FEC Will Finds 527s 'Legal' (BARF ALERT!)

Newsmax ^ | 4/12/04

[dakine]

This isn't news, Bradley Smith of the FEC has publicly stated his views....

[Lunatic Fringe]

Bush doesn't need billions to win this thing. He has plenty of money to run enough campaign commercials in battleground states.

[abner]

No need for Mack trucks. Time for a bunch of Republican 527's.

[Mo1]

The FEC source, close to the Republican appointees on the commission, said the view of one or more of the Republican commissioners is that the 527s are "legal."

The 527's aren't illegal in itself

It's how they are using the 527's that are illegal .. the dems are abusing the rules given to 527's

[areafiftyone]

Time for a bunch of Republican 527's.

Exactly what I think.

[Bob J]

The way 527's are using their money puts them squarely in the PAC category. 527's cannot use their funds for candidate specific purposes and this is the crux of the debate.

[Solamente]

The RNC don't need no steenkin' 527's, they got Freepers for Free!

[Bob J]

I don't see how the FEC can rule this way. 527 rules are very clear, no candidate specific marketing. A 527 cannot put out anything that would urge a person to vote either for or against any one candidate. They may try to hide behind the excuse that they are only informing the public of facts, but I can't see this dog hunting.

It may have to come down to an IRS ruling.

[abner]

I hope you are right. But, if you aren't it's time...

[Sybeck1]

Is the NRA a 527? I just renewed a couple of weeks back. Anyone have any knowledge what they plan this year?

[Bob J]

There are two groups, Grassfire and Citizens United, who have been raising money to run conservative ads. The problem is, most of the left's money raising is initially accomplished via email lists (once ads go out, it snowballs) and the right is way behind in this tactic.

Since Clinton, MoveOn has been aggressive in compiling UTD email lists (I've heard they have 2-3 million) while few conservative organizations have more than a couple hundred thousand. Email campaigns are critical to raising seed money since other vehicles (direct mail, commercial) are expensive and have a tendancy to chew up contributions raised.

Grassfire, Rightmarch and Conservative Petitions have been doing a good job at bridging this email gap. BTW - Rightalk will be very aggressive in building an email database...(wink).

[Bob J]

The NRA is a C-3, but also have a C-4 and PAC under their umbrella. Don't know about a 527.

[pawdoggie]

The 527's aren't illegal in itself.It's how they are using the 527's that are illegal .. the dems are abusing the rules given to 527's

Amen! Saying that "527's are legal" doesn't answer the specific complaints of obvious coordination between the Kerry Campaign and the 527s. The problem with the Republicans simply starting up their own 527s is that they're way behind the power curve, the Democrats have been organizing ever since the courts upheld McCain Feingold. These organizations can't be "stood up" over night, and you can bet that if anyone involved with the RNC or the Bush Campaign even hints, publicly or in writing, that any one organization or group start or support a 527, the Democrat/Media nexus will go into high gear to allege criminality.

[Gen. Longstreet]

527 rules are very clear, no candidate specific marketing. A 527 cannot put out anything that would urge a person to vote either for or against any one candidate.

And your authority for this is...? In fact, 527s have existed since the Federal Election Campaign Act was first passed in 1974, and they have never been regulated in the manner being proposed. True, they can't urge people to vote in a specific way. But short of that - of specifically saying "vote for x" or "vote against x" - they can say whatever they want about candidates. Nothing in McCain-Feingold changed regulation of 527s, except that they can't run ads that mention a candidate within 60 days of an election. If 527 rules were clear, why would the RNC be asking the FEC to write a new rule?

There are many Republican and conservative 527s: The Republican Main Street Coalition; The Republican National Lawyers Association; The Club for Growth; Citizens United; etc. etc. They will also be limited in their ability to criticize Kerry, Dashle, Kennedy et al. Be careful what you wish for.

[Gen. Longstreet]

The NRA is a C-3, but also have a C-4 and PAC under their umbrella. Don't know about a 527.

By definition, a PAC is always a 527. All PACs are 527s. Not all 527s are PACs, however.

[Mo1]

I could be wrong .. but starting up a 527 isn't all that hard .. as long as you have the money to do it and it's my understanding there are no limits on giving to a 527's

I've been wondering for some time where are the money that Hellary has been raising the last several years went to

IMO .. some of it went to the 527 the she had Harold Ickes start

[CedarDave]

Agree here also. In NM for every Bush ad I see, there is one by Kerry, the Media Fund, and Moveon.org. Take a look at this link:

The Major Players: Active Advocacy Groups in the 2004 Election Cycle .

Fourteen of the eighteen 527 groups listed are Democratic, labor or environmental groups which support the Democratic candidate. The Pubbies need to stop fighting the 527's and start helping those that support Bush's reelection, and Republican and/or limited government causes.

[MrB]

The Democrats do not seem to be too worried about the lack of control.

Nor should they, not when they get the equivalent of billions of dollars of free campaign advertising from the partisan media.

[Bob J]

I refer you to the FEC opinion published Feb 29, 2004 regarding specific questions regarding 527 activities from Americans for a Better Country here.

The FEC clearly states several times that communications expressing support for or against any federal candidate are defined as electioneering and subject to Federal rules regarding the use and reporting of Federal election funds. The communications do not specifically have to state voting for or against a candidate, only that their effect is to influence a Federal election.

The ads that MoveOn and other left wing organizations are running clearly fall under Federal election fund rules and therefore subject to the donation limits and reporting requirements of a PAC.