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To: LindyBill who wrote (64257)	8/26/2004 12:50:07 AM
From: KLP	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793928

More AP Bias re 527's: In Imbedded Box Next to the Article below: AP just "forgot to put in the box "moveon.org"..one of the largest 527's for the Democrats..... Go to the link and see... They did include Pro Democratic: Media Fund . $28.1 Million ACT Now Inc. also known as America Coming Together: $26.0 Million Democratic Governors' Association: $20.0 Million Service Employees International (Union Political Education and Action International Fund: $15.0 Million American Federation of State, County and Muni Employees Special Account: $12.2 Million Pro Republican: Republican Governors Association: $32.5 Million The Club for Growth: $8.5 Million Republican State Leadership Committee: 7.8 Million College Republican National Committee: $4.7 Million Progress for America Voter Fund: $2.3 Million All numbers as of June 30, 3004- The Associated Press **************** NOW, Pro Democrats : These named 527's total 61.3 Million WITHOUT MOVEON.ORG!!! Pro Republicans: 55.8 MILLION AP Didn't total these, and Didn't put in one of the biggest 527's for Democrats.....!!! Seems very slanted, if not downright dishonest, to me! Groups run political ads by exploiting campaign law SHARON THEIMER; The Associated Press tribnet.com WASHINGTON - This was supposed to be the first election that reined in the big political money used to underwrite past negative attacks, but outside groups have exploited the nation's new campaign finance law to raise millions for hard-hitting commercials. Tax-exempt groups have run ads questioning President Bush's stewardship and putting John Kerry on the defensive about his medal-winning service in Vietnam. A new group surfaced Tuesday to take aim at vice presidential nominee John Edwards' ties to trial lawyers. From January 2003 through last June, so-called "527 soft- money groups" raised roughly $268 million and spent $291 million, according to figures compiled by the Political Money Line tracking service. Campaign watchdogs call many of these groups "shadow parties" because they conduct activities the political parties used to finance using corporate and union donations and unlimited contributions known as soft money. Those running the outside advertising campaigns say Congress passed up the chance to outlaw their spending when it enacted the campaign finance law in 2002, and they say political leaders shouldn't complain about the consequences. "I guess I resent deeply the hypocrisy in all of this and people passing that law and now whining about the fact that both parties are trying to use that tool to defend their position," said former GOP chairman William Brock, who helped create the group known as The November Fund. Brock's group, which is supported by the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday it plans to air ads within a month urging legal limits on lawsuit awards and criticizing trial lawyers like Edwards. While the 2002 law bans national party committees and presidential and congressional candidates from raising soft money, the Federal Election Commission has ruled nonparty political groups registered under section 527 of the IRS tax code may do so. The six commissioners disagree about the extent to which soft-money organizations can be involved in presidential and congressional races. Democrats, trying to counteract the GOP's traditional multimillion-dollar fund-raising advantage, were the most aggressive early on in funding or setting up soft-money groups. They got a big lift from the likes of billionaire George Soros, who gave $12 million. Such groups have spent millions of dollars keeping anti-Bush ads on television during periods when Kerry opted to stay off the air to save his limited campaign money. The Bush campaign and the Republican National Committee initially pressed the FEC to ban such groups from spending in the presidential race. But when the commission declined in May to intervene, GOP activists joined the soft-money fray. Bush this week called on soft-money groups in general to stay out of the presidential race. Kerry, meanwhile, accuses the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group airing ads against him, of lying about his Vietnam War record. He has challenged Bush to ask that group to stop running ads. It's not the first brush Bush and Kerry have had with outside groups. In 2000, two Texas brothers financed soft-money ads criticizing Bush rival John McCain in the days before GOP presidential primaries in California, Ohio and New York. The ads promoted Bush's environmental record as Texas' governor and criticized that of McCain, an Arizona senator and lead sponsor of the new campaign finance law. In the 1996 Senate race in Massachusetts, Kerry and Republican rival William Weld agreed to try to ban all soft money and independent ads from their race. Each promised to limit his spending and deduct any by outsiders supporting him from the total he would spend. Kerry has said it's too late for such pledges in the presidential race. "The cat's out of the bag now in this election," Kerry said in May. Kerry said it didn't matter that Republican soft-money groups then had yet to get off the ground: "Well, that's their problem," he said. Many GOP activists, too, now say it's too late to stop the spending. Even if the candidates ask groups to back off, it is tough to keep outsiders from the race. The Supreme Court has long protected individuals' right to spend unlimited sums airing their views on candidates, as long as they do so independently. (Published 12:42AM, August 25th, 2004)

To: LindyBill who wrote (64257)	8/26/2004 2:58:24 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793928

Let's see..... O'Neil writes a book that presents an unflattering account of Kerry & backs up each serious allegation with documentation, eye witness testimony & sworn affidavits of 60+ Vets. John Kerry is running for President. O'Neil makes headlines that he is a liar on the flimsiest of evidence. Notice that the liberal media don't call Kerry a liar for admitting he never made the famous Christmas in Cambodia trip, an event that a was an epiphany that turned Kerry into an anti-war activist....... Now who exactly should Americans be more concerned about?