FCC and FEC, Together At Last

The FCC's restrictions on free speech—if they weren't shitty enough already—might be enough to kill political speech, too. Montana broadcasters are wringing their hands over a new Democratic ad blasting Sen. Conrad Burns. The ad's problem: It quotes Burns, who cussed at firefighters.

Citing the Federal Communications Commission's "current stance on indecent language," association President Greg MacDonald advised stations to pull the spot or check with attorneys before airing it.

"While we have no idea how the commission might come down on such language in a political spot we also don't want to test the waters at $325,000 per violation," MacDonald wrote.

The offending words: "piss-poor" and "God-damned thing." Words that shake the notoriously dainty citizens of Montana to their cores.