Candidates, earn your money

The First Amendment states that all Americans have the right to free speech and expression. Contributing money to political campaigns is included in these rights.\nThe Shays-Meehan bill, trying to reform campaign financing, wants to curb the amount any corporation, union or individual could contribute to a political party and limit the amount a candidate could spend on their own campaign.\n People should not be limited from giving contributions to candidates of their choice, because the money is theirs to spend. It is up to the candidates to raise funds for their own campaigns, whether it be from contributions or personal expenses. If Republicans have historically been able to raise more than Democrats, so be it. \n Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, an outspoken supporter of the Shays-Meehan bill, said, 'More than any other group in Congress, we should be for reform, for a way to level the political process."\n If you want to level the playing field, John, get out of the office and do something about it. Don't rely on bills to get your job done.\n If the bill is passed, the provision is not likely to stand up to court challenges based on the First Amendment's right to free speech anyway. The Supreme Court has said Congress cannot limit candidates' expenditures on their own behalf.\nIt's true. Politicians are not void from their First Amendment rights, either.\nThe Shays-Meehan bill should not be passed in the House. The revenues from soft money have helped candidates get to the positions they want because they have earned the contributions. If their ideas were not well-received, they could not get the contributions they do. \nPolitics are all about competition, not being an equal playing field for all. It should be like a college football field, not an elementary school playground.