blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/attacking-obama.html
Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
Next Attacking Obama's Missouri Truth Squad' September 29, 2008 11:12 AM Republicans -- led by the Governor of Missouri and the Republican National Committee -- are alleging that there is something untoward about the "Truth Squad" the Obama campaign has set up in the "Show Me" State. The problem, these Republicans say, is that these "Truth Squad" members are prosecutors and sheriffs with law enforcement powers, thus creating an atmosphere where Missourians might be afraid of being prosecuted for criticizing Sen. There is no evidence, however, that these prosecutors are threatening to use their prosecutorial powers in such a way. And despite GOP complaints that the mere presence of prosecutors on the "Truth Squad" could intimidate Obama's critics, Sen. Sarah Palin have used prosecutors on their "Truth Squads" too, prompting no complaints from the GOP at the time. Many of the Obama Missouri Truth Squad members have law enforcement powers, such as St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, and Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer. A local TV story took those facts and then stated that, "Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign is asking Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs a misleading television ad during the presidential campaign," which doesn't seem a fair representation of the formation of the "Truth Squad."
Republicans immediately began painting this as a situation where the Obama campaign is using its law enforcement friends to threaten to lock people up if they say something negative about Obama.
on official state stationery, said, "What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment." None of the prosecutors or sheriffs on the "Truth Squad" have said they'd use their law enforcement powers as part of their task as "Truth Squad" members. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election," Blunt said. "Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society." Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch called the notion that he was going to use his official powers to prosecute people who lie about Obama "nonsense." "I don't know what charge anybody could be talking about there is no such thing;
"What I said was if it is a lie I'll call somebody on it and say that's a lie; That gets morphed by those with these very sinister motives," the prosecutor said.
Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce added in a statement: "As a citizen, I believe that elections should be about issues. I also have enormous respect for our First Amendment and freedom of speech. My sole purpose in participating in this initiative is about getting truthful information to the voters. This has never been or never will be about prosecuting people. Clearly there are those who are attempting to twist the purpose of this initiative for their own benefit. This attack is a great example of how the truth is distorted in campaigns and what we're trying to stand up against."
told the News-Leader, that even though the Democratic prosecutors "haven't specifically said" they would use their powers to fight for Obama, but "I don't think you have to use the power. I think if you just call out somebody and you have the power, you've made your point. It's not that you have to prosecute a guy, but people think you might." That's why prosecutors don't typically become members of campaign truth squads, Donatelli said, because the prosecutor's presence on the truth squad "has a chilling affect on people's rights of free speech."
has since said that "in the retelling of the story, it got out of control." "If they think a group has put out a misleading ad, they're basically going to call a press conference and say the ad is misleading," Mills told the News-Leader yesterday.
User Comments (240) User Comments Now we know that not only Obama can lead, but also he had a plan for the future of this great country! The truth is Senator McCain past actually impairs him from to be flexible and confront the future with open mind. Senator Obama foreign policy is moderate but also smart. That helps to keep our friends near, and or foes nearer! The last days of the campaign confirmed that McCain -Plain are the most inadequate people to run this country. If Obama was O'Brian and he was white and not black, He would not have had any trouble winning the election, Red neck idiots! The same people who gave George Bush a second term should feel responsible for the mess that is occurring today. They are the same ones who today have doubts about the ability of Obama to be a good choice for President. Posted by: foreclosure | Sep 29, 2008 5:51:11 PM Hey blip, you can't understand why people are voting Republican? I couldn't understand people like you who voted Republican in the last two Presidential elections. NOW, I don't understand why people are voting for Obama. Get it straight this time vote for the Moderate, McCain. Posted by: Art Texas | Sep 29, 2008 5:31:42 PM LOL, If anyone needs a "Truth Squad" its that MORON McBush. Seems every word out of this stupid little mouth lately is a big fat LIE. Jiff Posted by: Justin Binn | Sep 29, 2008 4:57:56 PM Where'd you go Cultural Amnesia? You said I am the kind of person who couldn't admit my mistakes.... Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:56:10 PM Amensia, discussing a crime rate is the same as per capita. Your pathetic distraction from the fact that Palin was making women pay for their rape kits when the state mandated otherwise has failed. Posted by: Ryan C | Sep 29, 2008 3:51:06 PM If you live in a swing district... They thought they could vote "No" so they could go home and brag about how they "stuck it to Wall Street." Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:49:34 PM "The Queafer of the House squawks, the dow plunges" ----- They shut their yaps, it STOPS plunging. Posted by: Belle Starr | Sep 29, 2008 3:46:33 PM Obama's Missouri Truth Squad has nothing on the McCain supporters when it comes to unethical behavior. Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:46:24 PM "Hickery dickery dock who dat protectin Barack? he lies just the same its the name of the game so this possie is clearly a crock" ----- Yeah: is poster "blip" really Axelrod writing down for the hoi polloi, or what? Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:40:21 PM Hickery dickery dock who dat protectin Barack? he lies just the same its the name of the game so this possie is clearly a crock Posted by: DiceMan | Sep 29, 2008 3:40:08 PM "Nows a great time to write your congressman and tell them to sign the freakin' bailout and be done with it." The "Democratic" rep in the CA 1, a close associate of Pelosi's AND a Blue Dog who's supported every "public" subsidy of the booze business, is finally a pretty good bet to lose his Congressman-for-life seat ANYway. Posted by: Belle Starr | Sep 29, 2008 3:38:39 PM No blip your were wrong and misstated plain and simple. Like Obama you cannot admit that you made a mistake, just like when you were stupid and assumed that just because I am Jewish, I practice Judaism. Posted by: Cultural Amnesia | Sep 29, 2008 3:37:02 PM Ha... Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:35:58 PM But anything to distract from the rape at which women are raped in Alaska... Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:33:52 PM Referencing the "rate" at which a crime occurs is nearly the same thing as saying per capita. Posted by: blip | Sep 29, 2008 3:32:34 PM "Wh...
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