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| GOP accuses Kerry, groups of illegal coordination |
| 2004-03-31 |
| President Bush’s campaign and the GOP on Wednesday accused Democrat John Kerry’s campaign of illegally coordinating political ads and get-out-the-vote activities with independent groups. "Well we are just independent groups who just support anti war activities, bring down the morale of troops, general troublemakers and and un-Americans- but we have a right to do this!!-Bush is evil"The Bush campaign and RNC said they would file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission accusing Kerry and pro-Kerry groups of violating a campaign law that broadly bans the use of "soft money" — corporate, union and unlimited individual donations — to influence federal elections. "throw the bastards in jail" The Bush campaign and GOP say pro-Kerry groups are illegally spending soft money in the presidential race, and that Kerry’s campaign is illegally coordinating that spending. The groups have contended they are operating legally. "what us illegal ?...it’s another Republican conspiracy to stamp out opposition....(as I make my next peace sign for my next moveon sponsored march against the Bush presdiency for wanting to drill where spotted ants live" Groups such as the MoveOn.org Voter Fund and the Media Fund, which work on behalf of Democrats but independently of the Kerry campaign, have been running ads this month criticizing Bush in several battleground states. Kerry, too, has been airing ads in key states, but on a much smaller scale. The coordination complaint is the second the Bush campaign has filed against the groups. The campaign in early March asked the FEC to investigate soft money spending by the Media Fund on anti-Bush ads. The Media Fund, using large individual donations to fund its ads, argues its activities are legal. When the Media Fund and MoveOn ran ads in mid-March, the Bush campaign called them "bitter partisan groups." The two groups have helped Democrats match Bush ad for ad in key media markets. The Republican complaints come as the commission considers placing broad new limits on soft money spending by tax-exempt political groups. Its decision could have the greatest short-term effect on Democrats, whose party depended more heavily on soft money than the GOP did before the law banned national party committees from collecting it. "Ya we really screwed ourselves with election reform. who woulda thunk that Bush would raise so much money from mom and pop.. duh" The Republican Party collects millions of dollars more than the Democratic Party in limited donations from individuals allowed under the law. Bush, meanwhile, has raised more than $170 million, more than twice as much as Kerry has. "I wonder why?- maybe the public likes him" Trying to counter those advantages, several Democratic activists set up partisan groups to spend soft money after the law banned the parties from doing so in November 2002. Campaign finance watchdogs often call such groups "shadow parties" because they have taken on types of spending the parties used to have soft money to finance, such as get-out-the-vote drives and political ads. Republicans have also created such groups, but so far they have not been as prolific in their efforts as Democrats have. "The gloom and doom party the DIms- party 1st country 2nd" |
| Posted by:Bill Nelson |
| #12 Nine more Americans died today because of Jewsih lies about WMD while Mr. Pruitt censors the truth. PLEASE NOTE: Delete spaces in censored URL below. http://AD LU SA.com |
| Posted by: Joseph TROLL 2004-03-31 3:07:30 PM |
| #11 Seriously folks, put your money where your mouth is and send some to the Bush campaign. Hard money spends just as good. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-03-31 11:34:50 PM |
| #10 Too often we're seeing now lib dhimmicrats chosing to break the law simply because they don't like it. Then we get this mob trashing Roves house. This $h!t is getting way outta hand. Squash it. Now. All very understandable, but when lefties engage in questionable behavior, it doesn't seem to generate as much of a buzz as when right-wingers do such things. Instead of complaining, I figure that the best remedy is to beat the competition at their own game, causing them to rethink their actions. Complaining about something, no matter how valid the complaints are, can be viewed as whining if it happens frequently enough. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-03-31 4:36:04 PM |
| #9 RM- I may make your point, but I think you miss mine. Clearly I agree that their trespassing was a violation of the law. What I don't agree with is that the ideological Right (conservatives, GOP, Freepers, etc.), in taking advantage of what are legal loopholes in a faulty piece of legislation seeking to tighten the government control of free speech, would be in violation of any law. The exploitation of loopholes does not breed cynicism...the Left's ideology does (this is one of their mainstays). Realistically, Bush cannot sit back and allow the left to take potshots while the FEC deliberates on the merits of his complaint. Action is needed, and talking in metaphysical terms won't cut it, I'm afraid. I recommend supporting the NRA, as I know they are starting a competing conservative media outlet which will support 2nd amendment rights. |
| Posted by: mjh 2004-03-31 4:23:16 PM |
| #8 [Troll droppings deleted] |
| Posted by: Franklin TROLL 2004-03-31 3:07:30 PM |
| #7 Actually mjh, you make my point when you say "they failed to respect private property". This is called tresspassing, and it is a violation of the law. They did not respect the law, and they had reason to believe they would not suffer for their actions. That needs to change. You're correct on the loophole aspect regarding soft money groups. However, exploitation of such loopholes breeds cynicism. Instead of joining the mob, the GOP is doing the right thing in seeking shut it down. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-03-31 2:31:19 PM |
| #6 RM and BN, I'm not advocating breaking the law, this appears to me to be a circumvention or loophole of the law banning soft money. Likewise, how would those people have been prevented from storming Rove's house? The problem with that situation is not that they did not adhere to campaign contribution laws, but that they failed to respect private property. I fail to share your pessimism. The Right and Left are not morally equivalent, and therefore cannot see a group of NRA members or Freepers invading someone's privacy and trespassing on their property to make a statement for the very reason that they respect these things, whereas those on the left do not. That is the defining difference between the two sides of the debate in my mind. If conservative soft money groups were allowed to exist, then I believe they would conduct their campaign with the same respect and restraint that most of their activities are currently conducted, much like the left is conducting their campaign with as much disrespect, immaturity and ignorance as always. |
| Posted by: mjh 2004-03-31 2:15:19 PM |
| #5 Rex, good point as witnessed last week by the Repub bloggers for Bush in Boston who were set on by Dimmy union goons. There is a LOT OF VENOMOUS HATRED out there. When you can call the President of the USA everything in the book to further your party's goals sometyhing is wrong. |
| Posted by: Bill Nelson 2004-03-31 1:54:25 PM |
| #4 B.A.R , mjh: Gotta disagree here. This is also about rule of law and we are quickly losing it to mob rule. Too often we're seeing now lib dhimmicrats chosing to break the law simply because they don't like it. Then we get this mob trashing Roves house. This $h!t is getting way outta hand. Squash it. Now. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-03-31 1:50:53 PM |
| #3 the dems mantra - why follow the laws when we can circumvent them in the clinton style. says alot when Bush raises so much money from 2,000 individual donations. |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-03-31 1:18:50 PM |
| #2 Yeah...I'm with B-A-R...I can vote w. my pocketbook too. Anyone know what some of these Republican soft money groups are? |
| Posted by: mjh 2004-03-31 1:17:29 PM |
| #1 Why complain about it? If it's okay for the Dems to do, then Repubs should do it too. And do it BETTER. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-03-31 1:04:49 PM |