I think the lastest MoveOn ad featuring former US Marine Lee Buttrill is superb in terms of content and effectiveness. But I'm somewhat concerned about the way the ad skirts the campaign finance laws. As I understand it — and I'm in no way an expert — the ads can't endorse a candidate, although they can talk about them.
If that's the rule, this ad comes very close to the line. Rather than say “Vote for Kerry” the ad no doubt accurately indentifies the speaker as “Voting for Kerry”.
If the statement is accurate, it's just descriptive. So perhaps technically it's not an endorsement and thus within the letter of the law, maybe brilliantly so. But it can't be consistent with the spirit of the campaign finance rules.
PS. There are a lot of good runner-ups on the MoveOn page, although I'm especially partial to Kenneth Berg
I agree that the Buttrill spot is good. I watched a bunch of the spots, though, and I liked most of them. What I’d really like to see is for MoveOn to run a lot of them a few times each. On, say, FoxNews.
i agree – they are all good and i think it would be more effective to run a bunch of them, not just the one focusing on the war.
I myself had some questions as to the propriety of much of moveon.org, especially when Zach Exley was hired away from moveon to run the Kerry electronic campaign, and the filing of the FEC complaint by the Republican Nat’l Committee. However, I think that, because the electioneering communications are registered to the moveon voter fund, a 527 organization, and not the 501(c)(4) or Federal PAC versions, they sail straight through a loophole making this legit.
Personally, I just wish they’d been clearer about what the ads meant…all of these ads are from people who voted for Bush in 2000, and will be voting for Kerry in 2004, it was the focus of Errol Morris’ ads to essentially ask them why. I think they’d be more powerful with that info included.
hm, they have a soldier saying he’s voting for kerry, but bush used a firefighter….hm, i just don’t know what to do..
The commercial portraying Bush as a nazi was much better. It more accurately portrayed the nature of liberal thought today.
Anyway, I guess from your comments Soros will be happy he’s getting his million’s worth. Oh yes, you didn’t think moveon was really a “grass-roots” organization did you?
Is this the same Sgt. Lee Buttrill quoted in this ABC news story? He says, “When you are moving through this country there is not a lot of people out there and you are not sure they want us here. You wonder, ‘Are we doing this for us or are we doing it for them?’ … You finally get here and see people in the street feeling so excited, feeling so happy, tearing down the statue of Saddam. It feels really good.”
It seems like he was saying that getting rid of Saddam was a good use of American troops to ABC.
I just wanted to say that I am the same Marine who was on ABC and if I had the ability to travel back in time knowing what I know now, I would not have sounded so positive on ABC. I saw the happy people of Iraq that day and I shared their joy, but I was misguided as they were. There was no plan for their future and no justification for us to be there other than the lies I uncovered in the following monthes. I hope everyone can understand that my statements at the time were based only on the information I had and not he bigger picture I have come to grasp.
Seargent Buttrill, USMC
I certainly hope that Buttrill, I won’t refer to his rank, since he doesn’t deserve it, is happy with himself. Once your 15 minutes of fame is over, you’ll regret this, whoever wins the election. You’re riding on your mans coat tails, coming home to lend aid and comfort to the enemy while our brothers in arms are still there serving. I don’t care what bigger picture you’ve come to grasp, you obviously can’t grasp the big picture of the 9/11 Commission, Congress inquiry into Iraq intelligence, the British inquiry, and GENERAL Tommy Franks saying that he was warned by Egypt of Sadam’s WMD. So, who’s lying Mr. Buttrill, you or the above mentioned people. I’ll put my money on the inquiries. I think you’re just misinformed and trying to get your face on the tube. You’re a sad example of what I hope is an ex-Marine, even though you use your rank to try and lend legitimacy to your post. I certainly hope that the men you served with treat you accordingly. I would certainly treat one of my shipmates accordingly, if he acted the way you have, and after 20 years of service, there are a lot of my shipmates out there.
Which of the previous two posts is more offensive?
At the time my previous comment was made, wraithe’s comment was followed by a comment graphically advertising a “mature incest” site, which has now been deleteed. I certainly didn’t mean to suggest that there’s something wrong with Sgt. Buttrill’s post (if it is indeed he).
I am usuing MT-Blacklist to block blog spam. When it misses stuff, I kill it manually when I see it, and then it’s blocked in the future. So if you see spam, you can assume it will vanish in a few hours. If I miss one, please drop me a note.