AP: Panel Says Issue Ads OK During Elections

[Eugene]

Panel Says Issue Ads OK During Elections

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, December 21, 2006

(12-21) 10:06 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The federal government cannot prohibit advocacy groups from running issue
advertisements during peak election season, a panel of federal judges ruled
Thursday.

The 2-1 ruling was issued in a case involving a Wisconsin anti-abortion group
that challenged congressional restrictions on ads by corporations, labor unions
and other special interest groups that mention candidates two months before a
general election.

Some lawmakers have predicted such a ruling would create a loophole in the 2002
McCain-Feingold campaign law, which attempted to reduce the influence of
big-spending special-interest groups in elections.

The case automatically heads to the Supreme Court for review.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/12/21/national/w095909S45.DTL

[KamaAina]

1. Oh, look! It's our old friend David Sentelle!

Leon was joined in the opinion by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David B. Sentelle. U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts dissented.

David Sentelle.. three-judge panel... wait, it's all coming back to me... yup, he was on the three-judge panel that appointed the completely impartial and neutral Ken Starr to persecute, er, I mean prosecute, out last elected President, Bill Clinton. :sarcasm:

Here he is again making the world safe for repuke claptrap. Sadly he is joined by Richard Leon, who just this week scored points by poking FEMA in the eye over their bungled Katrina housing program.