Todd Tiahrt: “many Americans believe that our campaigns are too long and too negative. Well, my campaign for the Fourth District of…”

“many Americans believe that our campaigns are too long and too negative. Well, my campaign for the Fourth District of Kansas election in 2000 started today. Today, the unions, the Washington union bosses, are purchasing television time to run ads against me this very day, almost 15 months out. Too long, too negative, false and misleading ads. Now, it started with money taken by mandatory union dues and then it filtered its way into the Washington union bosses coffers, their pockets. Then from there it is sent, without the permission of the employees, to support issues that in most cases a majority of the union members oppose. Thomas Jefferson said to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagations of opinions which he does not believe is sinful and tyrannical; and yet, that is exactly what is happening today. Campaign ads that are purchased today by the Washington union bosses will not be publicly disclosed. There will be no permission granted from the employees who contributed these funds, and there will be no public record; money taken without consent, spent on issues not reported, without any public disclosure, starting a campaign about 15 months from now. Well, what is there in this piece of legislation that is before us that is going to prevent such injustice? What is there in Shays-Meehan that is going to correct this problem? There is nothing in here. There is no public disclosure.…”