The Sun on Bradley Smith

I intended to post this yesterday, but in case you didn't read it, this editorial from the New York Sun pays homage to retiring FEC commissioner Bradley Smith. You'll recall that it was Brad who, back in March, called attention to the threat posed by the FEC to bloggers in this interview. That led to vitriolic denunciations of Brad by the reform lobby, many of whom are McCain's minions, and all of whom wish to reign in the power of voters to make crucial decisions at the ballot box. If you're interested in our coverage of this still-unfolding saga, type Brad's name into the search box to the left.

Here's a taste of the Sun's editorial:

All Americans who value the First Amendment will regret the retirement of Bradley Smith from the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Smith, a member of the commission since 2000 who served as its chairman in 2004, publicly announced his resignation last week. He steps down August 21.

Mr. Smith was a rare character to head a regulatory agency: a man of principle who openly questioned the wisdom of the very regulations he was charged with enforcing. "I think there are a lot of things that should be deregulated," Mr. Smith has told The New York Sun. "I think most of the restrictions do more harm than good. We really need to start thinking harder about the costs of some of the campaign finance regulation."

Amen to all of that. The editorial ends with an exhortation to President Bush to appoint someone to Brad's post on the FEC who shares his determination to preserve our First Amendment rights in the face of a hostile "reform" lobby that seeks to limit the ability of Americans to speak out in ways that will influence elections, as if that isn't that the purpose of political speech.

It also reminds us that McCain and his forces have launched an effort to stifle the ability of so-called 527 groups, such as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, or any on the left, to speak their minds on elections. If McCain is successful this round, he will have succeeded in further restricting the ability of Americans to speak their minds about politics, an affront to the First Amendment and the American way of life that cannot be tolerated. An important step in ensuring that the public has a voice in the FEC is for Republicans and Democrats who value free speech to pressure the White House to appoint a like-minded person to Brad's seat. We deserve, and expect, no less.