Castle may Switch Vote on DISCLOSE Act

The Hill is reporting that Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), "one of only just two Republican sponsors" of the DISCLOSE Act "is so upset about late changes to the measure he is considering withdrawing his support and voting against it." More from The Hill:

"He's absolutely opposed to the exemption," Castle spokeswoman Kate Dickens told The Hill. "The exemptions are getting bigger and bigger. I don't think they are even done yet."

When asked whether the exemptions could jeopardize his vote for the overall bill, Dickens said: "Yes, it really could."

"This is a slippery slope," she said. "It's just disclosure, for God's sake … now you're just handing talking points to those who oppose the bill."

This is obviously potential bad news for Democrats. Castle, while a moderate and past supporter of campaign finance legislation, is respected and is giving bipartisan cover for Democrats on the issue. (Castle is also the Republican nominee for Delaware's open U.S. Senate in the upcoming November election.) Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) is the other Republican co-sponsor in the House. No word on his response to the changes in the bill. There are no Republicans co-sponsoring the legislation in the Senate.