Beware of Dick Durbin – if you Value Free Speech

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Richard J. “Dick” Durbin (D-IL) joined 40 other Democrat senators in sponsoring a constitutional amendment that would damage the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The proposed amendment, SJ Res.19, would remove freedom of speech protection from certain political activities.
“Illinois has had to endure this ultra-left senator, Durbin, for an unbearable number of years,” said Katie McNeilly, Director of Operations of Taxpayers United of America (TUA), “but now he has shown what a dangerous, radical left-winger he is.”
“This assault on the First Amendment would give Congress the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents [emphasis added] with respect to Federal elections.”
“The proposed amendment would regulate the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office, and the amount of funds that may be spent by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.”
“As if that were not bad enough, the amendment also would give states similar powers to restrict participation in state elections.”
“In other words, freedom of speech, which is protected by the First Amendment, would be gutted for the electoral process in both federal and state campaigns.”
“This is a very dangerous direction and I caution all citizens to beware of politicos like Durbin who try to undo the very protection from whom the Constitution was designed to protect us.”
“Durbin has much to answer for, and hopefully Illinois voters will wake up and send him into retirement before he causes more damage.”
“This isn’t his first attempt to squelch the freedoms protected by the first amendment. Just last year, Durbin questioned the wisdom of applying the media shield law to bloggers and tweeters. Mr. Durbin just doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate that the Constitution protects people, regardless of their title.”
“It is ironic that we are about to celebrate our country’s independence, while at the same time, our elected representative in the U.S. Senate is working so hard to crush the freedom of speech protection of the First Amendment that has cost so many lives to attain.”