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26 July 2011

Senator Jon Tester wants to curtail my freedom of speech

I’m not rich, but I have enough money to buy a couple of 30-second television advertisements supporting a political candidate. Jon Tester, for example.

But Tester doesn’t want me to do that.

I’m not kidding. Playing the great game of political gotcha, Tester sent a letter to Denny Rehberg proposing they sign a contract agreeing to “…reject and work to keep all third-party radio and TV ads about you and me out of Montana.” If Rehberg doesn’t sign the contract by 1700 MST tomorrow, Tester says the deal is off.

Democrats are cheering. See M. Storin’s post on Intelligent Discontent. And there’s no doubt that the Citizens United decision empowers big business and obscenely wealthy individuals to buy legislatures, Congress, and the White House.

But in his zeal to embarrass Rehberg and make a valid point about the dangers of Citizens United, Tester went too far. His proposed contract contains this clause:

A third-party is defined as any organization other than Montanans for Tester or Montanans for Rehberg. Both campaigns are free to run their own advertising as allowed by law. Examples of third-party organizations include but are not limited to the Montana Democratic Party, the Montana Republican Party, The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, American Crossroads or Crossroads GPS or any of their affiliates, labor unions, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A third-party may also be a single person responsible for funding a broadcast ad.

The last sentence probably is aimed at one of the Koch brothers or similar right wing nutjobs with more cash than a gross of Uncle Scrooges. But it just says “a single person.” That single person could be me.