Kerry/Edwards Threatening Suit over Ads

[Red State Rebel]

I haven't found it in a news service but another board I was reading reported that Rush Limbaugh at the end of his broadcast today said Kerry/Edwards have sent letters to the networks threatening legal action if they air the Swift Boat B.S. ad.

I hope they can prove the lies in this crap and get it taken off the air.

[nickinSTL]

1. good for them!

don't take that bullsh!t lying down!

[rube]

6. They need to come out hard-hitting on this one.

The garbage this corrupt administration is peddling is beyond the pale. The Johns need to take a strong stand.

[wryter2000]

11. Welcome to DU, rube

:hi:

[jackstraw45]

28. LOL...sorry but that is too funny to read...interesting user name, rube

:)

Welcome, rube!

[spotbird]

2. My first thought was what station would air such crap?

But then I remembered the truth doesn't matter.

[mac56]

5. Many stations aren't allowed to refuse political advertising.

At least, that provided by the official campaign.

[bossfish]

8. But this is a '527' group...

Similar to MoveOn, I suppose

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

34. Not similar at all.

Vets Against Kerry is a *patriotic* 527 group.

</sarcasm>

[mac56]

3. Two lawyers on the ticket.

Never thought I say this, but - - glad to have two lawyers.

[PurityOfEssence]

4. Mess with a couple of lawyers...

Of course, this will just add fuel to the "frivolous lawsuit" brushfire, but so be it.

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Yeah, I read it on another board too.

Someone mentioned that ABC News Radio mentioned it at the top of the hour.

I'm glad they did this. This was a libel suit just waiting to happen.

[Nite Owl]

9. Oh I hope this is true.

Get em in the pocketbook where it hurts too. Things like this just can't continue and just getting mad isn't enough, not this time.

[Lex]

10. The standard for winning a lawsuit for libel or slander

when the person slandered is in the public eye is that the person KNEW they were lies when they published them (said them or printed them).

It is high standard, but I think that might be able to proven in this case.

And I think it would send a good, and early, message to the lying mofo's out there--Kerry and Edwards will fight back HARD.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

15. Not necessarily. The other part of that standard

They also cannot have demonstrated "reckless disregard" for finding out the truth even if they didn't know they were lies

[Lex]

21. That sounds like an even lower standard, so

.
maybe they should file suit and see if the roaches scramble out of the light during discovery.

Here's a good link for the prevailing standard:

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/New_York_Times_v._Sullivan

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. In Rush's dreams...

yeah right. Screw the courts, we'll win at the ballot box.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

13. Excellent news. Kerry isn't taking these scumbags' shit

eom

[Ducks In A Row]

14. if it's just rush saying it, it's probably a lie

Kerry/Edwards don't have the time right now to mess with suits

[Daisey Mae]

16. KERRY WILL COME OUT FIGHTING ON THIS ONE.....

I don't think the Evil Bush family expected McCain to take up for Kerry.....Now, with McCain demanding Bush to disavow this wild accusation by the SOB Swift Gang...now the HOT Potato is in the OVAL OFFICE. KERRY KNEW IT WAS COMING... NOW Bush is in the TAR PIT...BUSH has to go along with McCain or be exposed as the Swarmy Lying Loser that he, of course, IS...

[truizm]

38. I think we all should e-mail John McCain to encourage him to condemn the

swiftvets accusations at the republican convention.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

17. The lawsuit threat will further discredit the Swift Boat Scumbags

good

[RamboLiberal]

18. Good for them - You go boys! Tell them to take that ad and Shove It!

eom

[Walt Starr]

19. They cited Limbaugh as the source, AND YOU BOUGHT IT?????

Never, I mean NEVER EVER accept anything Limbaugh says as truth. He wouldn't know the truth if it slappped him in the face.

[Connie_Corleone]

22. The letter is posted on Human Events website

I didn't want to post a link to humanevents, but they are the only ones so far who have the actual image of the letter.

http://humaneventsonline.com.edgesuite.net/unfit_pdf.html

It's kind of hard to read.

[Walt Starr]

23. They are a reichwing rag, arent' they?

[Connie_Corleone]

24. Yep.

n/t

[boneygrey]

20. If true

I'm not so sure this is a good idea because it may keep the issue alive. Leave it alone and I think it will just fade away.

[A_Possum]

29. No it won't go away

This is one issue that can't be left alone, it will never be allowed to fade away.

It needs to be addressed head-on. McCain is a good start, that may be enough, but just ignoring it would be suicide, IMO.

[BrotherBuzz]

25. Total BS

reported that Rush Limbaugh at the end of his broadcast today said Kerry/Edwards have sent letters to the networks threatening legal action if they air the Swift Boat B.S. ad.

There is no letter to the networks, but why let facts get in the way? Rush is just perpetuating the story and quietly planting the litigious 'lawyer' idea into the minds of his listeners. Works every time with the dittoheads.

[Lex]

27. Hmmm . . . .what do you make of post #23 then?

[sangh0]

30. another right-wing lie

that paper is a right-wing rag

Please note the absence of a letterhead

[BrotherBuzz]

32. My guess is a couple of white wing wackos...

with a xerox, a typewriter, and a case of beer could generate that piece of shit in a short period of time. Get serious.

[Red State Rebel]

26. SEE POST #23 FOR COPY OF LETTER n/m

[sangh0]

31. And please note the absence of any letterhead

.

[Lex]

35. Do you think the lawyer names and signatures at the bottom are faked?

Or do you think those are real attorneys that have had their names falsely signed to this letter on page 2?

Because if they have used real attorney names and have falsely signed real attorney's names to the letter, then I am sure the shit will hit the fan now.

[sangh0]

36. You wanna know what I think?

I think that no one should believe anything on the basis of a right-wing rag like Human Events.

[Lex]

39. I googled one of the names signed on the letter

and it comes back to that law firm, and also counsel to DNC.


I hope this Human Events website gets clobbered if they have put up a false letter with real people's names signed at the bottom.

[sangh0]

40. Just to be clear

I didn't say it was true or false. My point is I don't believe anything unless the source is credible. HE is not credible IMO, and so I don't believe anything they say, even if it makes sense.

[Lex]

43. I did misunderstand. I thought you said it was "a right wing lie."

I don't know anything about this site. If it is a right-wing site, it *is* automatically suspect, but the letter looks legit to me.

Hope corroborating info comes out about it.

[sangh0]

46. Actually, I did say that

I assume that anything a liar says is a lie, even if it may be true.

[diablerie]

33. I guess freedom of speech can cut both ways...

Seems this was the repubs response to F911 before it even came out.

Although I dispute some of the content in both, it's up to the voters to discover the truth. The internet is your friend.
IMHO Kerry/Edwards should let this fail under it's own weight..threatening a lawsuit just gives this the legs it needs to snowball.

[Maddy McCall]

44. Actually, you are wrong...

Freedom of speech does NOT give any citizen the right to publish or broadcast lies about others.

Another point, though...don't you find it quite hypocritical that the party of draft deserters and AWOLS is criticizing Kerry, who VOLUNTEERED and saw action in VIET NAM, instead of living the high life at a country club in Alabama?

Oh, and by the way, welcome to DU.

[mzmolly]

37. My husband got an email from a family member, he did a reply all with

the snopes analysis.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/swift.asp

[greekspeak]

41. Set up for Catch 22/bait and switch?

First, considering the source, I am slightly wary. OK...quite wary.

If its true, then it is a lose/lose for Kerry.

Challenge it: the "librul media" will call him a whiner and too frivilous to be in the WH.

Do nothing: The "librul media" will be all over the ad like flies on shit, playing it as gospel truth, ad nauseum until it becomes "true" through sheer exhaustive repetition.

It is time to start bashing back. We need to start a new campaign to end KERRYBASHING. Right here. Right now. Say it: End KERRYBASHING now.

[genius]

42. Go Kerry.

[nobiz]

45. Dumb move

Threatening to sue just gives the story "legs," as they say. This seems to be a small ad buy in smaller tv markets designed mostly to get people talking about the accusations. All this does is guarantee that people will be talking about it. At best, some people will see right through it; but more likely, people will just hear that Kerry doesn't want people to know what his fellow vets think of him. This story wasn't going to go anywhere except on talk radio, where they are preaching to the converted already. I think this is a dumb move on the DNC's part.

[Bandit]

49. We want it to have legs

We want Kerry's Service in Vietnam to be recognized by everyone and when it comes out that the GOP is spreading LIES it can do nothing but help our side. The more publicity this gets the better off we are.

[BrotherBuzz]

50. Agree

and that further confirms my belief that no genuine letter exists. Without corroboration from a reputable news source, I am led to believe this letter is nothing but the birth of a White Wing Wacko urban myth. Nothing more.

[nickgutierrez]

47. Sssssshhh: hear that?

*flush*

That's the sound of *'s reelection hopes going down the drain.

[Bandit]

48. They don't have to prove anything. The burden is on those making the

accusations. They have slandered and libeled Kerry and they must present their evidence and I hope they have to do it in court. Kerry has to do nothing but demand they prove the truth of the matter. If they can't do that they will have to pull the ad and apologize to Kerry. They made a statement that Kerry's wounds were "self inflicted". Unless they were there at the time they have no knowlege at all and are spreading opinion disguised as fact.