Posted on 12/01/2015 4:44:21 PM PST by Isara
Ad Makes Bogus Claim About Cruz Support for Oil Subsidies
HOUSTON, Texas - The Cruz for President Campaign today sent a letter to Iowa radio stations requesting they stop running a false ad placed by America's Renewable Future, a lobbyist group that wants to keep taxpayer subsidies going to the ethanol industry.
The ad falsely claims, "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol."
"It is blatantly false to suggest that Sen. Cruz wants to end the Renewable Fuel Standard while maintaining subsidies for oil," Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said. "Cruz has repeatedly stated that he would end all energy specific subsidies, both ethanol and oil among others."
Earlier this year in a speech delivered at Heritage Action in Washington, D.C., Cruz said, "Big government energy mandates don’t stop with ethanol. There are tax credits for almost every form of energy. Each designed to give one industry a leg up over the other."
He went on to say that we should level the playing field, end the special interest handouts, and stop the energy cronyism. He supported the Energy Freedom and Economic Prosperity Act, sponsored by Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, which would eliminate all technology-specific energy tax credits.
Tyler continued, "While Cruz stands consistently in support of the free market, Sen. Rubio champions corporate giveaways like the RFS and sugar subsidies that pick winners and losers in order to enrich lobbyists at the expense of the American taxpayers."
The text of the letter to the radio stations is below and may be viewed here:
December 1, 2015
Dear Station Manager:
On behalf of Cruz for President, I write this letter to inform you that, based upon available information, America's Renewable Future, Inc. has purchased media time to publicly disseminate a false and misleading advertisement regarding Senator Ted Cruz.
The ad falsely claims, "Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil, but want to end support for ethanol."
To the contrary, Ted Cruz has repeatedly stated that he would end energy subsidies for both ethanol and oil among other energy subsidies.
He specifically supports the Energy Freedom and Economic Prosperity Act, sponsored by Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, which would do just that.
Because this advertisement makes a flatly false factual claim for which your station is ultimately responsible, we urge you to exercise your discretion as a licensee to refuse to continue to broadcast this advertisement, and, because it is already airing, immediately pull the advertisement from your rotation.
As an FCC licensee you have the legal responsibility to exercise independent editorial judgment and discretion to oversee and protect the marketplace of ideas, but also to avoid deliberate misrepresentations and intentional libel. Political Programming Policies, 7 FCC Rcd 678, 685 n.54 (1991)("licensees are not required to accept any political material that is not authorized by candidates"). Such obligations must be taken seriously because courts command broadcasters to "protect the public from false, misleading or deceptive advertising." Licensee Responsibility with Respect to the Broadcast of False, Misleading or Deceptive Advertising, 74 FCC 2d 623 (1961). Your failure, as an FCC licensee, to fulfill this obligation, may be deemed an "underlying abdication" of your duties as such a licensee and result in the loss of your station's license. Cosmopolitan Broadcasting Corp. v. FCC, 581 F.2d 917, 927 (D.C. Cir. 1978). With this letter, Cruz for President reserves all rights, remedies and recourse to which we are entitled in connection with the potential or actual broadcast of the advertisement referenced herein, and that no action or inaction by Cruz for President shall be deemed to constitute a waiver, relinquishment or other impairment of such rights, remedies or recourse.
Thank you for your consideration and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Eric S. Brown
General Counsel
###
It won’t cost him anything.
Conservative voters are not simpletons.
.
.
Get real.
Koch doesn’t support RINOs.
He opposes stupidity, which Solar and windmills as mass power sources definitely are.
Confession: I am a solar user on my deep off-grid ranch, but solar in the city is insane.
Sheesh. Some of you people are too tightly wound. You're the people who give Conservatives a bad name.
Sheesh. Some of you people are too tightly wound. You're the people who give Conservatives a bad name.
.
You need a tranquilizer!
People are just trying to help you, and you go postal.
.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.