FEC to “Stop Hillary PAC”: Change Your Name; “Stop Hillary PAC” to FEC: No.
An anti-Hillary Clinton group is refusing to change its name in an escalating dispute with the country’s election watchdog agency.
The Federal Election Commission, which is tasked with enforcing campaign finance law, has ordered the Stop Hillary PAC to cease incorporating Mrs. Clinton’s name in its own or face penalties.
At issue is a federal rule barring independent groups from incorporating or using the name of a candidate for federal office in their own names. The rule is designed to protect voters from mistaking independent groups such as PACs and super PACs with official campaigns.
Nobody is going to look at a PAC titled “Stop Hillary” and think to themselves: “Hmmm. That might be a pro-Hillary PAC.” Even the idiots that Jimmy Kimmel interviews on Hollywood Boulevard can understand that a “Stop Hillary” PAC is against Hillary. (If they know who Hillary is, that is.)
I absolutely love the fact that these folks are defying the FEC and standing their ground. I despair that the courts, with their absurdly deferential attitude towards actions by federal bureaucrats, will be of no help. But it’s thrilling to see good Americans staking out this free speech position.
Ding.
Patterico (3cc0c1) — 6/11/2015 @ 7:39 pm“It is hard to fathom who exactly it is that is so lacking in basic concepts (perhaps not even knowing what the definition of ‘is’, is?) that to them the use of the verb ‘STOP’ immediately preceding the clear object to be stopped, ‘HILLARY’ demonstrates anything other than clear opposition to that object,” Mr. Backer wrote to the FEC on Thursday.
ROFL
nk (dbc370) — 6/11/2015 @ 7:47 pmthe very thought is doubleunplusgood, ‘ it is a killing word’ as they phrased it in Dune,
narciso (ee1f88) — 6/11/2015 @ 7:49 pmWho else was Backer an attorney for? His name sounds familiar
JD (3b5483) — 6/11/2015 @ 8:33 pmthey should propose “Stop the Benghazi Butcher” as an alternate name…
😎
redc1c4 (a6e73d) — 6/11/2015 @ 8:36 pmyes, he represented the McCutcheon case, earlier,
narciso (ee1f88) — 6/11/2015 @ 8:46 pmThey should change it to the “Tar and Feather Hillary PAC” just so there is no confusion.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 8:56 pmJD, that’s Packer, who shows up everywhere. He’s not an attorney though.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 8:57 pmOther names:
The “Even Monica Would Make a Better President PAC”
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:03 pmThe “Ambassador Stevens Memorial Sweet Justice PAC”
The “We Can Do Better Than This Witch Hillary PAC”
The “There Aren’t Enough Broom Closets in The White House For Hillary PAC”
Or perhaps you are thinking of Arnie Becker.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:04 pmThis case is so obvious that I don’t see how any court, even the most liberal, could deny an as-applied challenge. The hearing should take about five minutes.
Milhouse (a0cc5c) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:04 pmI am reminded that a poll some time back of UK residents found that 10% had no idea who the prime minister was.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:05 pmHow much is the fine?
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:06 pmJD,
Backer represented Aaron at one point against Kimberlin, and has been sued by Kimberlin.
Patterico (3cc0c1) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:10 pm“Mr. Backer, who first filed the landmark McCutcheon campaign finance case that eventually found its way to the Supreme Court…”
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:11 pmNo, narciso got it. https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbacker He’s an election finance lawyer.
nk (dbc370) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:12 pmNow hold on there a minute, Patterico. You know as well as everyone else that, especially concerning the Clintons, it all depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.
Speaking of Jimmy Kimmel’s man-on-the-street bits, do you ever think those clueless ones could confuse George Clinton with Billy Jeff? Hey- here’s a thought: Sir Hillary uses “Tear The Roof Off This Sucker” as he campaign theme. Slightly rewritten, of course.
“You’ve got a real creepy thing
Bill H (2a858c) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:12 pmgoin’ down, gettin’ down,
there’s a whole lotta scandal swirlin’ round…..”
Not to be outdone, Carly is taking it rather further:
“On the other hand, a super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina is also testing the boundaries of election law. Ms. Fiorina’s official campaign is called Carly for President, while her super PAC is called Carly for America.”
And what is it with Hillary openly coordinating with her PAC after announcing as a candidate? Can everyone do that now? She announced in April, this from May:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hillary-clinton-meets-with-potential-super-pac-donors-2015-05-07
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:16 pmOff-topic: Boy Hillary is cratering. She would lose in Ohio to Paul and favorite-son Kasich, would tie Rubio and runs no more than 3 points ahead of Carson, Cruz, Walker Christie, Huckabee and Bush. Scott Walker does better against Hillary than against any of the three other Dems. This in a group that went 49-42 for Obama last time.
They don’t like Hillary in Ohio.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2015/PPP_Release_OH_61015.pdf
Kevin M (25bbee) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:34 pmI’m not sure what the “no” means, but my comment was 100% accurate in that Backer represented Aaron and has been sued by Kimberlin. Same guy.
Patterico (3cc0c1) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:41 pmIt means that I type very slow, responding to Kevin’s Packer/Ernie Becker comments, and did not see your comment or Kevin’s from one and two minutes before on my unrefreshed page.
nk (dbc370) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:46 pmJust as the subpoena of Reason.com “threatening” commenters is spurious because there is no real threat there, just typical hyperbole, there is no danger any sentient being would mistake the “STOP Hillary” PAC as being FOR her. It’s stupid even to suggest it, but it comes from Democratic staff, which explains the audacity of dope.
There is a bigger problem in these cases which should be obvious wins if they go to court: Obama has already appointed and confirmed over 600 judges to life terms on the federal bench, most of them leftist apparatchiks, and the effects are already being felt. Those people will still be affecting the law and the Constitution’s application in your great-grandchildren’s lives.
Elections matter. It is distasteful to vote for the lesser of two evils – until you realize the alternative is the greater evil.
Estragon (ada867) — 6/11/2015 @ 9:48 pmDo you suppose we could create a PAC called “F__k You FEC”?
JVW (8278a3) — 6/11/2015 @ 10:23 pmMr. Backer may very well be overestimating the intelligence of the average Democrat. Given the left-wing reaction to the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizen United case most liberals seem to believe that Citizen United Against Hillary is the name of an auto-dealership.
max (4fdf98) — 6/11/2015 @ 10:28 pmI’m in. Only I’d rather call it “Fuck You FEC.”
Patterico (3cc0c1) — 6/11/2015 @ 10:31 pmnot to spam the comments but shouldn’t this post be titled “FEC declares that Clinton supporters are stupid and easily confused”?
max (4fdf98) — 6/11/2015 @ 10:42 pmBetween you, Popehat and Ace I’d say we would have a pretty good shot. I got 25.00 for that.
Bill H (2a858c) — 6/12/2015 @ 3:00 amRight to Rise is a creepy name just on the face of it
but creepy times a thousand when it’s used for a Jeb pac
happyfeet (831175) — 6/12/2015 @ 3:36 amWhat difference, at this point, does it make?
egd (1ad898) — 6/12/2015 @ 5:26 amShun Chelsea’s Mom PAC.
htom (4ca1fa) — 6/12/2015 @ 12:08 pmWhy not something just as crude, when you think about it, that will not trigger filters? ‘Go FEC Yourself’ – or would that be ‘Go FEC Yourselves’? Not sure which sounds better.
Dr. Weevil (4bb490) — 6/14/2015 @ 8:56 am