If We Both Work the Refs, It's a Fair Fight

The Hill's Jonathan E. Kaplan reports on Democrats and Republicans both using a fiendishly wimpy tactic to knock their opponents off the airwaves.

Republicans pressured the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) last week into revising a radio advertisement in Kentucky, and Democrats did the same to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in Ohio.

Other independent political groups, such as MoveOn.org, have had advertisements pulled from the airwaves. MoveOn's advertisements linking GOP incumbents to scandal-tarred lobbyist Jack Abramoff were yanked off the air in Hartford, Conn., and Columbus, Ohio.

In January, a Houston television station refused to air an advertisement that liberal groups paid for attacking Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), the former majority leader, after receiving a letter from DeLay's lawyer pointing out that broadcasters can be held liable for erroneous content.

Yes, Tom DeLay is setting another campaign trend. That was a nice constitutional republic we had for a while, there.

Kerry Howley spoke to Going Dirty author David Mark in February, about how negative campaigns are actually good for democracy, candidates' lawyers be damned.