The forces who are out to weaken the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reforms have won a minor victory: A U.S. District Court has just voted to relax restrictions on issue ads, the Associated Press is reporting. The judges declared that a group called Wisconsin Right to Life had the right to run ads urging people to call Senator Russ Feingold's office and oppose his stances on judicial confirmations within 60 days of his election in 2004.

McCain-Feingold was designed to nix third-party issue ads that specifically name a candidate within two months of an election. But the judges ruled that the group was justified because their ads didn't specifically mention the election.

The decision will likely be appealed. But if the group's victory holds, then expect this to become a major new avenue for ads against incumbents and possibly even challengers in the days leading up to elections.