Repeat offenders

CNN reported a few days ago, March 6 to be exact, that the RNC is warning TV stations not to run ads produced by MoveOn.org, claiming they're paid for with money raised in violation of campaign-finance laws.

"As a broadcaster licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, you have a responsibility to the viewing public, and to your licensing agency, to refrain from complicity in any illegal activity," said the RNC's chief counsel, Jill Holtzman Vogel, in a letter sent to about 250 stations Friday.

"Now that you have been apprised of the law, to prevent further violations of federal law, we urge you to remove these advertisements from your station's broadcast rotation."

I knew that sounded familiar, so I rummaged through some old stuff and found this from Joel Bleifuss' column in the August 1 issue of In These Times:

The Republican National Committee is threatening television stations that dare to air a Democratic National Committee ad reprising the misleading statements President George W. Bush made in his State of the Union address. ...

In a letter to station managers in Madison, Wisconsin, where the ad has run, Caroline Hunter, a Republican Party lawyer, wrote:

"It has come to our attention that your station will begin airing false and misleading advertisements. ... The Democratic National Committee ... has no right to willfully spread false information in a deliberate attempt to mislead the American people. ... As an FCC licensee you have a responsibility to ... avoid deliberate misrepresentations of the facts. Such obligations must be taken seriously. This letter puts you on notice that the information contained in the above-cited advertisement is false and misleading; therefore, you are obligated to refrain from airing this advertisement."

Apparently, the RNC believes that ads critical of Georgie Porgie are by definition illegal.

Footnote: I tried to find a direct link to the item on ITT's website but was unsuccessful. If anyone else has better luck, please let me know.