[EL] Check out Ford Pulls Ad Touting Bailout-Free Success, After Calls from White

[Dale Eisman]

One would think that folks who spend millions of dollars on ads touting their "built Ford tough" trucks wouldn't be so easily intimidated.

-----------------------
Dale Eisman
Senior researcher/writer
Common Cause
1133 19th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
202 736-5788




-----Original Message-----
From: Smith, Brad [mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu]
Sent: Tue 9/27/2011 6:13 PM
To: Dale Eisman; law-election at uci.edu
Subject: RE: [EL] Check out Ford Pulls Ad Touting Bailout-Free Success,After Calls from White
 
I recall a few years back when reformers just howled and howled and
howled because Senator McConnell had the gall to urge corporations not
to support groups that sought to limit their First Amendment rights.
Russ Feingold took to the floor of the Senate, saying it "smacks of
intimidation."  Reformers were apoplectic. EJ Dionne even wrote a
column. I guess the "persuasive" power of government isn't so scary when
it's used against the other guy.

 

Look, we welcome give and take in ideas. We don't welcome private calls
by the White House to people in heavily regulated industries, competing
against government owned companies, suggesting that maybe they shouldn't
be running their ads.

 

Bradley A. Smith

Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault 

  Designated Professor of Law

Capital University Law School

303 East Broad Street

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 236-6317

bsmith at law.capital.edu <mailto:bsmith at law.capital.edu> 

http://www.law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.asp
<http://www.law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.asp> 

 

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu
[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Dale
Eisman
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 4:34 PM
To: JBoppjr at aol.com; rhasen at law.uci.edu; law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Check out Ford Pulls Ad Touting Bailout-Free
Success,After Calls from White

 

Since when is free speech a one-way street? Ford produced an ad that
took a shot at the President and one of his signature programs. Some of
the President's men took exception to that. Such give and take is what
we expect and welcome in a free society. 

 If there is evidence the President's friends used or threatened to use
the government's power  to silence or punish Ford, let's hear it -
please. All we've got here, so far anyway, is circumstance and
assumptions.

 

-----------------------------------------------

Dale Eisman

Senior researcher/writer

Common Cause -- Holding Power Accountable

1133 19th St NW

Washington, D.C. 20036

202 736-5788

 

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu
[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of
JBoppjr at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 2:28 PM
To: rhasen at law.uci.edu; law-election at uci.edu
Subject: [EL] Check out Ford Pulls Ad Touting Bailout-Free Success,After
Calls from White

 

Click here: Ford Pulls Ad Touting Bailout-Free Success, After Calls from
White House - By Daniel Foster - The Corner - Nationa
<http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/278478/ford-pulls-ad-touting-bailo
ut-free-success-after-calls-white-house-daniel-foster>  

 

This is a reprehensible violation of freedom of speech by the Obama
White House and an example of what will happen to those who are
"DISCLOSED" to be on the "wrong" side of government policy.  Jim Bopp