CFIF
Launches Ad Campaign Against Senator Mary Landrieu for Flip-Flop
on Miguel Estrada
The
Center has launched a Spanish radio ad campaign in Louisiana
to insist that Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) keep her campaign
promise to her Honduran constituents...[more]
CFIF
Sr. Vice President of Legislative Affairs Jeffrey Mazzella Hosts
Live Online Session on Washingtonpost.com
On
March 6, the Center’s Jeffrey Mazzella was the host of a Washington
Post online discussion regarding the ongoing battle over the
nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the D.C. Circuit. To read the full transcript, click
here.
The
Filibuster of Miguel Estrada
Miguel
Estrada’s
American Dream did not end yesterday. It was, however, once
again stalled by 44 Democrats who refuse to end their unprecedented
and unconscionable filibuster of Estrada’s nomination to the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit...[more]
Miguel
Estrada: What the Nation’s Editorial Pages Are Saying
Senate
Democrats continue to lead a filibuster against the nomination
of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit. The obstructionist maneuver is now in its third week,
with no discernable end in sight. While the Senate is playing
politics as usual, it is clear the American people are fed up
with the obstructionism. And since Mr. Estrada’s nomination
was voted out of committee on January 30, the nation’s editorial
pages (not traditionally bastions of “right-wing ideologue”
thought) have weighed in on the battle.
To
download more, click
here.
A
New Ninth Circuit in the New Year?
It
appears that the Ninth Circuit’s New Year’s resolution is to
decrease the number of rulings overturned by the United States
Supreme Court. Only two months into the New Year, the traditionally
rogue Ninth Circuit has issued two opinions in the campaign
finance arena that are remarkably deferential to Supreme Court
precedent and leanings...[more]
McLawsuit
Reheated: It Doesn't Taste Any Better
The
McFatties are back. A month after a federal district judge dismissed
their class action lawsuit against McDonald's, a group of overweight
children and their parents filed a new complaint against the
fast food giant maintaining that Ronald, Grimace and the Hamburglar
must pay up for childhood obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes
and heart disease...[more]
Shakedown
in ‘The Golden State’
More
than 150 years after gold was first discovered at Sutter's Mill
in California, a new Gold Rush has begun in that state, fueled
by the shameless exploitation of one of the most powerful consumer
protection laws in the nation. Trading in their pick axes and
mules for law degrees and monogrammed briefcases, today’s prospectors
are trial lawyers who are panning for gold along the shores
of endless streams of unsuspecting businesses...[more]
When
Dinner with the Governor Could Be a Felony
McCain-Feingold
101: (For Those Who Passed It)
It
is not uncommon for the U.S. Congress to pass measures that
those voting for them have neither read nor understood. Rarely
does that matter much to those doing the passing, since the
impact is predominantly on the rest of us. Besides, all legislation
is for our own good, even when we don’t comprehend that, and
we should just be grateful, shoulder the consequences and accept
the wisdom of the ignorant and inept...[more]
Center
Urges Landrieu to Stand by Her Campaign Commitment on Estrada
In a
letter sent to Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the Center urged
that she stand by a campaign commitment she made to tens of
thousands of Spanish-speaking Louisianans on the nomination
of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
To read the letter, click
here.
The
Landrieu Response
Responding
to charges of flip-flopping on her support for Miguel Estrada,
Senator Landrieu issued the following response. Since it
is written in political weasel speech, we have taken the liberty
of interspersing some comments. To read Landrieu's response,
click here.
Dear
Senators, It's "Advise and Consent," Not "Obstruct
and Delay"
Center
Urges Unobstructed Floor Vote on Miguel Estrada. As the
full Senate considers the confirmation of Miguel Estrada to
the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Center for Individual
Freedom today reminded all 100 Senators of their constitutional
responsibility to the judicial confirmation process...[more]
Secretary
of State Colin Powell Makes Case on Iraq
To
read the full text of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's
February 5 address to the U.N., click
here.
Grape
Expectations: Federal Appeals Court Rules Table Grape Check-Off
Unconstitutional
Since
1996, grapes grown for wine production have produced bottles
aged to perfection, while others have shriveled into raisins.
At the same time, a federal lawsuit over table grapes has wound
its way through the courts like a vine...[more]
The
federal judiciary is mired in a crisis. Dockets are overloaded
and longstanding vacancies at district and circuit court levels
are going unfilled...[more]
Center
to Senate Judiciary Committee: Send Miguel Estrada to the Senate
Floor
The Center
for Individual Freedom today urged the members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee to send the confirmation of Miguel Estrada,
one of President George W. Bush’s nominees to the D.C. Circuit
Court of Appeals, to the chamber floor for an up-or-down vote
by all 100 Senators. Estrada is slated to be the first Hispanic
ever to serve on the D.C. Court of Appeals...[more]
CFIF
Executive Director to Discuss Campaign Finance “Reform” at 30th
Anniversary of CPAC
Center
for Individual Freedom Executive Director Eric Schippers will
be joining Judge Kenneth Starr of Kirkland & Ellis and election
law expert Cleta Mitchell of Foley & Lardner for a panel
discussion on the ongoing lawsuit over the McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). The panel, Campaign
Finance Reform: Does the 1st Amendment Mean Anything, will be
featured at the 30th anniversary of CPAC on Saturday, February
1 at 11:00 a.m. at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington,
Virginia. The discussion will be moderated by Southeastern
Legal Foundation President Phil Kent...[more]
Urge
Congress to Pass Medical Liability Reform
The
nation’s physicians have become the latest target of opportunistic
plaintiff’s attorneys in search of the next big payday. Thousands
of doctors are being hauled into court each year to defend against
frivolous claims not even remotely based on law or fact. Even
when their clients are beyond reproach, physicians’ insurance
companies often settle bogus claims out of court, especially
when the cost of settlement is significantly less than the cost
of a vigorous defense — it almost always is.
The
result has been skyrocketing rates for medical malpractice insurance,
driving many physicians to close their doors or significantly
scale back their practices.
It’s
time for Congress to pass the president’s plan on medical liability
reform. To send an e-mail to your elected officials in Washington
DC, click
here.
The
Looming Debate over Privacy, Commercial Speech and the Fair Credit
Reporting Act
With
the 108th Congress in session less than a month, a showdown
over privacy issues is already gearing up...[more]
Center
Expresses Strong Support for Making Permanent Internet Tax Moratorium
In
a letter to Senator George Allen (R-VA), the Center expressed
strong support for his legislation to make permanent the moratorium
on multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce and
taxes on Internet access. Furthermore, the Center applauds his
efforts to repeal current taxes on Internet access in those states
that were grandfathered when Congress originally passed the Internet
Tax Freedom Act in 1998.
To
read the Center’s letter, click
here.
Legislation
Introduced to Extend Internet Tax Moratorium, PERMANENTLY!
On
January 7, the first day of the 108th Congress, Representative
Christopher Cox (R-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced
companion legislation (The Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act)
that, if passed, will make permanent the Internet tax moratorium...[more]
“Beating
a Dead Horse”
Chief
Justice William Rehnquist kicked off the New Year with a familiar
mantra, pleading with Congress to help extricate the federal judiciary
from its current crisis of overcrowded dockets, too few judges
and inadequate resources. “The 2002 Year-End Report on the Federal
Judiciary is my 17th,” Rehnquist wrote. “As I look back on these
reports, I am struck by the number of issues that seem regularly
to crop up, or perhaps never go away – judicial vacancies, the
need for additional judgeships, judges’ salaries, judicial appropriations.”...[more]
States
Vote to Streamline Collection of Internet Sales Taxes
A coalition of lawmakers and tax collectors from
more than 30 states gathered together in Chicago on November 12
to approve the final draft of an interstate agreement to “simplify”
their tax laws and make it easier for budget-strapped legislators
to collect sales and use taxes on Internet purchases...[more]
WARNING:
SHARP LEFT TURN AHEAD
President
Bush triumphed in last week’s midterm elections. His party recaptured
control of the United States Senate and strengthened its majority
in the House of Representatives, a feat of historic proportions
that has Democrats still pondering the question, “What went wrong?”...[more]
The
Midterm Elections: Looking
for the Lockbox
It
is fitting that the country music awards followed by one night
the midterm elections. It is equally fitting that Alan Jackson,
the humble, deferential Georgia writer and singer of simple songs
swept the table in stunning similarity to the President’s sweep
the night before...[more]
Center
Urges Landrieu to Stand by Her Distorted Principles on Campaign
Finance “Reform”
Two
days after the mid-term elections, the Center for Individual Freedom
sent a letter to Senator Mary Landrieu urging her to stand by
her commitment to campaign finance “reform” during her Louisiana
run-off election against Suzanne Terrell. The Center is a named
plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of
the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, as we seek
to restore the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans
to engage in the political process that Landrieu and many of her
colleagues so willingly stripped away.
“As
a matter of your own, albeit distorted, principles on campaign
finance, it would behoove you to reject all soft money donations
during the run-off and campaign within the bounds of BCRA. You
voted for it; live by it. . .”...[more]
Federal
Judge Rules Beef Checkoff is 'Government Speech'
Abandoning
the notion that the beef checkoff is a “self-help” program, the
Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board and the National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) have temporarily staved off
one of a number of challenges to the beef checkoff by persuading
a federal court that the program is, in fact, “government speech.”...[more]
Center
to Chairman Patrick Leahy:
Adopt
President’s Plan to Speed Judicial Confirmations
On October
31, the Center for Individual Freedom sent a letter to Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) urging him to
support President Bush’s recent nonpartisan proposal to streamline
and expedite the judicial nomination and confirmation process.
To read the
Center’s letter,
click here.
Welcome
to the Town of “Got Milk?”
A Shining Symbol of the Fleecing of America's Dairy Farmers
What to do when an endless parade of mustachioed
celebrities starts getting old? Go out and buy a town, of course.
Jeff Manning,
Executive Director of the California Milk Processor Board, which
oversees the “Got Milk?” advertising program, has devised a plan
to solicit a small town in his state to change its name to “Got
Milk?” in exchange for a “meaningful contribution” to the town
and construction of a local “Got Milk?” museum and tourist attraction.
“It’s all about the ad campaign,” Manning beamed to the San Francisco
Chronicle.…[more]
Pork:
The Other Unconstitutional Checkoff
A federal
judge in Michigan declared another of the nation’s agricultural
commodity promotion programs unconstitutional in an order issued
October 25. The order struck down portions of the federal Pork
Production, Research and Consumer Education Act of 1985, which
created the pork checkoff program authorizing the collection of
mandatory assessments on pork producers that pay for generic advertising,
such as the campaign touting “Pork: The Other White Meat.”…[more]
BCRA
and the Hollywood Loophole
The
media stands to gain enormous power in the political process should
BCRA be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, as they’re exempt.
That much is clear to everyone following this issue, especially
the editorial page editors of nearly every major newspaper in
the country. However, what’s not being discussed, much to
the delight of "reformers," is what appears to be an
exemption for Hollywood....[more]
"I
am telling you under oath that I will conscientiously enforce
the law, including laws and precedent that I don’t agree
with... I will tell you with as much conviction as anything, that
I believe in and am committed to the rule of law."
That was
the recurring theme voiced by University of Utah Law School Professor
Michael McConnell at his September 18 confirmation hearing for
a seat on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before the Senate
Judiciary Committee. He waited more than 16 months for his turn
on the notorious hot seat that has been anything but judicious
to those who preceded him since the Democrats took control of
the committee more than a year ago....[more]
Owen’s
Defeat Draws Line in the Sand
The
battle over the confirmation of President George W. Bush’s
nominations to the federal bench has been anything but routine.
However, a nominee who has served as a state supreme court justice
over the past eight years, elected to a second term with 84 percent
of the vote and with the endorsements of every major newspaper
in the state, should clear the Senate’s "advise and
consent" hurdle with relative ease. Add to that a unanimous
"well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association’s
Committee on the Judiciary, the support of colleagues, a bipartisan
group of 15 former state bar presidents, both her state’s
senators and a majority in the U.S. Senate and you have a shoo-in,
right?...[more]
Hacking
Through the Ivy: Moral Relativism at Princeton
We
admit to a perverse fondness for stories relating the perfidies
of academia, although we diligently attempt to mask that perversity
by citing more serious principles for our interest. It is thus
that we discuss Princeton University’s Internet second story
job on Yale University’s admissions Website...[more]
Beef
Checkoff Litigation
Avoids
Trial On Factual Issues
The
Honorable Richard F. Cebull, United States District Court Judge
for the District of Montana, entered an order on August 30, 2002,
that averts a trial on factual issues in dispute in the legal
battle over the Beef Checkoff Program filed by Montana ranchers
Steve and Jeanne Charter and the Center for Individual Freedom.
This legal twist comes in response to cross-motions filed by the
parties requesting the court to summarily rule on the constitutionality
of the checkoff program...[more]
Big
Win for the Little Guys: Federal Court Rules Irvine’s Campaign
Finance Restrictions Unconstitutional
Time and
again we read about the little guy who took on city hall and lost.
Not this time...[more]
Healthy
Campaigns, Democracy Are Compatible
By Senator Mitch McConnell:
(Reprinted with permission from The Hill)
As the outrage lobby,a.k.a the campaign finance reform industry,
continues its hype and hyperbole, I am reminded of that infamous
quote from the House Democratic leader, Dick Gephardt (Mo.), on
this very issue: "What we have is two important values in direct
conflict: freedom of speech and our desire for healthy campaigns
in a healthy democracy...[more]
"Let’s
Get Ready to Rumble. . ."
Not
since Muhammad Ali and "Smokin’ Joe" Frazier fought
the Thrilla in Manila more than 25 years ago has there been so
much buzz. Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call called it a modern-day
"Clash of the Titans" — the "Thrilla in the
LBJ Room."
The
event: A shouting match between two Democratic heavyweights in
the U.S. Senate — Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Russ Feingold
(D-WI). The setting: A Democratic Policy Committee luncheon. The
issue: Implementation of Feingold’s Bipartisan Campaign Finance
Reform Act (BCRA) and its impact on Senate Democrats...[more]
House
Votes to Grant Pilots Right to Bear Arms in Cockpit
"Do
you really think that 9/11 would have happened if our pilots had
been armed, as they should have been armed?" asked House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young
(R-AK) during a recent debate. While
no one can answer that question with certainty, the House of Representatives
last week overwhelmingly responded (voting 310-113) by authorizing
pilots to carry guns in the cockpit as a "last line of defense"
against would-be terrorists...[more]
John
McCain Strikes Again
Who
in the World is Ellen Weintraub?
President
George W. Bush’s judicial nominees face yet another hurdle
in the U.S. Senate — Senator John McCain. The
Arizona Republican has placed a hold on all nominations pending
before the Senate, including 17 judicial nominees. And the "maverick"
senator is vowing to prevent any action on their confirmations
until the president assures him that Ellen Weintraub will receive
a recess appointment to a seat on the Federal Elections Commission
(FEC) during Congress’ upcoming August break...[more]
