Court spurns appeal over ‘Hillary’ film
March 25, 2008
By Jennifer Harper - The Supreme Court yesterday rejected without comment an appeal from a District-based advocacy group that promotional ads for its 90-minute political documentary critical of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are protected by First Amendment rights and, therefore, exempt from campaign-finance laws.
As a result, Citizens United must include a disclaimer and disclose its donors in commercials for “Hillary: The Movie.” The film includes interviews with many high-profile conservatives, including political commentator Ann Coulter, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
The cast is billed as “experts, opinion makers, and many of the people who personally locked horns with the Clintons.”
“We are back at square one, essentially,” said Jim Bopp, an Indiana-based lawyer who represented Citizens United in their case. “We plan to continue in the District Court to resolve the case based on its merits.”
In recent years, the group has produced films examining the United Nations, illegal immigration, faith in America and Michael Moore’s 2004 film “Fahrenheit 911,” which was critical of the Bush administration’s actions after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Citizens United became interested last year in the finer points of movie promotion after the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin Right to Life could not be prohibited from broadcasting “genuine issue ads” at certain critical times — specifically, blackout periods before elections, as required by the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC), however, still requires such groups to include a list of donors and a disclaimer with the ad itself.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/NATION/808377825/1002
“I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I’d rather have the clean government.”
“I am sure that Senator Clinton would make a good President. I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good President.”
Two John McCain quotes that are very interesting juxtaposed against each other.