Text 889, 93 rader
Skriven 2004-08-07 08:12:04 av John Hull (1:379/1.99)
Ärende: Dems threaten stations over TV Advert
=============================================
In a move that is clearly anti-free speech, and possibly even illegal, the DNC
has issued a letter to TV stations threatening legal action if they run an ad
claiming Kerry lied to get his Vietnam medals.


ELECTION 2004
2 TV stations reject vets' ad
Pressure from DNC, Kerry campaign

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: August 7, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern



© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com 

Under pressure from Democrats, two television stations are reported to have
dropped the ad by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that charges John Kerry has
lied about his Vietnam war record. 

WBAY in Green Bay, Wisc., refused to run it, according to Human Events. And
WTVG in Toledo, Ohio, dropped the ad after the Kerry campaign used a story in
the Boston Globe yesterday to convince the station's management it was false,
the Drudge Report said. 

But Human Events reported all of the other targeted stations in Ohio, Wisconsin
and West Virginia plan to run it. 

WBAY President and General Manager Don Carmichael told Human Events his station
will not broadcast the ad "on advice of counsel." 

Carmichael stated that after reviewing the affidavits of the veterans, seeing
the commercial and hearing the pro-Kerry "counter-claims," his station decided
to refuse it. 

He would not elaborate on the "counter-claims." 

As WorldNetDaily reported, lawyers for the Democratic National Committee and
Kerry's presidential campaign faxed a letter to television station managers
warning them not to broadcast the ad. 

The letter, posted by Human Events [Requires PDF viewer], tells the managers if
they decide to air it they are "responsible for the false and libelous charges"
made by the veterans group. 

As WorldNetDaily reported, the new TV commercial is a montage of remarks from a
number of veterans who accuse Kerry of misrepresenting his actions for medals
and attack his character. 

Yesterday, an article in the Boston Globe by Michael Kranish said one of the
veterans in the ad, George Elliott, backed off a key contention of a book to be
released next week by the veterans group, "Unfit for Command." 

But the Swift Boat Vets responded with a statement saying Elliott considers the
Globe story "extremely inaccurate" and "highly misleading" and "reaffirms his
affidavit in support of that advertisement, and he reaffirms his request that
the ad be played." 

Kranish, who is covering the Kerry campaign, wrote the foreword to the official
Kerry-Edwards campaign book and is listed as the lead author, the Drudge Report
noted today. 

Telephoned for comment yesterday, Kranish declined to speak on the record with
WorldNetDaily but forwarded a statement from the Globe which said the paper
stands by the story. 

"The quotes attributed to Mr. Elliott were on the record and absolutely
accurate," said the statement by Globe Editor Martin Baron. 

Baron asserted it is "completely untrue" that Kranish "was ever contracted to
write for a Kerry campaign publication." 

The editor explained that "earlier this summer, Kranish worked with Public
Affairs, the publisher of the Boston Globe biography of Kerry, 'John Kerry: The
Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best,' to write a
short introduction to a second project: an independent, unauthorized review of
publicly available documents dealing with the platform and policy statements of
Kerry and Edwards." 

Baron said that when Public Affairs "subsequently struck an agreement with the
Kerry campaign to do an official campaign book, Kranish's relationship with the
project immediately ended." 



John 

America:  First, Last, and Always!
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