THE FOLLY OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
You are limited to giving $2,000 to the federal candidate of your choice during the primary season, which will then be used by your candidate to pay expenses, and especially, to buy advertising. Similar limitations do not apply to issue advertising that is not allowed to endorse the election (or non-election) of a particular candidate. Issue ads obviously do endorse candidate's election or removal, Contact President Bush, and tell him to keep standing up for taxpayers. It's just legal fiction that makes people feel like they are doing something about "the money in politics", but has no substantive meaning or effect.

Of course, the McCain Feingold First Amendment Limitations Act (all hail its name) prevents the airing of issue ads within 60 days of an election. I wonder, if they don't actually endorse candidates, why should they be limited at election time? Regardless, they are until a judge reads the Constitution.

And this should worry the Kerry/Edwards campaign. USAToday explains that from March 3 through June 26, pro-Kerry anti-Bush ads in 17 battleground states have exceed pro-Bush, anti-Kerry ads by a whopping 82% (not counting Fahrenheit whatever, the liberal (but corporate owned) mainstream media or the reimagined Manchurian Candidate). And yet, in those states, as nationally, the race is still neck and neck. Maybe the ad blitz from Kerry 04, MoveOn.org and The Media Fund has kept Kerry from being blown away in the polls during a time that Bush was getting harangued daily for the situation in Iraq. Makes you wonder how Kerry/Edwards will do in September and October, right after the Republican National Convention concludes, and "issue" ads are banned.