Outside-ad bans get little traction outside Massachusetts

[Eugene]

Source: USA Today

Outside-ad bans get little traction outside Massachusetts

By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY
Updated 22m ago

A high-profile congressional race in Massachusetts may duplicate the rare deal to ban outside ads in the Senate race between Republican Sen. Scott Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren— but the idea is having trouble getting off the ground anywhere outside the state.

Democratic congressional candidates in Florida, Virginia and New Hampshire have proposed similar deals to keep super PACs and independent groups from spending money on ads to influence Congressional races. So far there have been no takers among Republican opponents.

In January, Republican Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren agreed to renounce outside groups advertising on their behalf in the Massachusetts Senate race. Outside groups including Crossroads GPS, a Republican group, and the Warren-backing League of Conservation Voters complied and stopped running ads. But Brown has twice paid penalties — contributions to a charity of Warren's choice — when groups ran ads on his behalf, including the American Petroleum Institute.

Representatives are meeting to discuss a possible outside ad ban in the congressional race between Democratic Rep. John Tierney and Republican challenger Richard Tisei in Massachusetts' Sixth District. The race has already attracted outside attention: the National Republican Congressional Committee named Tisei, a former state senator, one of 12 "Young Guns" it is backing. Tierney has proposed a ban on outside ads. Tisei wants a limit on the percentage of the campaign's funds that can come from PACs. Tisei campaign manager Paul Moore said the odds of a reaching a deal are 50-50.

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Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-05-23/massachusetts-senate-outside-ads/55182560/1

[millijac]

1. So let me tell you about that young gun Richard Tisei

He's also from Scott Brown's hometown btw, the town in which I live.

And a few weeks ago, Richard Tisei emerged from an illegally parked SUV in his hometown and then proceeded to jaywalk across the street. The car was parked in a HANDICAP space with no handicap placard or sticker (but with a Tisei sticker prominently displayed in the rear window of the high-end SUV) and RIGHT NEXT to a cross walk. He ignored the crosswalk not 10 feet from him and instead ran across the street in traffic. So he broke two laws within 5 minutes.

I saw it and noticed it because I have a handicap placard due to bad knees and I pay attention to who parks in those spaces. Couple of months ago I had the satisfaction of having the police called to ticket a Jaguar parked in a handicap space in another town.

Typical.