Have I gone insane, or is KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri, actually reporting that "Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign is asking Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs a misleading television ad during the presidential campaign"?
The report goes on to say that "prosecutors and sheriffs from across Missouri are joining something called the Barack Obama truth squad."
A video of the news broadcast can be found here.
Look, politicians are all about lies. It may be annoying (I find it entertaining), but that's for their opponents and good-government groups to counter -- not law enforcement. That's especially true since whether or not criticism is "misleading" is open to debate. What's being said may be simply a different interpretation, a bit of spin -- or a better version of the truth than candidates and their friends like.
Even if the officeholders joining the "truth squad" are nominally stepping out of their official roles in order to put on their (political) party hats and play politics, it's inappropriate. They wield too much power to use it to wag their fingers at people who say un-nice things about political hopefuls. Prosecutors and sheriffs are, after all, normally thought of as people with the clout to put their targets behind bars.
Somebody, please drop me a note to tell me that the station has it all wrong.
By the way, if the report is accurate, it fits all too well with the legal threats the Democratic candidate's campaign is leveling against TV stations that run NRA ads critical of Barack Obama. John Lott, a noted economist and firearms scholar, has copies of the Obama campaign's cease-and-desist letters on his Website. He also defends the content of the ads (emphasizing the debatable nature of "misleading.")
Comments
Federal employees are enjoined from participating in federal election campaigns (and possibly others too) by the Hatch Act. I can't remember the particulars, but the purpose of the act was to shield employees from being forced into working for an candidtate/party they might prefer not to. It protects the civil service employee. (It doesn't take away any freedom; don't like the terms of the employment? Don't take the job).
If the law seems harsh, just consider that it was thought worthwhile to pass it. There must have been >something< going on.
Our right to freedom of speech (especially in regard to criticizing our elected officials) are being trampled, and we need to continue to (as you're doing here, J.D.) spotlight it, and fight it.
In Pittsburgh County Oklahoma, we have a situation in which a local D.A. is going after commenters on a forum for critizing his corrupt behavior. (More, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4vbtbr">here</a>.) That's the liberal/socialist way, though - silence anyone who dares to disagree with the government.
How do you think criticizing Obama if president will go over? We are being told now that if he loses it is because of white racism. IF he is elected, ANY critic will indeed be called a racist. An Obama presidency will set back civil rights 40 years. Our freedom of speech will be challenged just as he is challenging opposing voices now. Just as he opposed many absentee ballots in his state senate race.
McCain is brilliant and the liberals are ignorant. They live in a world called " Me first" This is why they will lose even if they think they have won. McCain asked for 10 debates in the last 4 months but Obama preferred to go to Europe and Hawaii during a campaign. The first real crisis and Obama now wants to debate.. and the liberal losers still don't understand. Shameful.
I think that particular news report was a bit histrionic. As far as I know, there isn't any evidence the campaign is specifically pursuing law enforcement, although DAs and sheriffs are participating.
These so-called Truth Squads are supposed to have prominent people point out the opponent's inaccuracies, but I agree that law enforcement figures involved suggests intimidation. (Sarah Palin's Missouri Truth Squad also lists a District Attorney.)
I think if the attorneys did say they would pursue ethics violations (that was stated by the reporter and was not shown as a direct quote)that was out of line and partisan misuse of power. I saw one blog reporting these DAs threatened libel suits, which I think is unlikely. Personally, I'm grateful the libel standard for public figures is so high; we can speak freely about them, even if that means some people distort information.
The first amendment does not apply when a person is spreading flat out lie's. Which the McCain campaign is doing. You don't just get to go say anything you feel like under the first amendment, it doesn't work that way and anyone that thinks so is just plain ignorant. Did you know you can get a disorderly conduct ticket from police just for cussing? The same as you can get sued for spreading lies about someone that causes them damage, it's called slander.
Dave, you contradict yourself in a few sentences.
"The first amendment does not apply when a person is spreading flat out lie's. Which the McCain campaign is doing."
Then by your assessment, he is not protected under the Constitution?
Also by your assessment, YOU are slandering McCain!
Funny how that works isn't it?
Now i HAVE seen everything!!!!
Barack Obama is a Nazi and McCulloch is a stormtrooper. This is outrageous.
www.politcaldookie.wordpress.com
Truth Squads today; Death Squads tomorrow?
Will folks start disappearing in the middle of the night?
It’s 3 AM, and you’re sleeping soundly, but who is that kicking your front door down? Ski-masked individuals dressed in black tactical clothing, armed with AR-15s pull you out of your bed, cuff you and drag you from your home. Your wife is slapped aside while your children scream for their father. No warrant, no warning, just complete terror. It’s the O’Death Squad. You’ve secretly been accused of a crime against the state…telling the truth…and found guilty by a hidden quasi-governmental tribunal. You must pay for your crime. No attorney, no trial, no appeal. Now, it’s just you and the hangman…
This is absolutely Orwellian. The Communist Chinese government and other despots around the world say the same thing; "You can say whatever you want as long as it is true. And as long as we agree it is true. We have freedom of speech. Really. We just have a few more 'reasonable' restrictions."
The Bill of Rights means nothing to these people. Anyone who thinks this is constitutional is ignorant (hi 'Dave'). I can see it now, when Obama gets elected he'll have the FCC out revoking the broadcast licenses of any station where criticism of him is aired, and no one will be able to get fair airtime to run against him in 2012. The Communist Dictatorship will be established.
These are bureaucrats doing this? This is tyranny pure and simple. Hussein must be doing worse than is being reported. I suppose they are shutting down all opposition. I would think this will lose him votes. What an evil man. Am I allowed to say that?
Don't know the background here, but they did mention in the newsclip the issue of people saying Obama is not a Christian, there are a lot of lies around about him supposedly being a Muslim, and about the lie that he will raise taxes, not true. I wonder if any slander cases have been brought to court?
It does seem unusual for law enforcement to take on this role. I have to wonder if it some kind of joke?
Lies about Guns, read the whole article...
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/nra_targets_obama.html
NRA Targets Obama
September 22, 2008
It falsely claims in mailers and TV ads that Obama plans to ban handguns, hunting ammo and use of a gun for home defense.
Summary
A National Rifle Association advertising campaign distorts Obama's position on gun control beyond recognition.
The NRA is circulating printed material and running TV ads making unsubstantiated claims that Obama plans to ban use of firearms for home defense, ban possession and manufacture of handguns, close 90 percent of gun shops and ban hunting ammunition.
Much of what the NRA passes off as Obama's "10 Point Plan to 'Change' the Second Amendment" is actually contrary to what he has said throughout his campaign: that he "respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms" and "will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns."
The NRA, however, simply dismisses Obama's stated position as "rhetoric" and substitutes its own interpretation of his record as a secret "plan." Said an NRA spokesman: "We believe our facts."
Perhaps so, but believing something doesn't make it so. And we find the NRA has cherry-picked, twisted and misrepresented Obama's record to come up with a bogus "plan."
Analysis
The NRA announced it will spend $40 million during this year's elections, including $15 million to portray Sen. Barack Obama as a threat to gun rights. The NRA has been circulating fliers and mailers that claim to be "Barack Obama's 10-Point Plan to 'Change' the Second Amendment." And on Sept. 22 reports surfaced that the NRA had launched TV ads in several key states, also attacking Obama. They are false portrayals
Please please please, this needs to get to the National Networks and brought to light. This is disgusting and quite possibley illegal. People in official law enforcement capacities, contacted by a presidential campaign to seek out liars and commentators they disagree with?
What is happening to this country. Where is MO Govenors office on this issue? Where is the official investigation..I saw two public officials with my own eyes confirming this story on that newcast, unbelieveable.
I will be making as many phone calls as I can, I will be forwarding this story to everyone and every station I know of..it is insane. Free speech is dead in MO and the rest of the Nation if these people keep their posistions.
I'm amazed that people would actually try to defend this.
If poor little Barack feels he has been slandered; let him take it to the civil courts like any other citizen. He is the man that made the statement that he would not take guns away from the average citizen as long as he could not get the votes in Congress to back him up and now he's being taken to task for his statement. If he didn't mean it he should not have said it. If he did mean it he shouldn't have a problem with it being brought to light.
He obviously can not handle the heat of the election process. Given that, just what makes anyone think he can lead a free nation?
How many times have we read blurbs about him complaining to various networks about ads that were running at the time and now this?!
This "truth squad" that is composed of public servants whose salaries are paid with our tax dollars using their positions to intimidate any questioning of the intentions and policies that Obama has made part of his platform is disgusting. I hope they have been issued the standard brown uniforms that befit the job descriptioin so well.
This from a campaign that has runs ads showing McCain's scar from a surgery that took place 8 years ago and had doctors that had never examined, treated, or even been in the same room with McCain telling everyone how he is going to die?!
If people want to live under the type of leadership that will prosecute if you disagree with them; Barack is your man.
At least he is trying to pick our rights off in numeric order.
In his world, the first amendment is the first to go.
Of course. He's a product of the Chicago Machine, and he's a collectivist and he uses the methods of Saul Alinsky. Not good.
I hope so. This will teach those right wing jabbers a lesson. After all Barrack Apollo Obama needs to be heard. He is the change we need. After Capitalism needs to be changed to socialism or even fascism which this is. After all people do not need rights that the founders of this nation created whom held to there guns and bibles. This is why I will vote for Obama.
Vote for Obama we need fascism.
Response from MO Gov. Blunt:
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.
“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
“This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.
“Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”
Why is Governor Blunt's release not on the front page of this newspaper?? I am an older woman and 20 years ago this would be on the front page?? What has happened to our media??? It is increasing becoming like the media in Russia, China, etc. This is not the first time that Obama has done this. He tried to stop Stanley Kurtz from talking on a Chicago radio station about his relationship with William Ayers. The radio show even wanted an Obama rep to be on the show to dispute anything said by Mr. Kurtz. The Obama people don't want his connection to Ayers talked about. I hope the younger people of this nation have the wisdom to read up on this man and not go on the "looks" factor.
Report is Accurate....Check Gov Blunt website.
http://governor.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EkkkVFulkpOzXqGMaj&style=
Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem
Yes, this is a bad report from the TV station. No one else has picked it up but Drudge, the Governor wanting to make a day's worth of political hay.
As one who was in TV News for twenty years, I'd note to you that the story was buried in the newscast last Tuesday. It was a filler live shot where the reporter said basically, that democratic officeholders (like sheriffs and local prosecutors) had agreed to TRUTH WATCH local political ads and RESPOND TO THEM with truth. Not handcuffs! No where in the reporter's piece did he say the sheriffs or prosecutors would go after them officially as part of their offices. It's helpful to note that these local officials ARE partisan and they have influence with local reporters. Claire McCaskill herself was a prosecutor once here in Kansas City and nope, I never DID like her much.
The problem as I see it is that the TV producer who assembled the newscast didn't have an understanding of the story, or the story wasn't as big as the reporter first presumed. When he/she wrote the ANCHOR LEAD-IN to introduce the live- donut story, she JAZZED IT UP... as producers often do. It ended up being a distorted one sentence summary of the story and it's THAT, that people like Drudge and others saw. Yes THAT would have been a story. But it wasn't THE story THE story was just a newscast filler liveshot that got out of hand when it hit the internet.
Moreover, what local democratic officeholders were asked to do is no more out of the ordinary than if a Presidents own attorney general makes political statements.
So essentially, the TRUTHWATCHERS should have TRUTH WATCHED a distored television story that appears to have only run once last week and not picked up. Its just more political flack thrown in the air...and I'm afraid the noise confusing everyone is right leaning noise. Which shouldn't surprise anyone. I looked into it after a Kansas City blogger turned it into "Obama Unleashes Gestapo in Missouri". Sigh. I'm only surprised the Governor got involved using his taxpayer paid Information Office. But ya know, welcome to the campaign.
Anyway, the indigant bloggers need to STAND DOWN. And maybe just read my take on it. (grin)
http://radiomankc.blogspot.com/2008/09/truthwatchers-called-gestapo-mo.html
I suggest Mr Obama, refer to Robertson vs Buchanan, In a U.S.Supreme Court decision, Mr Obama will have to pay ALL legal fee's for the defendant.and the Police, and other also will have to cough up $$$$$$$$$ It sounds more like OB1 is trying to supress the truth! Sounds like a communist plot to me !!
Oh by the way You can't sue for lible when a public official is running for or in office. By the way it was the previous US Supreme court that made that call not the Bush appointee's Robertson vs Buchanan
Much of the commentary on this page and this issues seems unhinged. I think we have a big problem with histrionic paranoia in our voters based on the kinds of things I am reading here. No surprise that this is true, but seriously people, don't stop taking your meds just because Obama is about to win the presidency.
Mr. Tuccille, if you aspire to be a reporter, why don't you find out something about whether any of what KMOV is claiming is true before you start writing about it. The "cease-and-desist" letter was quite underwhelming. The "Obama uses law-enforcement to beat and hog-tie your children" hysteria needs responsible journalists dealing with it, not the kind of "I saw it on TV so I feel compelled to pass it on" journalism you seem to be practicing. Did you call the KMOV station and find out the basis of their report?
Governor Blunt's news release shouldn't be on the front of any newspaper until some facts are published which give some sense of what he is actually talking about. I have read his screed and it notable for not saying anything at all about what he actually believes has happened. He doesn't even repeat whatever KMOV says, which sounds like it might have been something cooked up by an amateur would-be journalist.
If Obama dose this would he also be putting him self at risk of going to jail. How many lies did his canpain run. To hide the truth of what is about to do us. I like my rights the way they are. I will fright hard as can to keep them.
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