Political Skullduggery

The GOP attempts to weaken the influence of "527" groups hit a temporary roadblock yesterday when a judge refused to immediately impose new regulations on the use of these campaign finance tools.

The Democratic Party-favored "527s" respite will only be brief, however, since the judge ordered the FEC to start implementing rules to rein in these groups or explain why it is not necessary.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan has rejected requests by the Bush-Cheney campaign and by two advocates of campaign finance legislation to order the Federal Election Commission to impose tough regulations on "527" political committees that put more than $400 million into the 2004 elections.

Instead, in a ruling issued late Wednesday evening, the judge gave the FEC a choice: Either explain in detail why regulations are not needed or begin proceedings to develop such rules...

The judge warned that if the FEC continues to treat 527 committee complaints on a case-by-case basis instead of issuing encompassing rules, it will have to explain how the interests of complainants will be protected under time-consuming processes that often do not produce any action until the election is over...

Sullivan's decision means the FEC must once again tackle the tough issue of the independent political committees, which were used in 2003-04 to get around legislation banning the use of large donations from unions, corporations and rich people -- also known as "soft money."

The transfer of wealth to the rich is what American democracy is really all about, the Republican and Democratic parties are both engineered for this purpose.

That's why the really big money gives to both parties.

If "527" groups are stifled in any real way, this will not stop the spigot of funds to favored candidates.

The real owners of the United States will simply have their lawyers work out another mechanism to maintain the ongoing theft of the nation's bounty from the citizens.