Former Sen. Alan Simpson's swipe at Sen. Ted Cruz about Cruz's comment that political satire on shows like "Saturday Night Live" may become illegal if a campaign finance amendment is passed, shows that Simpson is detached from reality, says David Bossie, president of Citizens United.
"It just goes to show you that Alan Simpson's completely out to lunch," Bossie said Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
"Alan has been out of the Senate a long time and he really, I don't think, is following at all what's going on in reality."
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Simpson, a Wyoming Republican, told Malzberg earlier this week that Cruz's warning was "outrageous."
"That's the kind of stuff that leaves Ted wandering in the swamp," Simpson said. "Cruz is always mumbling about the little guy. Well, the little guy is going to get hosed anyway unless you get control of the debt, man."
Democrats want to pass an amendment to fight the influence of big money in politics, singling out such major contributors as the conservative billionaire Koch brothers. But the proposal would grant Congress the power to block corporations from contributing to political campaigns and, "Well, NBC, which airs 'Saturday Night Live,' is a corporation," Cruz pointed out.
"Congress would have the power to make it a criminal offense. ['Saturday Night Live' Producer] Lorne Michaels could be put in jail under this amendment for making fun of any politician. That is extraordinary. It is breathtaking and it is dangerous," Cruz said.
Simpson, the outspoken former chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, believes Cruz is dead wrong.
"The First Amendment of the Constitution has nothing to do with corporations," Simpson said.
"The Republicans think this is just the greatest thing since ice cream and pop at the end of the road. Let me tell you, this is an automatic butt-kicking machine when you open this door and don't think the Democrats aren't going to come back and rain bombs. This is an automatic fanny-kicker with a big boot on the end and he ought to get rid of it."
But Bossie believes Simpson has it dead wrong.
"I don't know if it's just that he's been gone a long time or what, but he has to get his facts together. What Ted Cruz is is exactly right," Bossie said.
"Sen. Cruz went to the floor of the United States Senate to defend every American's right to free speech. Left or right, meaning liberal or conservative. What Ted Cruz's position is, is a position just like the position that I have here at Citizens United, which is that we may not agree with your speech, but we believe in your right to have it.
"We want to have a debate over ideas and over policy, but we don't want to stifle speech … Alan Simpson was always a protagonist of limiting speech. He wanted less speech because he believed and he still believes in incumbent protection plans, and that's all guys who are in power want to do: Keep power."
Bossie, whose conservative group is "dedicated to restoring our government to citizens' control," added that Cruz is "right on" when it comes to his interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
"I'm going to take Ted Cruz's belief and interpretation over Alan Simpson, who was always kind of a clownish United States senator," Bossie said.
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