| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"AWOL Coward GW Chimpzilla" |
| Date: |
20 Aug 2004 05:46:58 PM |
| Object: |
Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Election-year tactics like making anonymous phone calls or
inventing make-believe groups to criticize the opponent now come with a higher
price: the possibility of time in jail.
A law in effect for the first time this election cycle expands the list of
campaign violations classified as felonies. Before the law took effect in late
2002, many campaign violations were treated as misdemeanors.
"It's much more serious than it used to be, and the consequences of getting
caught are much more serious," Federal Election Commissioner David Mason
warned.
Now, a broader range of political mischief is prohibited by the law - which also
banned the national political parties from collecting the corporate, union and
unlimited donations known as soft money - and knowing and willful violations
carry higher penalties under federal sentencing guidelines.
That means tricks that drew little or no punishment in the past - like a 1998
case in which California Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher (news, bio, voting
record)'s GOP opponent invented a group called the East Bay Democrats and used
mailings and phone calls under its name to urge people to vote against Tauscher
- could mean time behind bars for a candidate or campaign officials.
The law requires any statement published by campaigns, national party committees
or political action committees to include a disclaimer saying who is behind the
message. It also bans candidates, political parties and PACs from calling
voters, sending mass mailings or airing ads anonymously or under phony names.
All must have proper disclaimers.
"So the electorate will be able to judge how much credence to give the
communication based on who sent it, and the person who sent it is in fact
responsible for the content," said Trevor Potter, a former FEC member who
helped Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., develop the
overall law.
But it won't mean an end to dirty tricks or other forms of negative campaigning.
Political strategists from both parties say they expect to see plenty in the
presidential race between Republican President Bush (news - web sites) and
Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites), particularly in closely divided states
where small gains by either side - whether it be by swinging voters their way
or turning them off so they stay home - could decide the outcome.
Strategists say many of these tactics will be used by independent, partisan
groups, mostly raising soft money.
Ohio voters are seeing an example this month, where outside groups - the
anti-Bush MoveOn.org PAC and the anti-Kerry Swift Boat Veterans for Truth -
have been running dueling ads.
The Swift Boat Veterans accuse Kerry of lying about his decorated Vietnam War
record and MoveOn accuses Bush of using family connections to get into the
National Guard and avoid service in Vietnam.
Don Fowler, a Kerry supporter in South Carolina and former chairman of the
Democratic National Committee (news - web sites), said that, judging by what's
happened so far, the situation will only get worse.
"Negative politics works. If it didn't, they wouldn't do it," he said.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=6&u=/ap/20040819
ap_on_el_pr/dirty_tricks
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| User: "Johnny Bravo" |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 07:53:49 PM |
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What a baby John Kerry is!!! Booh, hoo, hoo -- President Bush has been
attacked and guess what--he did not cry like my 1 year old!!!
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| User: "InsuranceBroker" |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 08:34:44 PM |
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Subject: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes
From: "Johnny Bravo"
Date: 8/20/2004 8:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <x2xVc.21361$PG2.3486616@twister.tampabay.rr.com>
What a baby John Kerry is!!! Booh, hoo, hoo -- President Bush has been
attacked and guess what--he did not cry like my 1 year old!!!
He tired to kill my daddy. That why I killed his sons.
Doing Insurance business in the Garden State
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| User: "Frenchurian Candidate John $$ BILLIONAIRE$$ Kerry I love Jockstrap" |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 05:50:45 PM |
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Yep and the $ 100 Million Kerry and his hacks Billionaire George Soros have
been spending in attacks against Bush means Kerry is going to go to jail
for that AND his War Crimes.
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| User: "Family Man" |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 06:06:31 PM |
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"Frenchurian Candidate John $$ BILLIONAIRE$$ Kerry" <I love Jockstrap
Chirac@France.gov> wrote in message
news:4eadncISnZIoHbvcRVn-jQ@adelphia.com...
Yep and the $ 100 Million Kerry and his hacks Billionaire George Soros
have
been spending in attacks against Bush means Kerry is going to go to jail
for that AND his War Crimes.
In your wet dreams, num-nuts.
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| User: "InsuranceBroker" |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 08:34:09 PM |
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Subject: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes
From: "Frenchurian Candidate John $$ BILLIONAIRE$$ Kerry" Ilove Jockstrap
Chirac@France.gov
Date: 8/20/2004 6:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <4eadncISnZIoHbvcRVn-jQ@adelphia.com>
Yep and the $ 100 Million Kerry and his hacks Billionaire George Soros have
been spending in attacks against Bush means Kerry is going to go to jail
for that AND his War Crimes.
The attack ads by the swift boat gain is clearly a low blow. These guys give
the impression that hey saw something that clearly they did not. Oniel has
been making a statement that none of the boats had bullets holes in craft that
he did not board for another year. If Oneil felt so strong on things why did
he not run for public office? He clearly likes the guttter.
Doing Insurance business in the Garden State
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| User: "SpellBinder " |
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| Title: Re: Attn. Karl Rove: Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes |
20 Aug 2004 11:44:33 PM |
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Yep and the $ 100 Million Kerry and his hacks Billionaire George Soros have
been spending in attacks against Bush <snip drool>
Payback's a *****, isn't it?
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