Reince Priebus doesn’t think McCutcheon v. FEC went far enough. The Republican National Committee chairman wants to scrap all limits on campaign contributions. Not just limits on the number of contributions one can make in a cycle–if it were up to Priebus, even the monetary limits would go out the window.
Priebus paid a visit to conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, and with scarcely any prompting called for the elimination of all FEC limits on campaign contributions.? He’s also somewhat wary of campaign disclosure requirements as well, though he doesn’t sound like he wants to put those in the shredder.
RP: I don’t think we should have caps at all.
HH: That’s what I wanted to get to, because I don’t, either. I think that contribution limits are unconstitutional, and they have to be revisited. Will you look for an opportunity to put that before the Court as well?
RP: Absolutely, I would. And I would look to another, and I would look to cases that allow us to raise soft money, and I would look to cases that allow us to raise money for the conventions, and but disclose it all. You know, I mean, that’s kind of where I’m at personally, but you know, you look at even some of these disclosure laws, Hugh. You’ve got now groups that are targeting people viciously, both businesses and individuals, because their names are disclosed. I mean, you want to be for disclosure. But when you start to see some of the cases out there where people are targeted, and businesses are targeted and picketed and threatened for political contributions, then now you’re suppressing free speech through disclosure. So I mean, even things that I want to agree with are getting to be very difficult.
According to Mother Jones, if Priebus were to seek the elimination of all donation caps, he’d already have one Supreme Court vote in the bank.? In his concurring opinion on the McCutcheon case, Clarence Thomas also called for the gutting of donation limits.
So there you have it. The Republican Party–or at least, the RNC–is officially on record as wanting to turn the election cycle into a casino.
Edited/Published byL SB
Darrell Lucus is a radical lefty Jesus-lover with several passions–the Lord, the Tar Heels, the Phillies and fighting for lasting change. Follow him on Twitter at @DarrellLucus.
