Even the ACLU couldn't support the Democrats' new Campaign Finance bill

The last major campaign finance bill passed when the Republicans controlled both house of Congress as well as the presidency. It is pretty amazing that the Democrats couldn't get a single Republican to support this bill, and the way that it is being rammed through so quickly makes me wonder whether they really want it passed. Personally, I don't see why someone loses their right to express themselves when they join a group of like minded individuals whether it be a union or a business or some other group such as Citizens United. President Obama has continually incorrectly described this bill in terms of just helping corporations. Donations are still not allowed directly to political campaigns, but the organizations are allowed to spend their own money to support positions that they defend. The position that the Obama administration wanted to defend would have resulted in banning of books (excuse me in their finally arguments they just said books shorter than say 100 pages). From the NY Times:

But even some Republicans who have made efforts to work collaboratively with the Democrats said there was not sufficient cooperation on the bill to generate bipartisan support.

“I know that the new routine for legislating these days is to ram and jam, but these issues deserve time,” said Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Republican of Maine, who Democrats had hoped would support the bill.

Calling a vote on the bill premature, she said, “We have no had hearings, no vetting, no attempt, I think, to bring people together to work on an issue that responds to the Supreme Court’s decision.”

The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the blocking of the bill.

“We can only truly bring positive change to our elections if we continue to respect our cherished free speech rights and, unfortunately, the Disclose Act does not do that,” said Laura W. Murphy, director of the civil liberties union’s Washington legislative office, said in a statement. . . .