Special Treatment for the NRA?

[Uncayimmy]

That sure comes across as a confident, declarative statement of fact. Unfortunately, it is incorrect.

The AARP was probably the single largest purchaser of ads in favor of the recent health care bill, for instance. They still have the "Divided We Fail" page up on their web site. The AARP has run ads in favor of the financial regulation package, as an even more recent example.

AARP^WP


Does the AARP make contributions directly to candidates? No, it cannot. Nor can any other non profit organization.

I don't mean to be a pedant, but I deliberately chose the term "electoral activities" in the context of the DISCLOSE Act. Laws are not really elected in the common use of the word. Propositions and referendums, which are usually voted upon on the same day as elections are done so for convenience, but that doesn't make them elections. It's a vote on legislation.

The DISCLOSE Act does not cover issue advertisements unless they are interpreted as favoring or disfavoring a candidate, for lack of better terms. There are countless pages of laws, advisories and court decisions defining what constitutes making a statement about a candidate in terms of being elected to office, so there's not really a single word or phrase I can use.

If you want to engage in a debate about the meaning of "electoral activities" outside of the DISCLOSE Act, you can do so without me. As I said in another post, I know that the AARP takes positions on legislation. That doesn't mean they are affected by DISCLOSE.