ELECT A BUSH MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
DEFEAT DASCHLE/CLINTON/GEPHARDT DEMOCRATS!
Posted on 09/26/2002 5:18:06 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
Agency Frees Groups From Ad Ban
By SHARON THEIMER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Election Commission on Thursday freed tax-exempt charitable and religious groups from political ad restrictions imposed by the new campaign finance law.
The commission voted 4-2 to exempt such organizations from the law's provision that bans interest group ads for a month before a primary election and for two months before a general election if they name a federal candidate and are paid for with unlimited corporate or union contributions.
Sponsors of the law contend that the tax-exempt groups are among those who have used phony issue ads to evade the prohibition on the use of union or corporate money to influence federal elections and to avoid revealing where they get their funding. Issue ads may mention federal candidates but cannot directly call for their election or defeat.
The sponsors, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Mass., have said they intend to challenge the FEC both in court and in Congress over its earlier interpretation of the law's ban on unlimited contributions by corporations, labor unions and others, known as ``soft money.''
The soft money rule was approved by the same 4-2 vote as the political ad exemption, with Democratic Commissioner Karl Sandstrom joining the three Republicans on the panel.
The commission approved the exemption after refusing to grant a similar one to ads by special interest groups that urge voters to contact their congressman or senator for or against a political issue. That measure failed on a party-line, 3-3 vote.
In two other party-line votes, the FEC refused to grant exemptions for ads that mention candidates while promoting a book, movie or similar work or while promoting a referendum or other ballot initiative.
Commissioner Michael Toner, a Republican, said organizations that misuse the exemption to engage in political activities will lose their tax-exempt status. But if their ads are for legitimate charitable, religious or educational purposes, he said, ``We don't have any business regulating them.''
The exemption had been sought by the Sierra Club Foundation and the Alliance for Justice, an association of consumer, civil rights, environmental and other groups. They argued that the law's restrictions on pre-election political advertising would make it impossible for them to air effective lobbying ads urging citizens to contact their members of Congress about key issues.
The law's prohibition does not apply to pre-election ads by campaigns, political parties and political action committees. Those ads are paid for by contributions that the new law limits and requires to be disclosed.
Earlier Thursday, the commission voted 6-0 to exempt from the pre-election political ad ban programming that that broadcasters are not paid to air. Sandstrom said the move would keep public service announcements, late night comedy monologues and talk shows that mention or feature federal candidates from falling under the law's restrictions.
The political ad restrictions are among the most contentious features of the new law. Several groups, including the AFL-CIO, National Rifle Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, contend the ad restrictions violate constitutional free-speech rights and are suing to try to overturn the law.
In addition to the ad restrictions, the new law also prohibits national party committees from raising unlimited donations from corporations, labor unions and others, and directs the FEC to create new rules spelling out the extent to which political parties, candidates and groups can coordinate their campaign activities with each other.
On the Net:
FEC: http://www.fec.gov/
What I sense, however, is a renewed enthusiasm on the part of Republicans. This is the time to be a 'broken glass' Pubbie! To take the Senate and keep the House would give GWB the opportunity to address our agenda - not that of Daschle, Leahy, Kennedy and Clinton.
Interesting though..."The commission approved the exemption after refusing to grant a similar one to ads by special interest groups that urge voters to contact their congressman or senator for or against a political issue."
Maybe all of your "contact your Senator" threads have been working so well the dems can't handle hearing what we think. After all, we're only the voters/constituents. Why should our opinions matter? /off sarcasm
The FL primary fiasco...the Gore speech....the Daschle speech....the Torch letter...Harkin spying...McBride & McAuliffe investigated in FL....this ruling...It's been a good few weeks!
Now if we could just get rid of Davis, Carnahan, Rendell, KKT...you get the idea. LOL.
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