IA: FEC dismisses complaint about Dem blogger
11:14 AM
From the technology site Ars Technica:
The arch-conservative Heritage Foundation and a pro–Barack Obama blogger found common cause for celebration this week when the Federal Election Commission ruled that former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer, author of Iowa True Blue, is not subject to campaign finance restrictions, however partisan his posts. ...Fischer hasn't commented directly on the ruling on his blog, but he did post a link to a commentary piece from the Center for Competitive Politics under the title "Another Conservative Organization To My Defense (!!!)."
[L]ate last year, Hillary Clinton supporter Kirk Tofte nevertheless filed a complaint against Fischer, arguing that his site was no longer a mere political blog, but a "direct arm of the Obama for President campaign." ...
The FEC rejected Tofte's argument wholesale, noting that there was no hard evidence of coordination, but that even if there had been, Fischer's speech would remain protected.
The CCP piece said the complaint seemed to reinforce the idea "that a primary purpose of campaign finance laws is to harass one's political opponents."
