Big Money Mitch McConnell Stifles the FEC
Terri Whitehouse January 8th, 2008
The Courier-Journal’s James R. Carroll reports that the government agency in charge of enforcing campaign spending laws is unable to do so, thanks in no small part to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s well-documented obstructionism:
With only two commissioners in place since the start of the new year, the FEC is unable to issue finance rulings, file suits or levy penalties for violations of the campaign laws. Four votes are required for any decision.
McConnell insisted last month that the Senate vote on all four nominees together, including one who has drawn criticism for his previous work in the Department of Justice’s civil-rights division.
That nominee, Hans von Spakovsky, came under fire from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a presidential hopeful, and others for advocating policies in Texas and Georgia that critics said undermined voting rights.
…
[Fred] Wertheimer said McConnell has effectively shut down the commission.
“It leaves us appearing to be a banana republic,” Wertheimer said. “It is simply irresponsible for this commission to be shut down when we are on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, to be followed shortly by the New Hampshire primary and in a month by Super Tuesday.”
- 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Campaign Finance Reform , Minimum Wage , Obstructionism
- Comments(4)
Heads up for another McConnell hit piece in the C-J trashing James Carroll and Fred Wertheimer for having the audacity to challenge MoneyBags Mitch.
Will the CJ print every nasty response from McConnell? Why?
Though it is quite apparent that I am no McConnell supporter, I think it’d be pretty irresponsible of any reputable newspaper not to print such a response. He may be a rich old windbag, but he still has the right (and responsibility) to defend himself to the 30-percenters.
Hi Terri, I agree, but in Mitch’s case, it’s the boy who called wolf. So far in 2008, McConnell has had a CJ op-ed, and a CJ letter — both before Jan. 6th. In December, he had several letters / op-eds. He won’t respond to the issues raised, he will use the CJ to publish his nasty attacks of lies and innuendo. Time for Mitch to go!
Yeah, well, “Mitch” shouldn’t have shut down the FEC regulatory authority by holding the Federal Election Commission nominations hostage. It’s time to Ditch Mitch.