Not Doing Arthur Branch Proud: Fred Circumvents Election Law With Online Advocacy

Lobbyist Fred Thompson lays out how his impression campaign finance law by circumventing the law which he helped write.

Since former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee has not yet declared his presidential candidacy, he cannot advertise on television, on radio or in newspapers to promote his political ambitions. But on the Internet, his supporters can turn to his official Web site, www.imwithfred.com, where they are solicited for donations and asked to spread the word to friends, hold fund-raising parties and call talk-radio programs on his behalf. Visitors to the site can watch his “FredCast” and read “the Fred File” to get his views on issues like the economy and immigration law. Mr. Thompson, a Republican, has been able to set up what looks like a stealth campaign on the Internet because federal election laws and enforcement have failed to catch up with the surge in campaigning in cyberspace. As a result, he has been able to promote his positions and raise money through his Web site, all while technically remaining a noncandidate. And that status enables him to remain on television on “Law and Order” reruns without NBC facing demands from other candidates for equal time. It exempts him from the more rigorous rules on reporting donors that declared candidates must adhere to.

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