(Alternate title: The Law of Unintended Consequences)

I truly adore this political mud slinging by independent groups (“527s”) that’s arisen in the wake of “Campaign Finance Reform” plugging up a few outlets for private contributions. Of course, the very same money just found its way to other outlets, and when those are plugged, it will find its way to yet other outlets. Will all this evidence cause people to doubt the intellectual and “problem”-solving abilities of John McCain and his allies in the relentless struggle to “reform” political campaign finance?

Of course it won’t. When new laws don’t work, or work opposite of their intended goal, the solution is nearly never to get rid of the law. The [political] “solution” is always to spend more money, to add more complexity, to bolster it with more regulators and bureaucrats.

Want proof? See here.

President Bush wants to work with Republican Sen. John McCain to go to court against political ads by “shadowy” outside groups, the White House said Thursday amid growing pressure on the president to denounce attacks on John Kerry’s war record.

“We want to pursue court action,” Bush spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to New Mexico. “The president said if the court action doesn’t work, that he would be willing to pursue legislative action with Sen. McCain on that.”

So, there you go. This is what happens when you allow yourself to be guided by “good rules of thumb,” rather than by principles. Here we have the President of the United States teaming up to get the government itself to silence political speech he disagrees with.

So, the next time you refer to America as a free country, take a moment to stop and reflect about what an idiot you are for saying such a patently stupid thing.