Moore reasons to abolish the FEC
All three branches of the federal government have colluded in the rape of the First Amendment that is McCain-Feingold's BiCRA. Here comes the fruit of their labor, from The Hill:
Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.
At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore's film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law.
In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC's agenda for today's meeting, the agency's general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.
The opinion is generated under the new McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, which prohibits corporate-funded ads that identify a federal candidate before a primary or general election.
Personally, I think Michael Moore is a dishonest dirtbag. Nonetheless, he has a right to speak. Roasting politicians before an election is exactly THE #1 main point of the First Amendment. How dare they even consider trying to suppress this?
This comes not just from the FEC, but at the behest of some partisan hacks:
David Bossie, the president of Citizens United, plans to allege that Fahrenheit 9/11 violates federal election law, arguing that 'Moore has publicly indicated his goal is to impact this election season.'
Well, gee whiz. We can't have private citizens running loose in public trying to influence voters in an election season.
Oh, but it's not just Michael Moore who faces ugly, unconstitutional censorship. From the same article:
The FEC ruling may also affect promotion of a slew of other upcoming political documentaries and films, such as Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, which opens in August, The Corporation, about democratic institutions being subsumed by the corporate agenda, or Silver City, a recently finished film by John Sayles that criticizes the Bush administration.
Another film, The Hunting of the President, which investigates whether Bill Clinton was the victim of a vast conspiracy, could be subject to regulations if it mentions Bush or members of Congress in its ads.
For starters, Americans have -- in the words of a quaint old document -- an inalienable right to vigorously question our government. Besides which, Bush and the Congress already have a multi-trillion dollar federal budget with which to buy votes.
My proposed two part alternative solution: 1)Repeal BiCRA, and 2)Abolish the FEC entirely.
Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.
At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore's film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law.
In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC's agenda for today's meeting, the agency's general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.
The opinion is generated under the new McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, which prohibits corporate-funded ads that identify a federal candidate before a primary or general election.
Personally, I think Michael Moore is a dishonest dirtbag. Nonetheless, he has a right to speak. Roasting politicians before an election is exactly THE #1 main point of the First Amendment. How dare they even consider trying to suppress this?
This comes not just from the FEC, but at the behest of some partisan hacks:
David Bossie, the president of Citizens United, plans to allege that Fahrenheit 9/11 violates federal election law, arguing that 'Moore has publicly indicated his goal is to impact this election season.'
Well, gee whiz. We can't have private citizens running loose in public trying to influence voters in an election season.
Oh, but it's not just Michael Moore who faces ugly, unconstitutional censorship. From the same article:
The FEC ruling may also affect promotion of a slew of other upcoming political documentaries and films, such as Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, which opens in August, The Corporation, about democratic institutions being subsumed by the corporate agenda, or Silver City, a recently finished film by John Sayles that criticizes the Bush administration.
Another film, The Hunting of the President, which investigates whether Bill Clinton was the victim of a vast conspiracy, could be subject to regulations if it mentions Bush or members of Congress in its ads.
For starters, Americans have -- in the words of a quaint old document -- an inalienable right to vigorously question our government. Besides which, Bush and the Congress already have a multi-trillion dollar federal budget with which to buy votes.
My proposed two part alternative solution: 1)Repeal BiCRA, and 2)Abolish the FEC entirely.
posted by Al | 1:23 AM
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