I just heard on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show that the Kerry Campaign is filing suit with the Federal Election Commission over the anti-Kerry assertions made by the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, including this devastating ad. The campaign is claiming that this 527 group is funded by the Bush campaign in violation of the McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan Act. (I blogged about this law some months back in the wake of its passing. Subjects like this aren’t my usual cup of tea, but I was shamed into doing some research on it by one of my readers. It retrospect, he did me a favor. Thanks again, Major Tim.)
Well, if the battle wasn't enjoined before, it certainly is now.
Actually, the RNC fired the first shot when—according to the article--it filed an identical suit back in March against anti-Bush 527 organizations—interesting that they don’t call themselves “pro-Kerry” organizations--Media Fund (Making America Work For Us) and America Coming Together for:
…conspiracy to violate federal election laws by coordinating with the Kerry campaign…With all of that said, one wonders about the smell of this (from April 7, 2004):
Zach Exley, the director of special projects for the MoveOn PAC [a notoriously anti-Bush organization], is going to the Kerry campaign to become its director of online communications and organization.
Exley also worked during the Democratic presidential primary for Howard Dean, helping Dean set up his web-based organization.
Since Kerry became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in early March, the MoveOn PAC has spent more than $2.5 million on TV ads that attack President Bush.
But under the new campaign-finance law, those efforts cannot be coordinated with the Kerry campaign.Um, from my POV, looks like those efforts already have been coordinated to the campaign.
Kerry's campaign has yet to make an RNC/Bush campaign connection to the Swift Vets that is so blatant.
It will get worse and worse and worse.
(Thanks to Greyhawk)
