The Republican National Committee waited scarcely a week after the presidential contest ended to lauch a lawsuit striking at the heart of one of their former nominee's signature achievements. The committee filed two lawsuits today challenging aspects of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly known as McCain-Feingold after its two lead sponsors.

The committee is challenging the constitutionality of the Act's prohibition against unlimited corporate donations, known as "soft money," and the ban on close coordination with candidates in separate suits filed in Washington and Louisiana district courts.

The Act "is an infringement on my constitutional right, I think, both on freedom of association and free speech," RNC chairman Mike Duncan said on a conference call earlier today. Duncan said the elimination of soft money contributions cost the RNC about 40% of its resources, money the committee frequently passed to states to assist with electing candidates to statewide and state legislative offices.

That money would be especially important when it comes to redistricting after the 2010 elections. Most states give legislatures at least some power to draw new legislative and congressional district lines. The RNC has historically used soft money to influence legislative races, but BCRA prohibits that use. "We will be at a severe disadvantage if the Republican National Committee is not allowed to do what we have done in past elections," Duncan said. "The money that we have is not sufficient to help us [assist GOP redistricting efforts] the way we have in the past."

After the 2008 elections, Democrats hold majorities in at least 60 of the nation's 98 partisan legislative chambers (Nebraska has a unicameral, non-partisan legislature). Several others are tied, putting Republicans at a distinct disadvantage when redistricting comes around in two years. Perhaps most significantly, Democrats won a majority in the New York Senate, meaning the party will have complete control to draw new districts when the Empire State loses two seats following the 2010 Census, assuming they keep the governor's mansion.

The RNC is also challenging the $84,000 limit for coordinated expenditures the party is allowed to make in conjunction with candidates. Currently, any expenditure above that limit must come out of the party's independent expenditure wing, which must be separate from the main body of the organization and cannot coordinate messages or themes. "These [independent expenditure] units are very difficult to work with. You give them the money and you're not sure what the message is going to be," Duncan said.

During his presidential run, John McCain tried to make an issue of his adherence to the $84 million spending limit in the general election and Barack Obama's decision to forgo public financing. Many have pointed to the amount of money Obama raised and spent as heralding the end of the public financing system, which is also regulated in part under BCRA. With the RNC so publicly repudiating McCain's stands and positions he took during the campaign, renewed questions about McCain's relationship with the party are bound to crop up.

The Democratic National Committee, which is likely to oppose the lawsuits, has yet to issue a statement. Phone calls and emails to McCain's Senate office went unreturned.