Opinion: Conservatives oppose lobbying reform bill

Monday, July 30, 2007  

"The full-time professional “reform” groups have hatched their latest scheme to wring politics out of politics. This time it is the lobbying “reform” measure they are demanding Congress pass, and now, as always, conservatives must be extremely wary.

Here are five reasons conservatives should do whatever they can to stop passage of this very flawed “reform” measure:

1. The bill intrudes upon the 1st Amendment-protected rights of citizens to petition their government.

2. Congress should first determine how best to enforce the existing law governing lobbying registration and disclosure and House and Senate ethics rules before enacting major changes in a statute that interferes with basic 1st Amendment rights.

3. The legislation is designed by people who hate conservatives -- the same people who brought us McCain-Feingold.

4. The language of the bill is vague and scarily arbitrary.

5. The bill is a subterfuge to get Congress to adopt taxpayer financing of congressional campaigns."

Get the Story:
Cleta Mitchell: Five Reasons Conservatives Should Oppose Lobbying ‘Reform’ Bill (Human Events 7/30)

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