Dean of press corps, Broder, defends free speech rights of 527's; condemns

[flpoljunkie]

candidate who does not denounce those ads which go over the line. Are you listening, Dubya? And, kudos to David Broder today!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40272-2004Aug27.html

<>What the candidates and the political parties put on the air become their responsibility. Cheap shots and blatant distortions can be -- and have been -- laid right at their doorstep. But when independent groups launch their broadsides at the opposition candidate, the intended beneficiary can -- and often does -- wash his hands of the whole affair.

That is what Bush has done with the Swift Boaters; rather than denounce their allegations that Kerry lied about his war wounds and decorations, he has righteously come down against all such non-official ads. The White House announced Thursday that Bush would join Sen. John McCain in a lawsuit "to shut down all the ads and activity" by these groups.

<> The institutions and individuals with a stake in the presidential election are far more numerous than two parties and two candidates. All sorts of other groups -- from left and right, from environmentalists to anti-abortionists -- have much riding on the outcome. By what logic are they to be prohibited from running their ads?

<> What can be disciplined is the tendency of these ads to exaggerate, distort or flat-out lie. And the candidates who benefit from the ads are the ones who have the first responsibility -- along with the media -- to police them. The candidates ought to be judged by their willingness to tell their supporters when they have crossed the line.

[Eloriel]

1. What I don't understand about the Dems, incl John Kerry,

is why they don't point out that organizations like MoveOn.org's PAC are mostly citizen (voter!) funded. Yeah, Soros dropped some dough, but somehow that's the part that gets promoted and NO ONE bothers to point out that were it not for the million-plus MoveOn MEMBERS, MoveOn wouldn't even exist.

Just how, exactly, are The People supposed to have their voices heard in this day and age? There is no one BUT some of these Dem-oriented 527s (and the traditional PACs on our side) who are speaking for our issues and interests, including the damn fool candidates.

[Eric J in MN]

2. MoveOn PAC only accepts donations of up to $5,000.

MoveOn.org also has 527 branch, the MoveOn Voter Fund, which accepts any size of donation.

And the main MoveOn is a 501(c)(4) which accetps any size donation.

[Eloriel]

7. Good points. Thanks

[flpoljunkie]

4. I would argue that it is the media's responsibility to points out MoveOn's

two million grassroots membership. They seem to have lost interest in MoveOn's power for some reason, but they will be reminded again when MoveOn's terrific new ads run this coming week.

Here are the links to check them out, for those who may not yet have seen them. They are, in a word, terrific, and may very well shake up the race this week!

http://www.moveonpac.org/10weeks/

https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/switchad_winners.html

[Cocoa]

3. two problems with this column

and it's a problem with most of the media treatment:

1.There is absolutely no equivalency between the dems and republicans on this. There is no dem ad, 527 or otherwise, that comes even close to the dishonesty of the swiftboat ads.

2.Broder should mention that Kerry denounced the Moveon.org ad, directly and unequivocally. He did not change the subject, or broaden the question, he said THAT ad should stop. There's no excuse for Broder's leaving this bit of info out.

[flpoljunkie]

5. Think the always polite Broder does this, altho subtly, in last paragraph.

What can be disciplined is the tendency of these ads to exaggerate, distort or flat-out lie. And the candidates who benefit from the ads are the ones who have the first responsibility -- along with the media -- to police them.The candidates ought to be judged by their willingness to tell their supporters when they have crossed the line.
____________________________

I wish he had, too, but most know Kerry asked MoveOn to stop the first Bush AWOL ad; most also know very well Bush, the moral coward, has not asked the" Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth" to cease and desist. At least Broder calls Bush out on this.

I also am very pleased that he pointed out the media has a responsibility to police these ads--which they have mostly abandoned.

[TankLV]

6. Most people DON'T KNOW!

Most people DON'T KNOW that Kerry condemned the MoveOn ads, or that bunkerboy hasn't condemned the Liars ads.

That is the problem and the whore media keep repeating bunkerboy's claims and lies ad nauseum, complete with a replay of ON the Liars ad, without either mentioning Kerry's condemnation of MoveOn, or, heaven forbid, replaying the MoveOn ad they are telling us that is so bad. So far, I haven't seen ANY MoveON ad that is a lie or in bad taste - they only state the facts - including the so-called Hitler ad which was right on the mark - and that one even MoveOn didn't let place in the finish for the ad competition.

That is the problem.

[Cocoa]

8. I bet polls would back you up

most headlines were 100% wrong after Bush commented in Crawford, they said that Bush condemned the ads.

And regarding Kerry's condemning Moveon.org's ad, they simply didn't report it, let alone put it in headlines. Same with him pulling his McCain ads off the air.