Written by: Beck

Well, Bush finally gave the Kerry campaign what they asked for. Bush expressed disapproval for the Swift Boat Vets ad. Naturally, things weren't as straightforward as that. Bush called for an end to all 527 ads. And I'm going to have to disagree with him on this one.

I think McCain-Feingold was a big mistake because of the extent to which it limits free speech. Bush opposes 527s for a fairly obvious political reason--the Democrats are beating the pants off of the Republicans when it comes to 527 fund raising. Outlawing all 3rd party political television ads simply serves to outlaw a form of expression. If you have the money (or can raise the money) to put an ad on TV, then so long as the station is willing to carry the ad, there should be no legislation to prevent it. I think that's a pretty straightforward first amendment conclusion to draw.

For a great breakdown of 527 financing, see NZ Bear's analysis of the situation. For the record, Mr. Bear thinks Bush's move is a fantastic one.