President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Kamala Harris

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) V. Archuleta

98%

2%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Marshall Dawson

95%

5%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

50%

50%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(D) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank

(D) River Gassen

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) John Fabbricatore

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen

(R) Sergei Matveyuk

90%

10%

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

70%↑

30%

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
September 28, 2010 02:19 AM UTC

Tancredo Swipes GOP's Ad

  • 51 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

TUESDAY UDPATE: Fox 31’s Eli Stokols:

[I]n an ironic twist, Tancredo is suddenly taking a page out of McInnis’s playbook.

At least the longtime GOP congressman has learned how to cite his sources.

In the new ad, which features edited clips from the original RGA ad, Tancredo sources it this way: “edited RGA video from public domain.”

The ad, which attacks John Hickenlooper for “raising taxes, killing jobs”, is a clever way to go after the Democratic front runner while also rubbing a little salt in the wounds of an embattled Maes, who now can add the indignity of seeing the RGA’s ad working to benefit his opponent to the indignity of the group’s standing refusal to spend money on his own behalf.

There’s just one thing: it might be illegal.

Tancredo’s campaign has not returned phone calls from FOX 31 to explain how the footage was acquired by the campaign, leaving election attorneys to wonder if both parties followed the rules…

Check out American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo’s new ad–look familar?

That’s right, folks, Tancredo has actually taken footage from the Republican Governor’s Association ad against Democrat John Hickenlooper from earlier this year (back when the RGA was still playing in Colorado), slapped “public domain” on it, and repurposed it for his own.

UPDATED: it’s been suggested to us that there are two legal issues potentially involved here: any copyright asserted by the RGA over the ad, which Tancredo’s campaign attempts to deal with by tagging the footage as “public domain.” But there is also the possible campaign finance issue, you could make a case that this is an in-kind donation by a 527 (which the RGA technically is) to a gubernatorial campaign. After all, the RGA’s ad cost money to produce, didn’t it? We’re not campaign finance law experts, and it’s even harder when you can’t remember anything quite like this having happened before.

Assuming the footage in question really is in the public domain and legally kosher, will the RGA at least say something about it being used by a third-party candidate, as opposed to the actual Republican nominee Dan Maes–who doesn’t have money for his own TV spots?

Or do you suppose they’re cool?

Tweet
Share

Comments

51 thoughts on “Tancredo Swipes GOP’s Ad”

    3. and it’s a lie now.

      doesn’t that count for anything anymore?

      Via 9News.com:

      QUOTE: Thirty nine thousand Denver jobs lost under John Hickenlooper’s high tax policies.

      TRUTH: The figure cited comes from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and was quoted in the Denver Business Journal as the number of jobs lost in the Denver metropolitan area in 2009. (Source: Denver Business Journal, Feb. 2, 2010: http://denver.bizjournals.com/…

      The more accurate figures come through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Its culling of the data shows from 2007 when the recession started until preliminary figures from March 2010, the number of unemployed people in the city and county of Denver has increased from 13,682 in 2007 to 29,206 in March 2010. That’s a total of roughly 15,500 people or an increase in the unemployment rate from 4.3 percent to 9.3 percent

      even so, there  

        1. – ColoradoPols, for many weeks now.

          BJ, please explain how Tancredo is going to peel off enough Democratic votes to get elected Governor. Please do explain how those numbers work for Tancredo.

                    2. Since Buck is only polling a couple points higher than Hickenlooper, this must mean he doesn’t have much support outside Weld County. It’s sad he’s only supported by his geographic base.

                    5. Garfield will probably lurch further right this year–Obama lost there by 21 votes I think (and won pretty strongly in each of the others).  I think Tresi is in trouble, and Kathleen could well split the D vote, handing that state house seat to the Rs.  But Bennet will do well enough in each of these counties, winning in at least a couple.

                    7. He isn’t going to win anyways so why even spend time litigating such a thing.  Hick is in, let it go.  Now, let’s move on to the races in which an actual discussion may be relevant.

                    11. He isn’t going to win anyways so why even spend time litigating such a thing.  Hick is in, let it go.  Now, let’s move on to the races in which an actual discussion may be relevant.

                    12. Fox’s poll (yeah, Fox for fux sake) has Hick @ 44%, Tanc @ 34%, & Amaesing Dan @ 15%.  WTF can Tanc or Danny do 2 appeal to indies, who will make this race?   NOTHING.  Repeat NOTHING!

                      Poor Beej make sure you someone is watching over you on this cold Nov 2 night.  Just hope they can put up w/ all your sad, doleful whimpering.      

                         

      2. You’re saying this bizarre ad and the funding issues it raises ISN’T worthy of a story by ColoradoPols?

        To me, it sure looks like a campaign finance law violation. If it’s not, what’s to prevent every campaign in the country from slapping “public domain” on all kinds of other ads and basically skirting the campaign finance regulations on a massive scale?  

        1. Campaigns use other ads all the time, usually to respond to attack ads or to criticize an opponent’s ad. Whether Tancredo is engaging in fair use by using the RGA’s “Stripes” ad in snippets and in a TV frame, which, after all, does indicate it’s “quoting” another ad, is a good question, but the answer is by no means obvious.

  3. … make a god-damned fool of myself and the Colorado Republican Party.

    We the former constituents of Tom Tancredo in the 6th Congressional District know that this sorry excuse for a Congressman never accomplished a damn thing except to suck off the public teat for ten years while writing his vanity-press books and running for president on the taxpayers’ dime. And now he’s sponging off the public by drawing a Congressional pension – much of which he accrued after violating his term limits pledge – in direct opposition to the party platform of the party he’s running under.

    What a sleazebag. This latest ripoff ad just proves it.  

    1. That’s one helluva endorsement. And one of the few out-front, tell-it-like-it-is, made-me-a-beliver posts on this site. I’d say thanks even if I disagreed with you. But I don’t. Well said, HGF! OK, another one: !

  6. This is so obviously colusion. And so obviously another example of the moral relevancy of the TeaPub (TeaPubConstipation? They’re morphing so fast!) Party.

    However, they are Dominionists, so … No foul, no harm?

  8. Still haven’t seen the Post cover this and Fox31 not only has asked the obvious question — is this legal? — but also is trying to get facts on whether or not it is legal. Anyone else seen any coverage at all beyond Pols and Fox31?

  10. Found an interesting analysis of the Colorado political scene published by Public Policy Polling on Dec. 6 when Ritter was tanking in his own party, especially among Hispanics, (and a month before he dropped out of the gubernatorial race.  

    Extending the analysis to today, it looks like Tancredo may be the catalyst for a Democratic sweep of the state.  The point is that the governor’s race sets statewide turnout numbers and helps determine results for all statewide and congressional races.

    Note:  Only 1-day left to vote for a poll of the Colorado races at the top of the web page link.  PPP will poll the top 2 choices, and CO is at No. 3!

    http://publicpolicypolling.blo…

  11. No money

    No big name supporters except Dog the Bounty Hunter.

    No organization

    &

    Hickenlooper has spent a lot of money on TV and

    Tancredo is only down ten.  Add to that new revelations about Maes that will cause his numbers to drop even further and this could become a close race in a hurry.  Tancredo is still the longest of long shots. If and that is a big if the latest poll is accurate Tancredo is running surprisingly well

    1. Hickenlooper has pre-paid for a lot of TV, but not yet run that many ads on TV. Those of you who watch TV can expect to see a few more ads in the upcoming weeks.

      Hopefully, Hickenlooper will put out a couple generic “Democrats are good for Colorado” types of ads to help the down ticket races.

  12. I mean, it’s such a blatantly obvious violation of campaign finance laws!

    If candidates can get away with the “public domain” fig leaf, what’s to prevent all other candidates and 527 committees from just copying each other over and over to avoid having to comply with the laws? A candidate like Maes with $15,000 to his name can just STEAL an ad from a 527, Hickenlooper or even Tancredo and just Photoshop his own picture on it. It’s ludicrous.

    1. of TV ads aren’t that big a part of the cost of running an ad, so the savings would be minimal.

      Lifting the “Stripes” ad was clearly meant to remind voters (those few paying close enough attention last spring) about the yucky feeling they got about Hickenlooper when they saw the original ad. It’s not the same as just copying an ad wholesale, like you’re suggesting.

      But, seriously, you’ve seen some of those 527 ads attacking Bennet? Someone could make those on iMovie in a couple hours if he or she knew what to do.

      1. One dollar of illegal in-kind contribution carries the same fine as $100. Fifty bucks a day.

        That’s why nobody’s filed one. Same reason they haven’t filed a complaint about Poundstone’s $300 contribution to Maes.

        Unless there’s some earned media value in filing a complaint, the piddly little fine is not enough of a hinderance on Tancredo to be worth the effort. It’s not like it would keep him off the ballot or something.

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

99 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!