Why don't Truth In Advertising laws apply to political ads?

[williesgirl]

[C_U_L8R]

1. Or at least libel

i'm afraid the answer has to do with "who" writes the laws

[Warpy]

2. Probably due to the job description changing when a candidate

is elected. All those campaign promises aren't possible to keep.

What chaps my butt is that they're also exempt from slander statutes.

That's why I'm angry at Kerry for not suing the Swifties. He had a perfect opportunity to tie them in knots with a libel suit when the BOOK came out.

Clinton, Berger and Albright had a golden opportunity with PT911 because it was shown in the UK without any disclaimers. It's easy for celebs to win slander and libel suits in the UK. They wimped out.

The party leadership seem to be OK with dirty tactics.

[williesgirl]

4. But shouldn't they have to prove a basis for the allegations at least as

of the time the ad was produced and first ran? I'm not talking about campaign promises, which all all worthless, but the attack ads.

[Warpy]

8. No, attack ads are all half truths

with the maximum of negative spin and are exempt from slander laws.

That book wasn't exempt from libel laws.

[magellan]

3. Because if they did no ads would be allowed to run?

Or very, very few....

[panader0]

5. This is a subject that I've been talking about for a while

I think there should be a little red light on top of your TV that blinks when the subject is BS. It is within reason, considering that there may now be "cloaks of invisibility"

[razors edge]

6. freedom of speach (to lie)

Truth-in-campaign law struck down

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002479741_pdc08m.html

OLYMPIA — A state law prohibiting political candidates from lying about their opponents is an unconstitutional violation of free speech and chills political discourse, a state appeals court ruled yesterday.

The decision from the Court of Appeals Division II stems from a 2002 legislative race and puts in jeopardy one of the state's remaining truth-in-campaigning laws.

The court, in an opinion by Judge C.C. Bridgewater, said the law is unconstitutional because it punishes false political claims whether or not they damaged a candidate — a legal standard for slander or libel claims.

The court also said that because the law allows candidates to "proclaim falsehoods about themselves" the state cannot argue that the law meets its interest "in promoting integrity and honesty in the elections process."

[Eugene]

7. Politics is generally considered opinion, with 1st Amendment protection.

Truth in advertising laws are generally aimed at commercial speech.

Lying in politics bad but it is a dangerous idea to let governments
determine political truth.