmother refers to it as The Incumbent Law, Kaitlyn Mae, and in your future you should run, not walk, from any legislative body that decides to address campaign finance reform.

It doesn’t matter if one is Republican or Democrat, Kaitlyn and this is the part granddaughter must watch closely, every politician wishes to get re-elected and the minute politicos mention campaign reform trust that no matter your party affiliation, Kaitlyn, not one of them, will be looking out for you.

The year of our Lord 2004’s election fiasco is a perfect illustration of how things will always go awry once politicians get it into their head to try and regulate political speech and money.

It never works, Kaitlyn, and it will never work in your future. If you hear any politician in your surround mentioning anything about reforming campaign laws you may tell them your grandmother’s proper warning.

Before this year, Kaitlyn, there used to be things called “soft” and “hard” money coffers. The “hard” money coffers were limited to contributions of no more than $2,000 per individual, a ridiculous amount at any rate, and could only be used by the campaign to help elect their candidate. “Soft” monies had no limit, or a much higher one I’m not sure, but could only be used by the political parties or special interest groups to promote “ideas”. Then there is the PAC’s, Kaitlyn but for now let’s stop as Grandmother doesn’t want to go too deep into this.

Accept, if you will granddaughter, that the complex apportionment of monies is an invention of the politician and has no effect on your grandmother’s attempt to scribe this journal to you.

The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill of 2003 has turned political talk into a screaming nightmare. Though not really, and Grandmother will explain this later.

What that stupid law did do, Kaitlyn, is cause Grandmother to be subject to possible violation of the election law. The millionaires can throw their money at either party through something called 527’s, special interest organizations which can use their no-limit contributions to any end EXCEPT promoting a specific political candidate. There is to be no collusion either, Kaitlyn, between the campaigns and the 527’s, and you should see how well they are adhering to that rule.

Only the law didn’t say that a 527 couldn’t use its no-limit contribution to slam an opposing candidate! Thus the Republican oriented 527’s slam John Kerry, while the Democrat oriented 527’s slam President Bush. Of course the Democrats have taken their back-door violation to the spirit of the law to ridiculous heights, Kaitlyn, with one donor having given in excess of 50 million dollars. So far the Repubs have their little swift boat group, began with seed money of $100K from a Texas Republican, then financed by little bucks from people like me, who did give the SwiftBoat Veterans for the Truth $25.00 of her own dollars.

It’s the most insane thing imaginable but here’s what the politicians fail to see through the forest. It’s all really only election rhetoric as usual and no matter complex or difficult they make it, people are speaking their minds.

Except for that little loophole that used to limit the amount of money one individual can give to an election campaign and frankly, Kaitlyn, it’s one of only two things we need in any campaign laws. We don’t want Exxon to completely finance a presidential candidate as then Exxon would own that candidate. All leadership decisions and actions resulting would naturally lean toward anything beneficial to Exxon. Change Exxon to Ho Chi Minh, or Aristotle Onassis and Kaitlyn should understand that there should a limit to contributions given by individuals, companies or organizations, to a presidential campaign. The other thing a decent campaign law requires, Kaitlyn, is mandatory identification of any and all contributors to any particular political campaign.

Indeed political contributor lists are widely available even in this, your grandmother’s era. One only has to note a newsworthy name, go to some official web site, and do a search on that individual. If the result shows the person to be a heavy contributor to the Dems then judge from that. Same if the person contributes heavily to Republican candidates.

Beyond this, Kaitlyn, the silly politicians should get the hell out of the way and stop wasting the taxpayer’s dime trying to re-invent the wheel or develop some complicated pyramid scheme that would get them elected than collapse behind them, protecting them forever.

The Incumbent Law, Kaitlyn. Anything to get them elected, even tromping all over the free speech rights of thee and me.

Which brings me to end this missive Kaitlyn, with the soft uttering of concern that through all the millionaires and 527 shenanigans, it might be Grandmother herself and she alone, who is actually violating the campaign finance reform law of 2003.

For there is some rule in that law that for 60 days before an election there should be no criticism of any candidate. The media is excepted here, Kaitlyn, and God knows what the 527’s can do.

Grandmother, Kaitlyn, is probably not an exception.

I’ll not bother to research the minutiae, Kaitlyn, as I intend to post my political missives each and every day up until the election. And trust, grandchild, that I shall say very many negative things about John Kerry. Nasty things, even.

My missives shall be posted to my Blog Site on the Internet and two, maybe three people read it. But I don’t think lack of readership, listeners or viewers, is one of the exceptions either.

Likely the Feds won’t want to bother with the likes of Grandmother due to resources and via that loophole, Kaitlyn, your mother once removed shall continue to post her angry and derogatory missives regarding John F. Kerry, fraud and charlatan.

That’s just to start it off.