Dem Effort to Shrink the 1st Amendment Fails

The Billings Gazette Citizens United editorial could probably best be summed up: “Free speech for me, but not for thee.” You would think news outlets would be the first ones to defend the 1st Amendment. Instead, they’re copy and pasting the Democratic Party’s press releases on the sideshow this week that was never going anywhere to begin with. Given the few legislative days left, you’d think there were more important issues to tackle.

George Will points out Montana’s two senators on the list of those who want to shrink the First Amendment, while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says the senators amendment even threatens Saturday Night Live.

George F. Will commentary: Some want to shrink First Amendment

Forty-eight members of the Democratic caucus attempted to do something never previously done — amend the Bill of Rights. They tried to radically shrink First Amendment protection of political speech. They evidently think extremism in defense of the political class’s convenience is no vice.

The 48 senators proposing to give legislators speech-regulating powers describe their amendment in anodyne language, as “relating to contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections.” But what affects elections is speech, and the vast majority of contributions and expenditures are made to disseminate speech. The Democrats’ amendment says: “Congress and the states may regulate and set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections,” and may “prohibit” corporations — including nonprofit issue-advocacy corporations — from spending any money “to influence elections,” which is what most of them exist to do.

Politico- Ted Cruz: Amendment threatens ‘SNL’

Sen. Ted Cruz says the comedy of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is at risk and creator Lorne Michaels could be thrown in jail if a proposed constitutional amendment on campaign finance is passed.

“Congress would have the power to make it a criminal offense; Lorne Michaels could be put in jail under this amendment for making fun of any politician. That is extraordinary. It is breathtaking, and it is dangerous,” the Texas Republican argued on the Senate floor on Tuesday, with a board of stills from the late-night sketch show displayed behind him.