EXCLUSIVE: Coleman No Longer Eligible For Lowest Unit Charge

by Aaron Landry | 16 Comments

After MNpublius discovered Coleman’s ad violation earlier today, attorneys have now formally informed television stations of the flap. What it boils down to is that stations will not be able to offer Coleman’s campaign the Lowest Unit Rate for television spots between now and election day. I have calls in to determine what the cost difference will be for Coleman’s campaign. See a PDF of the document from Kate S. Keane sent to stations.

September 10, 2008, 5:15 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

16 Responses to “EXCLUSIVE: Coleman No Longer Eligible For Lowest Unit Charge”

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  • southwestdem
    September 10, 2008 at 5:48 pm

    Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy…

  • Zach (the other one)
    September 10, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    I am sure Jeff Landry will be more than happy to pay the difference!

  • Demrock6
    September 10, 2008 at 7:43 pm

    How do we know what rate is being charged? I mean how can this be enforced? I could picture them paying the lower price in violation of the law, but just not giving a crap about the law! They are republicans you know, it is what they do….

  • lojasmo
    September 10, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    Bwahaha!

  • Anonymous
    September 10, 2008 at 11:05 pm

    Nice scoop.

    Forward this to the talking heads at CCO (Kessler, Shelby) and TPT (LaHammer) to give it more legs!

  • amuseinc
    September 10, 2008 at 11:28 pm

    Demrock6, my guess is that there are a bunch of Media salespeople dancing around and giving high fives… after all we are talking commission here. If it is legally available they will want the higher bucks.

    (Couldn’t happen to a nicer Senator…)

  • Andrew
    September 10, 2008 at 11:45 pm

    Finally, we get to read about Coleman mess ups instead of Franken ones in the paper in a day or two.

  • Rhus
    September 11, 2008 at 6:10 am

    What enforcement authority does Franken’s lawyer have?
    What credibility does she have with the Coleman campaign?

  • lojasmo
    September 11, 2008 at 6:24 am

    The authority to enforce the law does not lie with Franken’s lawyer. Nor does her ‘credibility’ with Coleman’s campaign come into play. The Coleman campaign violated the LAW. The LAW which was passed by the very chamber within which Coleman serves.

  • Independece is the way.
    September 11, 2008 at 9:25 am

    Why don’t we just do what they do in other Democratic contries. No political ads on TV? Just newspapers. That would cut down on costs. They also have a shorter time they can campaign. The problem here is that they start campaigning as soon as they can after they enter office.
    Just a thought!! This would stop all of this tv crap and get to the real issues.

  • From A Land Down Under
    September 11, 2008 at 9:25 am

    I don’t understand the campaign finance law. Can someone explain it? I thought if you didn’t have the disclosure, you lost a benefit as opposed to breaking the law. Can someone please explain? Thanks.

  • Anonymous
    September 11, 2008 at 9:28 am

    Why isn’t David Dillon listed on the right side of this blog? You have Dean Barkley listed. David is an endorsed candidate from a major party. This really makes me hope that David Dillon wins.
     dillonforcongress.org

  • Rhus
    September 11, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    lojasmo- We agree that Franken’s lawyer has no enforcement authority. I doubt the Bush Justice Department or a Republican appointed prosecuting attorney will do anything to interfere with the Coleman campaign until long after November 4, 2008. I also doubt that any television station will act on the advice of an attorney that works for an opposing candidate.

  • TwoPuttTommy
    September 11, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    Congratulations, Aaron - you made CBS News:

    “Though the written disclaimer does appear for four seconds, Coleman’s image only appears for the last two seconds of the advertisement,” wrote Franken’s counsel Marc Elias of Perkins Coie, in a letter to 11 Minnesota station managers obtained by Politico.

    It’s a loser-pays-all kind of law, according to Elias: If a campaign violates the rule once, it loses the discount for the “duration of the current election cycle.”

    If the rule were to be vigorously enforced in this case, first reported by mnPublius.com, it could cost Coleman millions.”

  • Richard
    September 11, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    What’s that “if” all about? Is the weasel going to get out of this?

  • Ski U Mah Gopher
    September 11, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    David Dillon isn’t on the right side of the blog because the folks at MN Publiushaven’t written anything about him. I suspect it will stay that way for a while.

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