House Passes DISCLOSE Act and Imperils Free Speech

By Ann Kane

How can 219 congressmen and women vote to trash the First Amendment? In passing H.R.5175, the majority in the House showed an egregious disregard for freedom of speech we have enjoyed until now. If the bill passes the Senate, enforcement can begin thirty days after the President signs it into law. Just in time for the 2010 elections.

From LifeSiteNews:

H.R. 5175, the "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act," which the National Right to Life Committee, other pro-life, pro-family groups, and even the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have condemned as a threat to free speech and free participation in the political process.

[snip]

The bill requires that every time an organization runs a campaign ad, its CEO must appear in the ad and twice state his name and the organization's name. The top five funders of the organization behind the ad - even if they had nothing to do with the ad's funding - must also have their names listed in the ad.

Here's a breakdown of the winners:

Large 501(c)4 groups - like the 4 million strong NRA and 750,000 member Sierra Club

Unions. Most union dues are under $600 dollars, and so do not have to be reported.

Union to union money transfers do not have to be reported.

Traditional media organizations like newspapers and television stations are exempt.

And the losers:

Most 501(c)4, 501(c)5, 501(c)6, and 527 groups - would have to list all donors of $600 or more with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Bloggers, the vanguard of the "new media."

It's obvious the NRA backed the bill in a trade for keeping their Second Amendment rights, which the Supreme Court just enhanced in the form of extending gun laws to states.

At this point, the congressional progressives appear willing to throw some of their own under the bus -- ACLU, and other liberal outlets -- to satisfy the bigger picture of chipping away at conservative votes come November.

Those hurt the most will be conservative organizations that already operate on extremely tight budgets. As for conservative bloggers, the Left has had us in their crosshairs for a long time. The bill has far reaching effects "by potentially allowing the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to regulate political speech on the Internet. " So, don't be surprised when the penalties will be so high that we'll shut up and go away.