Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Comm. v. Federal Election Comm'n, 518 U.S. 604, 47 (1996)

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650

COLORADO REPUBLICAN FEDERAL CAMPAIGN COMM. v. FEDERAL ELECTION COMM'N Stevens, J., dissenting

and to diminish the importance of repetitive 30-second commercials—will be adverse to the interest in informed debate protected by the First Amendment. See id., at 262-266.

Congress surely has both wisdom and experience in these matters that is far superior to ours. I would therefore accord special deference to its judgment on questions related to the extent and nature of limits on campaign spending.* Accordingly, I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.

*One irony of the case is that both the Democratic National Party and the Republican National Party have sided with petitioners in challenging a law that Congress has the obvious power to change. See Brief for Democratic National Committee as Amicus Curiae; Brief for Republican National Committee as Amicus Curiae.

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