The state Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on the case that has the potential to impact not only campaigns here in Washington, but in other states, setting new boundaries for radio talkers and define when political speech becomes political advertising.
Political advertising can be regulated by campaign fairness law; political talk, cannot.
KVI conservative talkers John Carlson (KVI m-f, 3-5p) and Kirby Wilbur (KVI m-f, 5-9a) ran an extensive on-air campaign for I-912, an initiative that would have defunded a transportation package that included a 9 cent gas tax.
The initiative, of course, was irresponsible and ill-conceived demogoguery that was even opposed by the usually craven, opportunistic Republicans.
(Listeners were still outraged after the bitter post-gubernatorial election count. The KVI jocks needed to transfer that angry, lucrative energy. The post election had extended the normal high ratings enjoyed by talk radio around elections, and had pulled KVI out of the ratings dumpster of having just lost Rush to KTTH, and they were hoping to ride that snorting stallion through another ratings period. These were not noble, democratic acts, here, just the radie-yo bidness, which is about getting higher ratings so you can sell more advertising at a higher price. Is that so wrong? No, but we wish Fisher, Wilbur and Carlson would cut the Martyrs for Democracy crap).
The initiative, as we all know, failed. But a lower court ruled that Carlson's and Wilbur's talk radio campaign amounted to an in-kind political contribution to the gas-tax opponents, and made Fisher Broadcasting report a per-month amount to the PDC.
In a rare bedfellowing, the legal fight was taken up by the ACLU and the libertarian Cato Institute, who filed friendly briefs to the campaign side.
(It's hilarious to hear the Republicans on their stiff little blogs bragging up their new friends the ACLU, who only last week they were advocating stringing up for treason but who are now giving them the perception of having street cred in the justice dep't).
BlatherWatch was there from the first day (so you wouldn't have to be). We're not lawyers and we don't know if the State law is constitutional, but we do know that what our friends down at Fisher Plaza were doing was a whole lot more than advocating.
(As liberals, and activists, we mused at the time: Radio station? we gotta get us one of them...)
In April of 2005, Wilbur and Carlson had an idea over coffee. Next morning, Kirby asked listeners (then called Wilbur’s Warriors) to ransack their bellies, and if there was, therein, enough fire against the recently passed 9-cent gas tax hike- please, he asked- email him at an special new address or call a hastily designated hotline and and say so.
He said there was a narrow window to get a repeal campaign up and running and if there were enough people mad enough to commit to licking the envelopes, shoe leathering the door-to-door, and petitioning in the park-and-rides to collect 250,000 signatures in a helluva hurry- his money people would be willing to help make it so.
Wilbur knew if his Warriors commit, they’re good for it. They get mad, they get even. You can make book on it.
And it was thus that I-912, was born.
Carlson and Wilbur are longtime Republican activists; and Carlson in particular, is expert at initiatives. He took over the anti-affirmative action initiative, I-200 from the still wet behind the ears Tim Eyman, spun it for hours and hours on KVI, lost his job in the process but brought it into the barn. (And promptly got his job back.)
In the process of gathering the signatures, listeners got 3 hour blocks, 5 days a week on the morning and afternoon drives, of campaign logistics and strategy at the bread crumb level: meet-ups, petition drop locations; petition pickup or delivery places and times; campaign people checking in with messages for fellow workers; suggestions for signature gathering, and fundraising, fundraising, fundraising.
We said it was boring at the time, but apparently a lot of people were fascinated with this on-air Napkin Committee meeting and the ratings held up.
"No doubt about it, we crusaded for this and supported the campaign from its infancy," Carlson said. "But crusading for a cause is not the same as administering a campaign."
We beg to differ and now we'll see- although wait and see will probably be more like it. The Court will take its time as always.
Teþekkür
Posted by: Fremont | June 14, 2006 at 02:31 PM
Joanie
I could post mountains in response to your defense of kerry.
I will just let it all go with the question "why won't he release an SF 180 that could potentially clear any arguments about his record"
Posted by: Steve | June 14, 2006 at 06:20 PM
S-s-s-pit!
Posted by: Fremont | June 14, 2006 at 07:45 PM
Fremont, you notice how these republican apologists keep saying they "don't support a lot of what Bush has done" but . . . they voted for him twice?
Think a diagnosis of schizophrenia is in order? Another mental disorder maybe? Post traumatic stress? or just confused? Well, how about just plain fucking ignorance.
Posted by: joanie | June 14, 2006 at 08:22 PM
"Well, how about just plain fucking ignorance."
Classy reply.
Posted by: Steve | June 14, 2006 at 08:33 PM
It is not the "quantity" but the quality of the support. If you had read the first link, you wouldn't need the other two or any others at all.
You and your buddies, at the behest of a monied pro-Bush supporter, have only achieved the distinction of casting doubt on every medal earned by every vet in any war. But, you can't see that and you never will. You should be ashamed of what you've done to all vets with this sick campaign.
And the whole thing occurred because of a bunch of guys who let their sour grapes over his testimony to Congress about the war ferment into deep-seated anger, hatred, and sick revenge. You all disgust me. And you don't deserve a classy reply or any reply.
I don't need any more that one account of what happened. Just the truthful one. And William Rood was there and speaks the truth. You choose to disbelieve him. That is your decision.
When I tried to open the link I gave you, it asked for registration. If you open it from Google, you don't have to register. Do it or don't. I don't care.
"Swift boat skipper: Kerry critics wrong | Chicago Tribune"
I promise this is my last post on this. We'd just better let it be.
Posted by: joanie | June 14, 2006 at 10:06 PM
You have your sources-I have mine.
I'll go with mine as you will stay with yours.
Posted by: Steve | June 15, 2006 at 06:12 AM
Well, that's a good way to stay ignorant. I don't know how you think I haven't seen the overload of crap touting your side. But, you've at least copped to the fact you don't want to know the other side.
Have a nice day.
Posted by: joanie | June 15, 2006 at 08:23 AM
"Classy reply." This poignant observation from a member of the Bush-league class....fucking amazing!
Posted by: Fremont | June 15, 2006 at 09:49 AM
5384072345
Posted by: Fremont | June 15, 2006 at 09:50 AM
WAIT A MINUTE! HOW DID THE ROBOT GET MY SSN??
Posted by: Fremont | June 15, 2006 at 09:51 AM
Have a nice day.
Thank you. I will. It is hard not to at the mountain home.
Posted by: Steve | June 15, 2006 at 08:27 PM
Only in America do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Greek meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'
Posted by: sparky | June 15, 2006 at 10:15 PM
That's funny, Sparky. It sure captures the emotions laid bare on this thread! Do they call it something different elsewhere?
Posted by: Joanie | June 15, 2006 at 11:44 PM
I think every country has its share of bloodsucking creatures :-)
Posted by: sparky | June 16, 2006 at 08:38 AM
St.Eve...I hear wildfires are consuming mountain homes on the east side....better hurry over to turn your sprinkler on!
Posted by: Fremont | June 16, 2006 at 10:15 AM