The saddest thing about the election of 2004 IMO has been the intentional subversion of the McCain-Feingold election reforms. First it was 527’s, then questionably Fahrenheidt 911, now Rathergate.
Before I go sounding like another looney conservative, which I’m most definitely not, let’s get some background info first. Primarily, how does McCain-Feingold fit into this?
From the McCain-Feingold legislation: BCRA at 2 U.S.C. 434(f)(3) defines a new term, ‘‘electioneering communications.’’ This term includes broadcast, cable, or satellite communications: (1) That refer to a clearly identified Federal candidate; (2) that are transmitted within certain time periods before a primary or general election; and (3) that are targeted to the relevant electorate, which is the relevant Congressional district or State that candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate seek to represent. Those paying for electioneering communications cannot use funds from national banks, corporations, foreign nationals, 2 or organizations to pay for electioneering communications. See 2 U.S.C. 441b(b)(2) and 441e(a)(2). They must also meet certain disclosure requirements. See 2 U.S.C. 434(f). BCRA’s sponsors have explained in legislative debates and in their comments on this rulemaking that these new ‘‘electioneering communications’’ provisions, set out at 2 U.S.C. 434(f) 441b(b)(2), are designed to ensure that such communications are paid for with funds subject to the prohibitions and limitations of FECA. According to the sponsors, ‘‘putative ‘issue ads’ ’’ have been used to circumvent FECA’s prohibition on the use of labor organization and corporate treasury funds in connection with Federal elections. See 148 Cong. Rec. S2141 (daily ed. Mar. 20, 2002) (statement Sen. McCain). In the sponsors’ view, this is accomplished by creating and airing advertisements that avoid the specific language that the Supreme Court said expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate.
Got that? In simple terms, broadcast media can not target a specific candidate within a time frame ( 60 days ) of an election for purely political reasons.
Part 2:
The former Texas National Guard officer suspected of providing CBS News with possibly forged records on President Bush’s military service called on Democratic activists to wage “war” against Republican “dirty tricks” in a series of Internet postings in which he also used phrases similar to several employed in the disputed documents.
BAIRD, Tex., Sept. 17 - Bill Burkett, the former Texas National Guard officer who has been caught up in the mystery of how CBS News acquired memos that seem to question President Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service, unsuccessfully offered information and advice to help the Kerry campaign attack Mr. Bush, according to a posting Mr. Burkett wrote in an e-mail newsletter.
“I spent some time on the phone with the Kerry campaign seniors yesterday,” Mr. Burkett wrote on Aug. 21 in an e-mail letter circulated to a list of about 600 Texas Democrats
The man CBS News touted as the “unimpeachable source” of explosive documents about President Bush’s National Guard service turns out to be a former Guard officer with a history of self-described mental problems who has denounced Bush as a liar with “demonic personality shortcomings.”
Over the past three years, retired Lt. Col. Bill Burkett has given dozens of newspaper and television interviews accusing the president and his aides of destroying documents and stealing elections. In e-mail messages to an Internet chat group for Texas Democrats, he has also said that the “Bush team” sent “goons” to intimidate him at his ranch in Baird, Tex.
CBS arranged for a confidential source to talk with Joe Lockhart, a top aide to John Kerry, after the source provided the network with the now-disputed documents about President Bush’s service in the Texas National Guard.
Democrats Unveil Fortunate Son Ad Campaign - [September 15, 2004 evote.com] It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no millionaire’s son…I ain’t no fortunate one, naw. The hard guitar, poor grammar refrain from a classic Creedence Clearwater Revival Vietnam War-era hit sets the tone for a Democratic Party video castigating George W. Bush’s time in the Air National Guard. Part of Operation Fortunate Son, the two-and-a-half minute political adrunning on the Web and via emails to Democratic donorsuses scratched film of war in Southeast Asia, a conflict that ended over 30 years ago.
Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe said, “George W. Bush’s cover story on his National Guard service is rapidly unraveling. … George W. Bush needs to answer why he regularly mislead the American people about his time in the Guard and who applied political pressure on his behalf to have his performance reviews ’sugarcoated’” McAuliffe said this BEFORE the show was broadcast.
CBS airs the memos.
I have borrowed the timeline given to me by Trevor from G O P.com. I have linked the original articles for verification. Some require registrations, that’s up to you. The info I want is here.
There was obviously coordination between Burkett and the DNC. McAuliffe was quoting the memos before they were broadcast. There was an obvious effort on Rather’s part TO NOT VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF HIS STORY. If you fill out a job application, with lots of erroneous information, you have frauded your employer. If you fill out an application for credit and intentionally omit negative information on that application, you have frauded the institution. By intentionally omitting known facts about Burkett, about the questions Rather’s document experts had, and about the known communications between the DNC, Burkett, and CBS, Rather frauded the FEC in that he knowingly made a political statement in regards to a candidate in the district that candidate is running within the proscribed time frame of the election.
boycottcbs.com has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in regards to Rather. I think they have something legitimate to base it on. Rather didn’t just screw up, this was a coordinated attack. Rather HAS to claim he was duped, it’s the only thing that keeps him from OBVIOUSLY violating the McCain-Feingold provisions of the FEC. It’s been violated enough by Moore and the 527’s, maybe this once it will be respected.
I’m not holding my breath tho.
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Technorati Tags: 2004 Presidential Election, Government, The Media
Tags: 2004 Presidential Election, Government, The Media
3 Comments »
on 24 Sep 2004 at 11:20 am 1.--H
said …
And now the CBS plot thickens.
From the OpinionJournal:
Guess Who’s a GOP Booster?
The CEO of CBS’s parent company endorses President Bush.
With the scandal at CBS still festering, questions are being raised about whether a felony was committed when the network broadcast apparently forged memos in an attempt to discredit George W. Bush. Yesterday, the chairman of CBS’s parent company chose Hong Kong as a place to drop a little bomb. Sumner Redstone, who calls himself a “liberal Democrat,” said he’s supporting President Bush.
The chairman of the entertainment giant Viacom said the reason was simple: Republican values are what U.S. companies need. Speaking to some of America’s and Asia’s top executives gathered for Forbes magazine’s annual Global CEO Conference, Mr. Redstone declared: “I look at the election from what’s good for Viacom. I vote for what’s good for Viacom. I vote, today, Viacom.
“I don’t want to denigrate Kerry,” he went on, “but from a Viacom standpoint, the election of a Republican administration is a better deal. Because the Republican administration has stood for many things we believe in, deregulation and so on. The Democrats are not bad people….. But from a Viacom standpoint, we believe the election of a Republican administration is better for our company.” …..
As a side info., IIRC, Redstone is from Boston.
–H
on 24 Sep 2004 at 11:38 am 2.Moonage
said …
I think this was predictable from a political standpoint as well as legal. CBS is in a legal grey area that could hold serious ramifications for them. They have broken the laws under McCain-Feingold. How seriously the FEC pursues it is a matter of politics. Look for CBS staff to line up endorsing Bush in an effort to “prove” the Dan Rather piece was not a coordinated effort on the behalf of CBS.
on 13 Jul 2007 at 9:38 am 3.Moonage Political Webdream » Blog Archive » John McCain’s three year implosion? said …
[...] many, issues, Republicans learned they couldn’t rely on McCain. For me, the straw was the McCain-Feingold “reform” legislation that ignored the most obvious transgressors of national elections, 527’s. Teaming up with [...]