Latest Politics  

Latest Posts  |  Archive  | 

Giuliani on McCain-Feingold: 'it was a mistake'

by Ryan Sager
Tue, 7 Aug 2007 at 3:32 PM
updated Tue, 7 Aug 2007 at 3:36 PM

Print

Send

RSS

Share:

The Giuliani campaign has now provided the rest of Rudy Giuliani's answer when he was asked whether he would roll back McCain-Feingold as president. Short answer: He would.

Longer answer:

I supported McCain-Feingold. I wasn't a big player in it because I wasn't in Congress, but I supported it. The concept made sense to me. Now that I see it play out in a couple of elections, I think it was a mistake. We should get much closer to being able to allow people to -- to realize their rights of free speech in the way in which they get involved in campaigns, make contributions to campaigns. I think these 527s have just -- I think McCain -- the end result of McCain-Feingold is not that the power of money has been lessened in politics. In some ways the power of money has been increased in politics, so I think it had an unintended consequence and we should go back and reform it, take out some of the abuses and probably get closer to recognizing people's rights of free speech. So I think ultimately it hasn't worked, and I do not in any way say that in any way to blame it on Senator McCain. I think he passed it in absolute good faith thinking he was straightening out a problem. I think lots of other people supported it, including me. I think, though, it's like, you know, you say does this balance in running something, running a government or an Army or anything else, sometimes the things you think are going to go right go wrong and you got to go change them. And then sometimes they go – they go right and you stick with them.

Transcript:

QUESTION: Do you have any plans on repealing McCain-Feingold?

MR. GIULIANI: Do I have any plans on repealing McCain-Feingold? Gee, why don't you ask Senator McCain when he comes? He knows better about McCain/Feingold. I'm gonna tell you -- I'm going to tell you a few things, and this is not personal at all because I happen to be a very big admirer of Senator McCain, and I can tell you quite honestly, if I weren't running for president, I would be here supporting him. If for some reason I made the decision not to run, he'd be my candidate, and I really admire the man tremendously. I supported McCain-Feingold. I wasn't a big player in it because I wasn't in Congress, but I supported it. The concept made sense to me. Now that I see it play out in a couple of elections, I think it was a mistake. We should get much closer to being able to allow people to -- to realize their rights of free speech in the way in which they get involved in campaigns, make contributions to campaigns. I think these 527s have just -- I think McCain -- the end result of McCain-Feingold is not that the power of money has been lessened in politics. In some ways the power of money has been increased in politics, so I think it had an unintended consequence and we should go back and reform it, take out some of the abuses and probably get closer to recognizing people's rights of free speech. So I think ultimately it hasn't worked, and I do not in any way say that in any way to blame it on Senator McCain. I think he passed it in absolute good faith thinking he was straightening out a problem. I think lots of other people supported it, including me. I think, though, it's like, you know, you say does this balance in running something, running a government or an Army or anything else, sometimes the things you think are going to go right go wrong and you got to go change them. And then sometimes they go – they go right and you stick with them. (Rudy Giuliani, Townhall Meeting, Mason City, IA, 8/6/07)

Related Topics: GOP Primary

Latest Politics Homepage