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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Romney vs. McCain, again

Posted: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:33 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:

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.")

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Both of you can get the hell out of the way, and make room for Duncan Hunter. Take Rudy with you.
what kind of baloney journalism of exclusion is msnbc practicing to ignore th plebicyte the Dr Ron Paul has created... why not coverage of Ron Paul for President???
"Score one for free speech," I believe he should have said score one for lobbists and corporate criminals, the decision has little to do with freedom of speech for the "people" and all to do with big money being able spend whatever they want on an add blitz right up to election day on which ever candidate they happen to own, romney should have kept his mouth shut
MK,MO: you should have read the opinion.  It's a fairly narrowly crafted opinion that is unlikely to have the effect you fear.
I guess Romney will think it fair when he is blasted with outrageous accusations 1 week before the election with no chance to rebut or refute the allegations or will he be a hypocrite and denounce that freedom of expression. I hope it happens and it sticks in his throat.
Abortion is a non-issue, we have more important things to worry about.
I think the kids getting aborted might take exception, Jerry.
Score one for free speech is right!  The only resctrictions that should be possibly placed on speech is for decency or maybe for offensive language.
Hey Richard, does that also go for using cell phones in a movie theater?
Kids don't get aborted. Cell masses do, Mr. Miller.
Paul, i don't go telling any woman what to do with her body, the same reason no woman will tell me what to do with my body.  It is of nobody's concern!  I think this abortion debate is totally full of crap and extremely useless in a political debate.  Whether a woman has an abortion or not is of no concern to me.  I think we have enough of a debate in this country where liberals are trying to tell you how to live your life.  Hillary Clinton thinks we should all live in a 60's style world, I think that is about as dumb an idea as I have ever heard.  We should all be sharing, that is total crap in itself!  When she turns over all the money her and her worthless husband and throws it at the people's feet, then maybe it's time for a new beginning.  But as long as they keep talking their hippie "let's all live together and share" mentality, the american people will never buy it.  Hillary thinks all americans are moron's and she should be the decider of how we live our lives, that is communism in it's worst fears.
Russell, do we need a LAW about cell phones in movie theaters?  While there are legitimate restrictions on speech, there are very very few - if any - legitimate restrictions on political speech.  I'm guessing that Richard was referring to political speech.
You mean fetuses Paul.
And just to make sure we get right back to square one--Paul, precognitive cells can't spell "exception", much less take it, so I will, to your characterization of such using the word "kids". *smug nod* Oh, what was that? Something about campaign financing...?
Jerry, the decider is Bush, remember? Go take another aricept for your memory problems. Hillary will be our next president-can't wait to see you and other repubs burst into flames when it happens.
Is that the litmus test... anyone who can't spell "exception" isn't a person? Phew, glad I paid attention in third grade. In all seriousness (and this is both way off topic and likely to ignite a firestorm) I don't know when a bunch of cells becomes a person. Maybe its at conception, maybe at birth, maybe at some point in between. I'm just not smart enough to know, and have never heard a definitive answer from people smarter than me. Seems to me that when we're talking about potentially killing a person, better to side on the side of not doing it. Granted, I've never been a pregnant high school girl, so maybe its easy for me to say that, but that's what I think.
It depends on your beliefs. If God creates a soul at conception, even stem cell harvesting is murder.
jerry, you are conveniently overlooking that the "abortion debate" is primarily a republican creation.  It is they and their supporters who seek to overturn existing law, to make it a litmus test, to pander to the many voters who see it as the only issue, and to continuously utilize its gut-wrenching emotional character for political purposes.  While you say the government has no business telling women how to live their lives and make their choices, in the same breath you immediately castigate liberals for trying to tell people how to live their lives, thereby leading into yet another tirade about the Clintons.  Don't you see the irony, particularly in your own beliefs and thoughts?
Why stop killing at birth? We could do like Hitler, give all people a test at six years old. Those not meeting physical, emotional and intelligence standards are sent on a federally-paid train ride; one way.
I'm not going to burst into flames if Hillary ends up our next President. I don't live in a target city.
For all of you who are opposed to abortion and stem cell research because it destroys life, why the hell aren't you out trying to stop the war in Iraq?  Or is that not considered killing?
Flat-earther Georgia...There is no God..and if you  beleive every baby is a GIFT FROM GOD;
You should take them all in, feed them, cloth them, love them and
educate them. You are the God they need.
Don't you just love it when the Repugs fight amoung themselves.  Hillary doesn't need the vote from Tennesse to be elected and she will be great!!
Be careful of the company you keep. I just read that Romney attended a fundraiser in Idaho today at the ranch of Frank VanderSloot who is the multimillionare CEO of Melaleuca and whose family is a big contributor. Melaleuca is a multi-level marketing enterprise which has many complaints against it for shady practices. Frank VanderSloot is noted for having tried to destroy the Idaho Post Register newspaper and its reporters for running an award winning series on the coverup of pedophiles employed by the local Boy Scouts molesting and raping Boy Scouts in their care. You can read about it by a google search on a few keywords such as Post Register Boy Scouts Vandersloot Romney
McCain does seem to have what the people that have been buying the politicians we are allowed to vote for have, an incomprehensible drive to bring about the end of this once great nation. Hopefully it does no good this time around.

The US has dropped 300 pounds of bombs for every man, woman, and child in Indochina, and 22 tons of bombs for every square mile in McCain's heyday.

That is incomprehensible but little compared to the devastation of the loads of what he is dropping now on this once great nation.
Oh, surprise, surprise-another freak, child porn lover republican. Aint that a shocker.The Mormons do like em young, eh?
Scott, it is exactly why my tirade about abortion and the clintons go hand in hand.  I don't give a dog who started the abortion problem, liberals or conservatives.  it is a non problem, I thought we settled this in the 60's with the civil rights acts.  No human being has the right to tell another human being what to do.  It blends in perfectly with what Hillary Clinton is trying to do.  Her vision is that all americans are just stupid and ignorant and lazy and she is coming to take us all to the promised land.  What Hillary proposes is no different then people trying to tell women what to do with their bodies.  I thought we lived in a free country, according to you libs!  She is a very dangerous woman and she does not deserve to be President.
WE will see you in the promised land jerry. don't forget to change your underwear!
Charles, I'm pro-life and against the war in Iraq, so I don't have the inconsistency you implied. I, in my own humble, one-voter way, not only try to stop it, I tried to prevent it before it happened. Obviously didn't do a good job with that, lol. I'm not opposed to our nation defending itself, but the use of military force ought to be restricted to when we really have to do that. We didn't have to invade Iraq. I think it was wrong, both morally and in a pragmatic sense. But I acknowledge your point. There are some who think they are pro-life, yet support capital punishment. And there are some who call themselves pro-life and who come across as downright bloodthirsty in their hopes of securing a perception of safety at home.
Re the Supreme Court decision: It is not the fact that this decision was made it is the fact that, when put in context with more recent decisions, this Court has gone to the dark side.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/opinion/26tue1.html?th&emc=th

While saying that the "speaker" wins over "censorship" on this case, they also said that the boy with the "bong for Jesus" sign had no right to display that sign? Where is the logic that allows both of these decisions to be made by the same court?

As the NYT says in today's editorial section: "the professed devotion to the First Amendment did not extend to allowing taxpayers to challenge White House aid to faith-based organizations as a violation of church-state separation." Allowing a citizen to seek relief from the government is in the Bill of Rights.

Each of these decisions has a plus and minus side.

The point is that the Roberts Court is deliberately moving toward a specific political view of the government's role in our lives.

That is not the job of the Supreme Court. (You'd be surprised at my view of some of the past courts' behavior in this regard.) The role of the Supreme court is to ensure that the constitution is being upheld. Since Roberts is a Bush appointee and we know how much regard the Bush/Cheney cabal has for the constitution, this shouldn't be a surprise.

Just like Bush's signing statements, this Supreme Court is ignoring precedent and deciding what laws should be upheld without declaring those laws void. In essence, they are saying a law can be enforced when they want to be rather than all the time. This is a signal for chaos in the judicial system regardless of your opinion on specific cases.

The known vacancies in the judicial system that were up for Presidential appointments was the primary reason I never supported Bush. I didn't want him to have that power. I was right.
Russell,

Melaleuca is a great company with great products.  I've been using their products for several years now and love them.  They are anything but MLM.  I don't have to sell anything to anyone.  I just buy what I like and at a good price.

And I did what you said and looked into this Post Register thing and found this:  www.communitypagenews.com  It sounds like Vandersloot was doing the right thing and the Post Register shoudl be investigated for reporting practices.


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