Judges: Anti-Clinton film is campaign ad
WASHINGTON (AP) - January 10, 2008 Citizens United, a conservative advocacy group, is challenging
the nation's campaign finance laws, which require disclaimers on
political advertisements and restrict when they can be broadcast.
The group argues "Hillary: The Movie" and related television
advertisements are not political advertising even though the New
York senator is in the presidential race.
Attorney James Bopp argued that they should be considered
"issue-oriented" speech because viewers aren't urged to vote for
or against the Democrat.
"What's the issue?" asked Judge A. Raymond Randolph, a federal
appeals judge sitting on a mixed panel to review the case.
"That Hillary Clinton is a European Socialist," Bopp replied.
"That is an issue."
"Which has nothing to do with her campaign?" U.S District
Judge Royce C. Lamberth interjected.
"Not specifically, no," Bopp replied.
"Once you say, 'Hillary Clinton is a European Socialist,'
aren't you saying vote against her?"
Bopp disagreed because the movie did not use the word "vote."
"Oh, that's ridic. ..." Lamberth said, trailing off and ending
the line of questioning.
Under campaign finance laws, Citizens United would be required
to disclose its funding for the ads. It would also have to disclose
donors and pay the costs of airing it on cable television from a
political fund.
The movie is scheduled for six screenings in theaters, once each
in California, Nevada, South Carolina, Arizona, New York and
Washington. It is also being sold on DVD. Neither of those methods
is regulated under campaign laws. The advertisements, however, are
scheduled to run during the peak presidential primary season and
would be regulated.
Bopp, who successfully led a challenge to one aspect of the
campaign finance system last year, compared the film to television
news programs "Frontline," "Nova," and "60 Minutes." That
prompted Lamberth to laugh out loud from the bench.
"You can't compare this to '60 Minutes,"' the judge said.
"Did you read this transcript?"
The movie features commentary from conservative pundits, some of
whom specifically say Clinton is not fit to be the nation's
commander in chief.
One ad begins with a narrator saying, "First, a kind word about
Hillary Clinton." Conservative commentator Ann Coulter says,
"Looks good in a pant suit," to which the narrator adds, "Now, a
movie about everything else."
Bopp received the greatest skepticism from Randolph and
Lamberth, the panel's two conservative judges. U.S. District Judge
Richard W. Roberts, a nominee of president Clinton, was more
focused on the legal test Bopp was asking the judges to conduct.