Court to weigh challenge to ban on campaign lies

[OKTexas]

I didn't even know states had laws against false political campaign ads. It should be a law in every state.

"As political campaigns begin to heat up, the Supreme Court is deciding whether false accusations and mudslinging made during an election can be punished as a crime.

Addressing an issue of negative campaigning that now may be a fact of life in American politics, justices will consider a challenge to an Ohio law that bars false statements about political candidates. The case being heard next week has attracted national attention, with least 15 other states having similar laws.

Groups across the political spectrum are criticizing the law as a restriction on the First Amendment right to free speech."

Court to Weigh Challenge to Ban on Campaign Lies - ABC News

Your thoughts?

 

[nodoginnafight]

I support the First Amendment - even for people who use it to disagree with me.

I worry about the burden of proof in establishing the falsehood of a claim and worry that enforcement could create a thought-police environment.

In a perfect world - the voters would punish campaigns that spread lies.

 

[Kosh]

Campaign Lies?

Really?

Then that means no politician would be able to run for office.

 

[bendog]

I no longer have any limit to my cynicism as to the Roberts' Court.

 

[Defiant1]

A very slippery slope.

 

[martybegan]

I support the First Amendment - even for people who use it to disagree with me.

I worry about the burden of proof in establishing the falsehood of a claim and worry that enforcement could create a thought-police environment.

In a perfect world - the voters would punish campaigns that spread lies.

A lie can only be about a statement of fact. If one candidate says the other is untrustworthy, you cannot prove a lie or the truth about that statement. One can even say the policies candidate X supports will result in kids starving, because again, its an opinion.

If one is a strict constructionist a law like this has to be crafted to define a lie as something contrary to a know fact at the time. And it has to be specific, like lying about a vote, or a person's relations with someone else.

 

[martybegan]

A very slippery slope.

Always, however there has to be some punishment for outright falsehoods.

 

[OKTexas]

I support the First Amendment - even for people who use it to disagree with me.

I worry about the burden of proof in establishing the falsehood of a claim and worry that enforcement could create a thought-police environment.

In a perfect world - the voters would punish campaigns that spread lies.

Why should politicians be able to raise money lying with no fear of repercussions? Why shouldn't they be held to the same standards as the rest of us when it comes to fraud? The current resident of the oval office raised hundreds of millions with known lies but nothing will happen to him. I would love to see him prosecuted under the laws of these 16 states that have them, that would put a stop to that crap.

 

[HenryBHough]

Is America ready?

Are YOU ready?

for a Ministry of Truth?


Vaguely remembering hearing about that somewhere?

 

[Kosh]

A very slippery slope.

Always, however there has to be some punishment for outright falsehoods.

For the far left they get promotions and pay raises.

 

[Zander]

Ridiculous.

 

[Katzndogz]

Are they going to arrest Harry Reid?

 

[whitehall]

Who decides? Who decides whether campaign ads are accurate, the political administration in power? Do you pick out a part of the platform that doesn't seem quite right and arrest the candidate? This is dangerous stuff reminiscent of the Bolshies and Nazis.

 

[JakeStarkey]

I didn't even know states had laws against false political campaign ads. It should be a law in every state.

"As political campaigns begin to heat up, the Supreme Court is deciding whether false accusations and mudslinging made during an election can be punished as a crime.

Addressing an issue of negative campaigning that now may be a fact of life in American politics, justices will consider a challenge to an Ohio law that bars false statements about political candidates. The case being heard next week has attracted national attention, with least 15 other states having similar laws.

Groups across the political spectrum are criticizing the law as a restriction on the First Amendment right to free speech."

Court to Weigh Challenge to Ban on Campaign Lies - ABC News

Your thoughts?

I doubt lying in politics is protected speech.

However, how would such a law ever be enforced?

 

[thereisnospoon]

I didn't even know states had laws against false political campaign ads. It should be a law in every state.

"As political campaigns begin to heat up, the Supreme Court is deciding whether false accusations and mudslinging made during an election can be punished as a crime.

Addressing an issue of negative campaigning that now may be a fact of life in American politics, justices will consider a challenge to an Ohio law that bars false statements about political candidates. The case being heard next week has attracted national attention, with least 15 other states having similar laws.

Groups across the political spectrum are criticizing the law as a restriction on the First Amendment right to free speech."

Court to Weigh Challenge to Ban on Campaign Lies - ABC News

Your thoughts?

This will with some open a can of worms.
Those in opposition will fail to understand that the right to free speech is not absolute.

 

[thereisnospoon]

I no longer have any limit to my cynicism as to the Roberts' Court.

Oh? What causes you to state that?
Should it be ok for a campaign to lie about an opposing candidate and then publish the lie causing harm?

 

[nodoginnafight]

I support the First Amendment - even for people who use it to disagree with me.

I worry about the burden of proof in establishing the falsehood of a claim and worry that enforcement could create a thought-police environment.

In a perfect world - the voters would punish campaigns that spread lies.

Why should politicians be able to raise money lying with no fear of repercussions? Why shouldn't they be held to the same standards as the rest of us when it comes to fraud? The current resident of the oval office raised hundreds of millions with known lies but nothing will happen to him. I would love to see him prosecuted under the laws of these 16 states that have them, that would put a stop to that crap.

Would Mitt Romney be prosecuted too?

 

[martybegan]

I support the First Amendment - even for people who use it to disagree with me.

I worry about the burden of proof in establishing the falsehood of a claim and worry that enforcement could create a thought-police environment.

In a perfect world - the voters would punish campaigns that spread lies.

Why should politicians be able to raise money lying with no fear of repercussions? Why shouldn't they be held to the same standards as the rest of us when it comes to fraud? The current resident of the oval office raised hundreds of millions with known lies but nothing will happen to him. I would love to see him prosecuted under the laws of these 16 states that have them, that would put a stop to that crap.

Would Mitt Romney be prosecuted too?

For what?

 

[nodoginnafight]

I didn't even know states had laws against false political campaign ads. It should be a law in every state.

"As political campaigns begin to heat up, the Supreme Court is deciding whether false accusations and mudslinging made during an election can be punished as a crime.

Addressing an issue of negative campaigning that now may be a fact of life in American politics, justices will consider a challenge to an Ohio law that bars false statements about political candidates. The case being heard next week has attracted national attention, with least 15 other states having similar laws.

Groups across the political spectrum are criticizing the law as a restriction on the First Amendment right to free speech."

Court to Weigh Challenge to Ban on Campaign Lies - ABC News

Your thoughts?

I doubt lying in politics is protected speech.

However, how would such a law ever be enforced?

It has been in the past

 

[nodoginnafight]

Why should politicians be able to raise money lying with no fear of repercussions? Why shouldn't they be held to the same standards as the rest of us when it comes to fraud? The current resident of the oval office raised hundreds of millions with known lies but nothing will happen to him. I would love to see him prosecuted under the laws of these 16 states that have them, that would put a stop to that crap.

Would Mitt Romney be prosecuted too?

For what?

Lying