Federal Agencies to Consider Complaints Over GOP Ads

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Washington Post

Television stations in four states are asking the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Communications Commission for advice regarding allegations that Republicans in several Senate races are shortchanging viewers with the brevity of their stand-by-your-ad statements.

The argument is over a matter of seconds, but depending on how the complaints are evaluated, the decision could cost four Republican Senate candidates hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Those being challenged are Republican Sens. Norm Coleman (Minn.) and Gordon Smith (Ore.), Virginia challenger James S. Gilmore III, and Colorado candidate Bob Schaffer.

TV stations received letters from Democratic challengers arguing that the statements of approval at the end of campaign ads violate election laws. Attorneys for Al Franken, the challenger in Minnesota, said Coleman's image does not appear for four seconds at the end of his spot. Attorneys for Oregon challenger Jeff Merkley said Smith's ad shows a written statement but not his image. Similar allegations were brought against Gilmore and Schaffer.
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As a result, the Republican candidates have "forfeited their entitlement" to discounted television advertising rates reserved for political office-seekers "for the duration of the campaign," wrote lawyer Marc Elias, who signed all four letters. That means, Elias contended, that the Republicans should have to pay the commercial rate, instead of the discounted rate.

Smith's spokeswoman, Lindsay Gilbride, called the complaints "frivolous," and Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich called them desperate. "There's no question about who sponsored and approved this ad," he said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/13/AR2008091302420.html?nav=rss_politics/congress

[trthnd4jstc]

1. Is it that Republicans always think the rules apply to someone else, but not them? n/t

[Taylor4change]

2. Of course!

Yeah - that's the "rule" - but that doesn't mean *I* have to follow it! It's there for the great unwashed!

Just like fair quotas and equal pay for equal work!

Hey - you can't step on my free speech rights! Even though I didn't do anything to associate myself properly with the speech in question!

[bean fidhleir]

5. It's not just the GOP, it's elites in general

Their mottos are "All for ourselves and nothing for other people" and "Naturally we assumed the rules don't apply to us".

[TransitJohn]

3. It's the Republican way.

They value loyalty and pigheadedness over smarts, and staff their campaigns with dolts who are great about staying on message, but not so good about other things....like running a political campaign. They're always fucking up filing on time, obeying advertising laws, etc.....comedy gold.

[Lasher]

4. How do ya like them apples?

:rofl: