From The Guardian UK
By Frederic J. Frommer

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in an anti-abortion group’s First Amendment challenge to advertising limits in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.

Wisconsin Right to Life was barred in 2004 from broadcasting ads that mentioned Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat facing re-election who co-authored the law with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. A provision of the law banned the use of corporate or union money for ads identifying federal candidates two months before a general election.

In 2003, the Supreme Court upheld the law, 5-4, but Wisconsin Right to Life argues that its ads should have been allowed anyway because they constituted lobbying, not electioneering. The commercials urged people to call Feingold and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., asking them to oppose filibustering President Bush’s judicial selections.

Ironically, the court takes up the case while the Senate is debating Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, whom Democrats won’t rule out filibustering. But his nomination appears headed for approval.

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