FEC Must Protect Commercial Speech From Excesses of McCain-Feingold Bill

FEC MUST PROTECT COMMERCIAL SPEECH FROM EXCESSES OF MCCAIN-FEINGOLD
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: James A. Kahl, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice]
[Commentary] Earlier this year, in the landmark campaign-finance decision Federal Election Commission vs. Wisconsin Right to Life, the U.S. Supreme Court removed barriers on ads financed by corporations that mention a federal candidate and are run in the days before an election. This decision freed corporations -- advocacy groups, trade associations, and for-profit businesses -- to pursue more robust communications strategies. But as the Federal Election Commission turns to writing regulations to implement this decision, the extent of advertisers' rights remains in question. Whatever measures the FEC adopts, it will have to do so quickly as the first electioneering-communication-blackout periods begin in December. With hearings scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18, the FEC has said it intends to meet an early December deadline. Commercial advertisers will have to wait until then to see what pitfalls or opportunities lay ahead of them.
http://adage.com/campaigntrail/article?article_id=121181