Posted on 07/28/2007 9:01:43 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Nationally known peace activist Cindy Sheehan will be among a dozen speakers who will take part in the sixth annual "Fighting Bob Fest," the annual political chautauqua scheduled this year for Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo.
Sheehan, who gained notoriety for her push to get the U.S. out of Iraq and then tried to slow down her level of activity, has agreed to address Bob Fest, which last year drew more than 7,000 people to the daylong fair of political speeches, music and food.
Sponsored by The Capital Times and the Web site FightingBob.com, Bob Fest is aimed at keeping alive the progressive political tradition of Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Wisconsin's most famous political figure. It has become the largest political gathering in Wisconsin.
Sheehan is just one of the highlights at this year's event. Rep. David Obey of the 7th District, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, will speak, along with 2nd District Rep. Tammy Baldwin, 4th District Rep. Gwen Moore, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, state Sen. Lena Taylor, RadioNation host Laura Flanders, campaign finance reform activist Doris "Granny D" Haddock, Texas author and gadfly Jim Hightower, Mike McCabe of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and John Nichols, associate editor of The Capital Times. Ed Garvey, editor and publisher of FightingBob.com, will emcee the event.
For the second time, a pre-fest kick-off will be held Friday night, Sept. 7, at Madison's Barrymore Theatre featuring Nichols, Free Press founder Bob McChesney and author Jeremy Scahill, whose book "Blackwater" details the rise of a mercenary army.
Bob Fest will get under way at 8:30 the following day and will end about 5:30 p.m. Six "breakout" sessions focusing on major issues facing the country and the state will take place over the noon hour. They include campaign finance reform, women in the workplace, the crisis in education, peace, global warming, and agriculture and democracy.
Admission to the event is free, but donations to help offset travel costs for speakers, fairground rentals and other charges will be accepted.
You can pre-register for the event online by going to http://www.FightingBob.com
If she is Bobbing for apples then ... just hold her head down on the first Bob!
I thought Sheehan was going to Iraq and Syria in this time frame
Screechin’ Sheehan isn’t going to like Central Park tomorrow.
This gathering sounds more like a Commie Fest.
Or a boob fest.
And don’t forget, that ‘Fightin’ Bob’ had his ass handed to him by Wisconsin’s great patriot, Senator ‘Tailgunner’ Joe McCarthy, and America is better for it.
I came to the same conclusion after a quick scan of the news.
Hey, anyone can make that common mistake...
Fighting Bob Fest is an annual Chautauqua featuring progressive speakers, networking opportunities, and entertainment. Fighting Bob Fest carries on the tradition of Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette by providing a forum for progressive ideas on issues facing Wisconsin and the nation.
Public participation in government has tragically eroded, corporations dominate the policymaking process, and elected officials systematically neglect the public interest in favor of private ones. Freedom and justice are defended through education, and the exchange of ideas promotes solidarity among progressives. To this end, Fighting Bob Fest strives to provide citizens with a forum for democratic participation where frustrations with current policies can be constructively molded into calls to action.
Fighting Bob Fest is a project of Fighting Bob, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization supported by the charitable arm of The Capital Times. Donations to Fighting Bob, Inc. are tax deductible.
The Capital Times - your progressive news source for local, opinion and sports.
The Capital Times is a daily Monday - Saturday newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Capital Newspapers.
******
It is clear that under existing law, 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited, as a condition of their exempt status, from intervening in a campaign for or against a candidate for public office. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. These organizations have no First Amendment Right to engage in such speech, as the prohibition against intervention in a political campaign is merely a condition for receiving exempt status. If an organization wants to engage in advocacy on behalf of a candidate, it may forgo (c)(3) status and engage in political intervention (subject to campaign finance laws). Failure to comply with the limitation on political intervention can lead to the revocation of an organization’s exempt status.
Donald B. Tobin
Senior Fellow, Election Law @ Moritz
Associate Professor of Law
Moritz College of Law
Despite this prohibition, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations have become increasingly active in political campaigns.
an organization’s motive for engaging in campaign activity is irrelevant in determining whether the campaigning ban has been violated. The IRS has stated that the campaigning ban “does not refer only to participation or intervention with a partisan motive, but to any participation or intervention which affects voter acceptance or rejection of a candidate.” Revenue Ruling 78-160, 1978-1 C.B. 154
An organization with recognition of exemption under I.R.C. section 501(c)(3) may not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. This prohibition is absolute.
1-877-777-4778 and ask for Taxpayer Advocate assistance
IRS strict prohibition for 501(c)(3)’s on “issue advocacy” as a form of political intervention.
Under federal tax law, section 501(c)(3) organizations may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office. However, section 501(c)(3) organizations must avoid any issue advocacy that functions as political campaign intervention. Even if a statement does not expressly tell an audience to vote for or against a specific candidate, an organization delivering the statement is at risk of violating the political campaign intervention prohibition if there is any message favoring or opposing a candidate. A statement can identify a candidate not only by stating the candidate’s name but also by other means such as showing a picture of the candidate, referring to political party affiliations, or other distinctive features of a candidate’s platform or biography. All the facts and circumstances need to be considered to determine if the advocacy is political campaign intervention.
Public Forum
There can be no objection to a 501(c)(3) organization inviting candidates to attend a meeting of the organization or a public forum sponsored by the organization and state their views on subjects of interest to the organization. Obvious even-handedness must be maintained in all aspects of promoting and holding the meeting or public forum. Avoid stating your organization’s position or commenting on the candidates’ responses. If there is a question period, each candidate must be given the opportunity to answer all questions put by your organization. In an open meeting, members of the general public of course are not bound by the same considerations, but the moderator for your group should do his or her best to assure balance.
Of course, all bona fide candidates must be invited, and it would be best to invite them simultaneously and to use identical language in the invitations. It is not necessary that they all attend as long as all are invited.
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