Cliff Stearns: “Mr. Chairman, I think Congress needs to strengthen the law by preventing the type of activity that Dick Morris mentioned…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think Congress needs to strengthen the law by preventing the type of activity that Dick Morris mentioned in his testimony. This type of abuse should be prevented from ever happening again in presidential campaigns, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. The infamous Dick Morris testified to the Committee that, The President had significant involvement with the DNC media consultants in the areas of polling, advertising, speech-writing, legislation strategy, and general policy advice. The President: (1) reviewed, modified and approved all advertising copy; (2) reviewed, adjusted and approved media time buys; (3) reviewed and modified polling questions; and (4) received briefings on the analyzed polling results. A significant amount of the polling work the consultants performed for the President "related to substantive issues in connection with his job as President, but is (also) could be considered political." The President wanted to keep total control over the advertising campaign designed by Morris and the DNC media consultants. The defenders of the President will argue that this is not a violation of the letter of the law under the Federal Election Campaign Act, but this intertwined coordination between the President, his political advisors, and DNC media consultants is certainly a violation of the spirit of the law.”