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Thread: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

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    God/dess FBR's Avatar
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    Default Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Pardon me if this has been posted elsewhere. I thought this was an"interesting" twist. Apparently certain Missouri law enforcement officials intend to go after anyone who says anything about Senator Obama that in their judgment is misleading or untrue.

    http://www.kmov.com/video/index.html?nvid=285793&shu=1

    FBR
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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by FBR View Post
    Pardon me if this has been posted elsewhere. I thought this was an"interesting" twist. Apparently certain Missouri law enforcement officials intend to go after anyone who says anything about Senator Obama that in their judgment is misleading or untrue.

    http://www.kmov.com/video/index.html?nvid=285793&shu=1

    FBR
    Interesting. I'm guessing it would work both ways.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard_Head View Post
    Interesting. I'm guessing it would work both ways.
    Yea. Right.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard_Head View Post
    Interesting. I'm guessing it would work both ways.
    Obama supporters are going to go after ads that lie about McCain ? Are you serious ?

    Someone should remind those two prosecutors about a little technicality called the FIRST AMENDMENT ! and have them read; review and report back on "N.Y. TIMES v.SULLIVAN". They're going to go after POLITICAL Speech on "ethics grounds" ?

    Amazing. What makes it even more amazing is that Obama taught Con. Law at the U of Chi. Law School.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Stoner View Post
    Obama supporters are going to go after ads that lie about McCain ? Are you serious ?

    Someone should remind those two prosecutors about a little technicality called the FIRST AMENDMENT ! and have them read; review and report back on "N.Y. TIMES v.SULLIVAN". They're going to go after POLITICAL Speech on "ethics grounds" ?

    Amazing. What makes it even more amazing is that Obama taught Con. Law at the U of Chi. Law School.
    Does the first amendment allow for libel though? I don't think so.

    Libel-An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Assuming they stand of firm legal ground to begin with, I would feel better about it if they had said they would go after anyone from either side who made the type of statements or ran the kinds of ads they consider objectionable and in violation of Missouri law. The fact they they only mentioned defending Senator Obama could lead even an unbiased person to suspect they are in the tank for him. I mean that's fine if they intend to vote for him but it is disturbing if they might use their authority and power to squash any criticism of their preferred candidate.

    FBR
    Once again I have embraced my addiction and have put off the moral dilemma to another day.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    ^^^I wouldn't dispute that. If McCain's campaign group in Missouri allows that to happen they should be replaced immediately.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Libel is particularly difficult to prove in the case of public figures, as they are assumed to be able to argue back in the public eye. For instance, if on CNN, Obama says that McCain is a smelly, old man who uses Viagra on his hot wife, McCain can counter back on Fox News that Obama is full of crap since he can get it up just fine. (or, vice versa) The courts understand that regular people cannot easily do this to right their names, so libel and slander are easier to use. In the case of public persons, the other person has to be pushing fact-seeming statements in a way meant to hurt the other in such a way as to be beyond redeeming... or in other words, the libelous party would have to make it damn near impossible for the other person to right his name.
    Can you tell I'm taking pre-law classes this semester? Haha.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    two words ... 'prior restraint'

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    It sounds more like they're planning to publicly refute any lies rather than prosecute the people making the statements.

    The McCain campaign threatened to bring legal action against the National Enquirer if it printed a story about Palin having an affair. The National Enquirer's response was that it dared them to do it.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    The "reporting" on this story stinks to high heaven. Neither of the law officials interviewed in the story say they are going to bring libel or criminal charges against anyone peddling lies about Obama. Instead, as eagle2 suggests, they have said they they will try to publicly refute these lies.

    Oh horror! Public officials who dare to tell the truth! Stalinism is upon us!

    So far--tellingly--the only news sources that have circulated this story are ideologically driven. One of the key sources spreading this story is a right-wing Republican governor known for his extreme partisan views. And of course, all the voices in the right-wing echo chamber--hi there, FBR, Melonie, Deogol!--have done their share to mindlessly repeat it.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Missouri Governor Matt Blunt issues a response:

    http://governor.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coran...&tmpl=newsitem

    FBR
    Last edited by FBR; 09-28-2008 at 11:57 AM. Reason: Corrected spelling error
    Once again I have embraced my addiction and have put off the moral dilemma to another day.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    I'd put more stock into this story if I could find more links to it on objective news sources. Aside from the link FBR provided, every other mention of it is from a right wing source. Maybe we'll get something now that the Governor has spoke on it.

    In any case, whether Obama's goons are actually going to threaten people for speaking out against him, or whether this is McCain's goons trying to start up shit, its a bit disturbing, and shows the lengths to which powerful people will go to to ensure a result in their favor. If I had any say, there would be a statute in place to ensure the guilty parties would pay for their shenanigans with their job, and their eligibility to ever hold public office again.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    ^^ I agree Doc. What's good for the goose and all that.

    I notice that the most prominent Obama bloggers on SW have ignored this thread. Interesting. Maybe they are waiting for directions from headquarters before posting

    FBR
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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by FBR View Post
    ^^ I agree Doc. What's good for the goose and all that.

    I notice that the most prominent Obama bloggers on SW have ignored this thread. Interesting. Maybe they are waiting for directions from headquarters before posting

    FBR


    Do people ignore threads or do they have other things going on to where they can't read every single internet post? Would be silly to even try.


    No one should campaign dirty....I was disgusted by McCain's add trying to say Obama was wanting to teach sex to kindergarten kids.

    I ALSO spoke out that Obama people should not stoop so low as to go after Palins kids and he had the class not to.


    Its so funny how wrong Republicans can be just because someone considers themselves a Liberal/Progressive Thinker.


    Jester thinks I have not followed the election and attacks me for it because I tuned it out for a few months before the conventions. I tuned it out because I know it would just be trash talk and gossip until closer to November etc.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by FBR View Post
    I notice that the most prominent Obama bloggers on SW have ignored this thread. Interesting. Maybe they are waiting for directions from headquarters before posting

    FBR
    Or maybe what eagle2 and The Snark posted were sufficient and we don't feel the need to rehash the same argument?
    "A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand." - Bertrand Russell

    "It's just a matter of people having low self esteem and being way too easily offended." -Random Guy on a Internet Forum

    Quote Originally Posted by Katrine View Post
    Ya'll bitches need to calm down. Cerously.
    In other words: Boo-motherfucking-hoo

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard_Head View Post
    Does the first amendment allow for libel though? I don't think so.

    Libel-An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).
    Under "NEW YORK TIMES v. SULLIVAN" Obama would have to PROVE the statement was false AND that whoever issued the statement knew or should have known it was false. A very high hurdle. Statements of OPINION are by definition not libelous.

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    Default Re: Missouri law enforecement and the "Obama Truth Squads"

    Saying she has "tremendous respect for the First Amendment and Freedom olf Speech" Jennifer Joyce has backed off her threat to prosecute makers of anti-Obama Ads.

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