GOP Claim: Franken's Association Of Coleman And Bush Is Illegal!
Now this is some novel push-back. In a sign of just how worried Republicans are about Dem efforts to tie GOP Senators to Bush, the Minnesota GOP is charging that a new Al Franken attack ad linking Senator Norm Coleman to the President is illegal and must be pulled off the air:
The state party's press release says the ad is illegally using the image of the Presidential Seal on a campaign list of "10 Critical Issues" of the Bush presidency -- which the GOP says would create the impression that this is an official government document, in violation of federal law.
"Mr. Franken's campaign appears to have created a fake document and placed the presidential seal on it in an effort to make a political point ... On just the basic matter of law, Mr. Franken's ad must be pulled and corrected immediately." the release says.
Even if this ad did technically violate the law -- and that's a doubtful proposition -- it would almost certainly never be prosecuted, because doing so would create a chilling effect on political speech.
Late Update: We asked Franken spokesman Andy Barr if a reasonable person might think the use of the Presidential Seal here implied a real government document. "A reasonable person might note that we released extensive documentation with scores of votes detailing how Norm Coleman has voted with George Bush nearly 90 percent of the time," Barr told us via e-mail, "and the only complaint the Coleman campaign had was with the clipart."
Ahem.
Do we not know by now that the GOP has a separate set of statutes it operates by? The GOP has its own laws apparently - and they are allowed to just spring them on us at any moment when they determine we've broken one.
They are the kids who make the rules up as they play, so they never have to guard the can in Kick the Can. They're never "It" in hide and seek.
August 5, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
The GOP is becoming a bunch of whiners!
Where did I hear that before?
August 5, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
On the positive side, this is a very good ad from Franken. Our man Obama would do well to heed this as an example of how to push back on McCain's several weeks of negative spots.
August 5, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I STRONGLY agree! How simple, and yet how strong, is it that they're providing a list of vote numbers under the issues?
Yes, Obama needs to do something like this.
August 5, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
From the Star Tribune:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/26260679.html?location_refer=Politically%20ConnectedAl's been around the block on this kind of issue before -- when FOX sued him a few years ago for using "fair and balanced" in the subtitle of his Lying Liars book. That turned out so well for them (they were laughed out of court). Bring it on, Norm -- remind us more of how you're tied to W at the hip.
August 5, 2008 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
So does this mean that Franken can have Coleman's ad pulled because he used the images of bowlers without the PBA's permission?
I love the smell of Republican desperation in the morning. Smells like...victory.
August 5, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check the menu in the YouTube embed above for Franken's own "bowler" ad -- really funny; but unfortunately apparently web-only for now (no "I approved" tag)...
August 5, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republican party need to avoid looking old, ignorant and whiney...
Lets hope McCain nominates Liberman as VP!!!
August 5, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure sounded to me, like McCain didn't get the Hilton's permission to use Paris in his add!
August 5, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
With the arcane and pedantic exception of pointing out that it really should be "whom" instead of "who," this ad is fantastic and just what Franken needs to be doing right now - make it about Coleman and his ties to Bush, and this one does it well.
August 5, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
OH
MY
GOD
Al franken is using a presidential seal to tie norm coleman to george bush
how unfuckin fair of him
to associate with the repuglitarded presnit like that
next thing you know, Al Franken is going to be saying that norm coleman IS a repuglitard
and NOBODY wants to be a repuglitard
ask gordon smith
norn coleman shoulda worked with Senator Obama a little more
and worked with george bush a little less
then that presidential seal wouldn't be a MILLSTONE for coleman
August 5, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good on Al.
August 5, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans are beginning to use the oldest of defenses. When you have no valid defense - Lie - Lie - Lie!
With defensive whines thrown in for good measure.
August 5, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if the McCain campaign paid royalties to Paramount for using that clip from "The Ten Commandments" which is still under copyright.
August 5, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
the 'clip art' quote is nice work.
August 5, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sniff Sniff smells like a p*ssy to me.
August 5, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quimby is a well-known philanderer (skirt-chasing cheat, for you Republicans), a suspected domestic abuser (there are rumors I've heard from more than one source of Laurie Coleman showing up at ERs about town with mysterious facial contusions - again, "bruises" for you Repubs), and apparently now a demonstrable crybaby. Just what Minnesotans need in a Senator, wouldn't you say?
Make us proud, Slimy Norman, make us proud...
August 5, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink