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The trouble with free speech is that people tend to use it in ways of which elites -- Republican and Democratic politicians, constitutional law gurus, and similarly well-heeled wowsers -- deeply disapprove. Michael McGough has a provocative-sounding commentary in the Los Angeles Times today that nicely underscores the point.

The subhead on McGough's piece first made me think he was prepared to join the ranks of the aforementioned elites. "How the 1st Amendment keeps us from the 'goal of fair elections.'" Campaign-finance rules are the bane of free political speech and, contrary to popular belief, a boon to special interests -- i.e., media. As McGough writes:

The 1st Amendment is a significant barrier to the sort of "fair" elections desired by the New York Times — elections in which special-interest groups (but not newspapers or Oprah!) are prevented from saying too much about candidates for public office lest their message change a voter's mind. (Mike) Huckabee was right to tell the Elks that "your vote counts as much as a person who can write a check for $100,000." But their votes — and all of ours — will be influenced by messages that require the writing of checks, as well as the framing of arguments, to get into circulation. If that's anti-democratic, so is the 1st Amendment.