Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said that if a proposed constitutional amendment on campaign finance is passed, political satire of the kind popularized on "Saturday Night Live" could become illegal,
Politico reported.
Cruz believes such an amendment would in effect
supersede the First Amendment. Democrats, among them New York Sen.
Chuck Schumer, have characterized as "phony" Cruz's claim that limiting corporate election spending infringes on free speech.
Speaking from the Senate floor, with enlarged photographs of celebrated SNL scenes to make his point,
Cruz warned that the creator of "Saturday Night Live" could wind up in prison if the amendment were to become part of the U.S. Constitution: "Congress would have the power to make it a criminal offense, 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."
The proposal, which would grant Congress the power to block corporations from contributing to political campaigns, comes
up for a voice vote on a procedural motion Wednesday.
"Well, NBC which airs 'Saturday Night Live,' is a corporation," Cruz pointed out.
"I grew up watching "Saturday Night Live," I love "Saturday Night Live." "Saturday Night Live" over the years, has had some of the most tremendous political satire," Cruz said. "Who can forget in 2008, "Saturday Night Live's" wickedly funny characterization of the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin?"
Cruz added, "It was wickedly funny and also [had] a profoundly powerful effect on people's assessment of Gov. Palin, who's a friend of mine."
The senator has himself been satirized on the program, according to Politico.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken, who worked as a writer and actor on SNL, has assured him that the amendment was not meant to cover political satire, Cruz said.
But the issue, he said, was not intention but how such an amendment could be interpreted, Politico reported.
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