[EL] More speech SuperPACS = less speech for candidates development

[Soren Dayton]

Speaking of false statements by candidates ....

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 1, 2012, at 9:18 AM, Dan Johnson <dan at kchrlaw.com> wrote:

This is an interesting factual development.

One of the core arguments of ending limits on campaign expenditures has
been that buying more political advertisements is a good thing, as more
speech begets more speech.

One congressional challenger, Alan Grayson, posted yesterday that his
campaign commercial (the only positive one, he notes) is off the air,
because the avalanche of SuperPAC spending has tripled the rates for
television commercials, putting the price of speech on television beyond
his budget.

He (or his campaign) writes here:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/alan-grayson/we-are-off-the-air/467122639977387

You know *that great positive
ad*<http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.actblue.com%2Fcontribute%2Fpage%2Fpositivead&h=VAQGS6n8e&s=1>
for
our campaign that we showed you a couple of days ago? That breath of fresh
air, dispelling the stench of paid political advertising?



It's off the air. We have assumed broadcast silence.



Why? Because the Super PACs have spent $25.6 million on Orlando TV, and the
cost of TV spots here has tripled.


---


Whether you happen to agree with Alan Grayson's message or not, this looks
like a clear example of a speech-chilling impact of unlimited campaign
expenditures. It's almost like a tax on speech, as the there is only so
much broadcast time to go around for political candidates, and the price
has dramatically risen.


Seems like this provides some evidence that unlimited expenditures aren't
unambiguously pro-speech. Limiting expenditures by some can have the effect
of permitting more speech by others - and now there's a growing factual
record to prove it.

Dan

-- 
Dan Johnson
Partner
Korey Cotter Heather Richardson LLC

Two First National Plaza
20 South Clark, Suite 500
Chicago, Illinois 60602

312.867.5377 (office)
312.933.4890 (mobile)
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