Mike Levin: “The courts have divided on whether the Buckley test, which includes providing so-called ``magic words'' which make an ad…”

“The courts have divided on whether the Buckley test, which includes providing so-called ``magic words'' which make an ad subject to the federal election laws, is the only way to determine when an ad is covered, or whether, as the Ninth Circuit decided in the Furgatch case, the Buckley magic words do not ``exhaust the capacity of the English language to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a candidate.'' Just a week or so ago, the Federal Election Commission reaffirmed its commitment to a broader test--one that goes beyond the magic words. I urged FEC to take that position, and I think it's the right one to take. Am I correct that it is not the Senator's intention or the intention of any of the cosponsors of the Snowe-Jeffords amendment to send a message critical of the FEC's position?”