Political posturing trumps the First Amendment. That is the clear message being sent by at least 15 senators who, less than a decade ago, were some of the most ardent opponents of a flag-burning constitutional amendment.

Now, with an election on the horizon, some senators have proposed a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the ability to control essentially all political speech, from how many billboards a candidate can buy to how many hours you can spend going door-to-door.