|
Advocacy Blog
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
A Poem: Issue Advocacy or Electioneering?
An Oct. 9 New York Sun article describes a newspaper ad the national ACLU ran in 12 states targeting Senators about to vote on bills relating to wiretapping and military commissions. The Connecticut ACLU complained that the ad targeting Sen. Joe Lieberman crossed the line from issue advocacy to partisan electioneering because it said his vote on these bills "would help determine your vote in November."
The incident has sparked some dialog about the difference between issue advocacy and electioneering. But best of all, it has inspired a poem. See attorney Bob Bauer's comments. His poem is printed below:
The ACLU speaks!
Those incorrigible sneaks!
Their advocacy is far too "express"!
In these final few weeks,
With editorial tweaks,
They might have avoided a mess.
But you need to remember:
They spoke of "November,"
And shamelessly used the word "vote."
They say it's all issues,
Which is or is not true,
But they sounded an electoral note.
For while the nation is reeling
At a time of bad feelings,
We must take care with the words that we choose;
We must edit and cut
With the help of rules and our gut,
And keep legal the expression of views.
For issue speech is permitted,
But still we're committed
To limiting its effect on elections;
You may raise high your voices
But nowhere near voters’ choices;
Such are the limits of constitutional protection.
Posted by Kay Guinane
|