Whither freedom of speech?
The Washington Post reported yesterday on reaction by advocacy groups across the spectrum to the Supreme Court's upholding of most of the McCain-Feingold Incumbent Protection Act.

While I'm by no means a legal expert, I'm puzzled how the Supreme Court can overextend its reach to find supposed 'rights', but seemingly doesn't give the benefit of the doubt to the freedom of speech explicitly stated in the First Amendment. Of course, responsibility for this outcome must also be shared by the Congress for passing this law and President Bush for signing it, even with doubts about its constitutional validity.

While the extent of McCain-Feingold's impact on free speech will be determined by further events, it is unlikely to achieve its stated goal of driving the excessive influence of money out of politics. Cumbersome legal micro-management usually does not effect its intended change in human behavior.