WASHINGTON, DC -- The attack on Michael Moore's new documentary,
"Fahrenheit 9/11," shows that free speech has come under an
unprecedented assault in America, thanks to the campaign finance law
passed by Congress last year, says Libertarian presidential candidate
Michael Badnarik.

"The Constitution is on fire -- a fire that was set when Democrats and
Republicans passed their so-called campaign finance reform law," says
Badnarik, who was nominated by the party on May 30. "The attempt to gag
Michael Moore demonstrates that McCain-Feingold was just an excuse to
outlaw political criticism."

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is considering whether advertising
for Moore's controversial new documentary, which is sharply critical of
President Bush, can be banned as "electioneering communications." Under
McCain-Feingold, corporate-paid radio or TV ads that identify a federal
candidate are illegal to broadcast within 30 days of a primary or 60
days of a general election.

Since Moore has publicly stated that his goal is to help defeat Bush,
Democrats and Republicans are waging partisan warfare over "Fahrenheit
9/11."

But Badnarik -- who teaches classes on the Constitution -- says a much
larger issue is at stake: Every American's freedom of speech.

"The truth is that Democrats and Republicans committed a bipartisan
crime against the First Amendment when they passed the McCain-Feingold
law," according to Badnarik. "This law allows politicians to determine
what their critics can say, when they can say it and how much they can
spend in the process -- which is exactly what's not supposed to happen
in a free country."

Noting that the First Amendment clearly states that 'Congress shall make
no law . . . abridging the freedom speech,' Badnarik asked: "What part
of the words 'no law' doesn't the government understand? The First
Amendment doesn't contain exceptions for advertisements that might
offend the president or cost him his job -- and it certainly doesn't
authorize federal movie police.

"Empowering a government agency to ban movie ads might be expected in
the former Soviet Union, Cuba, China, or Iraq -- but not in the United
States. Every American should stand up for Michael Moore's right to
advertise 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' regardless of how they feel about George
Bush."