Romney vs. McCain, again
Posted: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:33 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Republicans
From NBC's Mark Murray
Soon after the Supreme Court
ruled today that a Wisconsin anti-abortion group should have been allowed to run TV ads in the final two months before the 2004 election -- which weakens the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law -- guess who released a statement praising the ruling?
Romney, of course.
"Score one for free speech," Romney said. "Today the Supreme Court reaffirmed the First Amendment by rejecting a key feature of McCain-Feingold. The law trampled the basic right of the American people to participate in their democracy. It also purported to reduce the influence of money in politics, but we now know that influence is greater than ever. McCain-Feingold was a poorly-crafted bill. Today's decision restores, in part, to the American people a right critical to their freedom of political participation and expression."
This isn't the first time -- and it won't be the last -- Romney has tried to whack GOP rival McCain over his authorship of McCain-Feingold. "My fear is that McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold has done to campaign finance and money in politics, and that's bad," Romney said at the second GOP debate. (McCain replied to the charge: "Well, I take and kept a consistent position on campaign finance reform... I have kept a consistent position on right to life. And I haven't changed my position on even-numbered years or have changed because of the different offices that I may be running for.")