I don't like this

The AP reports:

President Bush wants to work with Republican Sen. John McCain to pursue court action 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.

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

Sen. McCain (R., Ariz.) has called on Mr. Bush to condemn the anti-Kerry ads, even as he is actively supporting Mr. Bush's re-election. The senator welcomed Mr. Bush's gesture.

They clearly don't get it. Maybe Bush is trying to prove that he's not behind the Swift Boat Vets' ads, but he should know better than to try to mess with peoples' First Amendment rights. Free public debate and political speech is what freedom of speech and of the press are all about. We seem to be turning them on their heads by protecting pornography and trying to regulate political speech.

I'm deeply disappointed in Bush and I lost all respect for McCain after he started advocating campaign finance regulations. It's a stupid move on Bush's part, because it will alienate a lot of people like me without winning any support from the middle and left.