Mike Levin: “The reason the gentleman does not want to do that is because allowing nongermane amendments is a strategy, it is a…”

“The reason the gentleman does not want to do that is because allowing nongermane amendments is a strategy, it is a tactic. At first the gentleman tried to choke campaign reform with a very restrictive rule and attacked it. Some of the gentleman's own Members rebelled with virtually all of us Democrats. So that did not work, and now essentially the gentleman wants to drown it. I heard last night some of the Republican Members, I say to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder) coming up here and talking about left-wing Democrats who want campaign reform, who want Shays-Meehan, like John McCain, that left-wing Democrat. I understand Fred Thompson supports it, that left-wing Democrat; the gentleman from Connecticut, Chris Shays, is he a left-wing Democrat?”