posted on March 29, 2001 08:51:29 PM new
Where would you start?
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Legislators voted Wednesday to make lying on the
campaign trail a crime, and to crack down on increasingly popular ``push polls''
designed to slur rival candidates.
The House unanimously approved the measure to make ``false information in
political material'' a crime and sent it to the Senate, where it is expected to be
approved later this month.
The measure would prohibit candidates from saying things about a rival that a
candidate ``knows to be untrue, deceptive,or misleading.'' Those convicted could be
sentenced up to a year in jail, or fined $1,500.
The measure was written in response to the increasing popularity of ``push polls'' or
phone calls not intended to sample public opinion, but designed to aid a candidate.
In those efforts, callers representing themselves as legitimate pollsters offer negative
-- often outrageous -- information about a rival.
The measure approved Wednesday requires such callers to identify themselves,
disclose who they are employed by and which candidate they are supporting, as
well as to give information on how to contact the poll's sponsor.
Even backers conceded the measure was a work in progress that may not send
many people to jail but lawmakers needed to send a signal.
``It will be a very difficult law to enforce, but it's worth the effort,'' said Rep. Pam
Jochum.
posted on March 29, 2001 10:22:13 PM new
What really gets me is how the Republicans have taken over our state since 1992, and they did it with a unique strategy. Whenever Republicans in this state run political campaign adverrtisments, they never say which party that the candidate belongs to. Instead, they rely upon name recognition. And it works! Oregon is a state where most folks don't vote by political party, but by the person. So far so good. But to listen to these Republicans campaign as if they were democrats is going just too far! What we need here is a law that makes FULL PARTY AFFLIATION DISCLOSURE mandantory in all advertisements. Sheese! Even in this last election, even the big corporations were masquerading as environmental groups! Too much.
