Let’s uproot the pernicious, unproven claim that Ted Cruz attacked Donald Trump’s wife

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/27/lets-uproot-the-pernicious-unproven-claim-that-ted-cruz-attacked-donald-trumps-wife/ ^ | March 27, 2016 | Philip Bump

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There is no evidence that Ted Cruz attacked Donald Trump's wife.

In a normal election year, this statement would be relatively uncontroversial. After all, it's true. Yes, there was an ad that ran in Utah, suggesting that because she had posed for provocative modeling photos, she was somehow unfit to be first lady. But, no, that ad was not from the Cruz campaign. It was from the Make America Awesome super PAC, a group that raises and spends money without input from any candidate, including Cruz.

How do I know that? Well, I know that if such a political action committee were to coordinate with Cruz -- say, by running an ad at his behest -- it would be a federal crime. I know a presidential candidate purposefully violating federal law is almost certainly not worth the risk. I know that Cruz was going to win Utah anyway, by a wide margin, so violating federal law to win with 70 percent of the vote versus 65 percent is a particularly dumb idea.

[JPJones]

“Trump said it’s Cruz campaign that purchased rights to photo then gave to super pac. “

I thought it was GQ that verified that the Cruz campaign bought the photo...?

[itsahoot]

I don’t know if Cruz coordinated or not. It’s not yet clear whether Cruz’s campaign purchased the image, and gave it to the PAC, or whether the PAC acquired it separately itself. That leads to questions of coordination.

It will never be clear as long as serial posters keep saying it has not been made clear.

[NTHockey]

Having been an adult at the time, I had a pretty good idea what Watergate was all about. You don’t know me, so don’t presume to think you know what I know.

For your information, Watergate was a burglary. Nixon covered up the burglary. He got caught. He was hounded from office.

[Roses0508]

Yes. And we know Trump always tells the unvarnished truth, adhering scrupulously to the facts in every detail.

[octex]

Cruz didn’t reject this AD until used for Utah.
********************************************
Candidates have no control of the content of ads done by Super PACs. If their own campaigns do ads, the ads always say something like... “I’m Joe Blow and I approve this ad.”

[DouglasKC]

Trump said today that he heard that the Cruz campaign purchased the rights to the picture of Melania. If the PAC didn’t purchase the rights then apparently they were in violation of copyright laws. If the Cruz campaign transferred the rights they bought to the PAC then there goes the Pollyanna idea that there is no coordination between candidates and PACS.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

No. The claim that Roe purchased the rights to the photo have appeared in some third-rate blogs or Twitter, but nothing remotely reliable.

[af_vet_1981]

The attack on Melania was telegraphed here: A Ted Cruz supporter said during an interview on Fox Business Network that it's "critically important" that Republican voters consider that Donald Trump's wife Melania is foreign-born and has "posed nude" in a magazine. On Tuesday, Cruz supporter Andrea McWilliams, a Texas-based lobbyist, told Fox anchor Neil Cavuto that in light of former first lady Nancy Reagan's death this week, "we should be looking at the first lady candidates, instead of just talking about the men."

"If Donald trump is elected, Mrs. Trump will be the first first lady that has ever posed nude; the first first lady that's the third wife [of the president]; and the first foreign-born first lady in this century." She said, "by contrast," Cruz's wife Heidi would be "the first pro-life first lady."

[Kenny]

I thought it was GQ that verified that the Cruz campaign bought the photo...?

Probably true, Trump just said it was his understanding, not who verified.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

It’s one of those rare moments where a white man may actually get away with breaking a law!

From where I’m sitting, it looks like our DOJ couldn’t care less what laws our ‘betters’ break, after all, we are no longer equal in the eyes of the law. Sigh

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Trump: Cruz’s campaign bought rights to GQ photo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3414491/posts
Hill | Rebecca Savransky

Trump is saying it. So it’s no longer a rumor but an issue.

[xzins]

There is evidence

[the808bass]

Only a true main stream media liberal elitist would think that the American public is dumb enough to not understand how people of like political opinions can coordinate their activities without crossing the legal boundary of "directing" or "controlling".

So you, too, are troubled by Roger Stone's connection to the National Enquirer story.

[the808bass]

No. It’s still a rumor.

A person saying they heard something is the very definition of a rumor.

[freeandfreezing]

So you, too, are troubled by Roger Stone's connection to the National Enquirer story.

Not as much as I am troubled by the possibility, certainly more than zero, that one of our top conservative Republican candidates will implode due to their inability to control their impulses.

I doubt that the National Enquirer will go out on a limb for anybody. They have a long history of doing this kind of investigative reporting, and usually have evidence to back up allegations they make regarding living people. I hope in this case they are wrong.

[the808bass]

Enquirer will go out on a limb for anybody. They have a long history of doing this kind of investigative reporting, and usually have evidence to back up allegations they make regarding living people. I hope in this case they are wrong.

No, they don't. There's no specific allegations in the story either. There's nothing actionable because they make no claims. They simply say "people are talking about this" and "detectives are investigating." At no point do they say "Ted Cruz had five affairs." Because that would get them sued.

None of that bothers you. And you're ready to believe something that hasn't even been alleged because of some devotion to an opposing candidate who has admitted to the same behavior that's being alleged of Cruz. It's all odd.

[jospehm20]

I read it is not a Cruz PAC. Is it against the rules to coordinate with a not your PAC?

[DannyTN]

Coordinating with a PAC is against the rules.

But if Trump is right that Cruz’s campaign manager bought the rights and then transferred them to the PAC, then there is a clear case of Cruz violating the rules. Should be pretty easy to verify. I hope someone looks into it.