GOVERNMENT-BACKED SMEARS

FCC Makes WMUR Run Unfair Bush-Cocaine Ad

A little-known Republican candidate who calls himself "New Hampshire's
favorite son" is running an ad on WMUR that says "George Bush had a
cocaine problem," a sorry comment on the ad's author, but a sorrier
one on the Federal Communications Commission rule that insists TV
stations run all political advertisements, regardless of their content.

Andy Martin, the candidate in question, determined Bush had a cocaine
problem by sizing up Gov. George W. Bush's "sweaty palm testimony...
I'm just drawing a reasonable conclusion," from Bush's response to
media questions, he told The Union Leader. When asked if he, as
President, would enforce laws based on this same standard of evidence,
he replied, "Yup." Given this lack of seriousness, Martin's political
missteps as a candidate are hardly worth discussing. Thank heaven his
only ties to New Hampshire are the facts that his mother was born
here, he applied to UNH, and his family vacationed at Hampton Beach.
What is really egregious is that federal law forces WMUR to give equal
access air time to all eligible candidates. Broadcast stations are not
permitted to reject an advertisement if it makes false or questionable
allegations. It's wrong for the media to dismiss as "unviable" minor
candidates who poll in the single digits, but it's also unfair that
the federal government prevents them from dismissing any garbage a
candidate puts out. This episode should serve as a warning to
advocates of more government regulations on political campaigns --
with the federal government's logic, one never knows what the end
result will be!