IS A “THOMAS RAVENEL RULE” ABOUT TO TAKE EFFECT?
Reality television stars can run for federal office – and have their campaign events and activities filmed and broadcasted, a draft advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) concludes.
But there’s a catch: Any compensation paid to the candidate would be considered a corporate contribution – and the knowing acceptance of a corporate contribution is illegal under the federal election law.
In other words candidates cannot be paid for their appearances … even if the shows in which they star are broadcast after their elections.
Hmmmm …
The FEC is drafting its advisory opinion in response to an inquiry submitted by Nick Di Iorio – a long shot candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District. Di Iorio was approached by Esquire TV producers looking to film a show exploring the “motivations, trials and tribulations of some candidates running in races considered unwinnable.”
He and his staff would be paid for their appearances.
The draft opinion has a long way to go before it becomes policy. The FEC routinely reviews multiple drafts of proposed advisory opinions before calling for a vote on a final opinion. And assuming a vote is called, four of six commissioners must approve a final draft for it to become law.
The FEC’s exploration of reality television-related issues raised eyebrows in South Carolina, where former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel – star of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm – just filed 17,000 signatures to appear on the November ballot against incumbent “Republican” Lindsey Graham.
Shortly after Ravenel filed his signatures, Bravo announced it would be renewing Southern Charm for a second season.
35 comments
Oh snap. T-Rav is going to take back those Sigs. Don’t be hitting that pocket book. He has a baby mama to take care of now.
228 years and we’ve gone from the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to “reality TV” candidate “T-Rav”.
Not so great a distance, as human frailties rarely change.
Benjamin Franklin, the “Sage of America” was dependent on opium, and his preferred drink was laudanum, which is a mixture of alcohol and opium. (Opium being the base of cocaine, as we all know) Though, in all fairness, in those days, opium dependence was considered mostly harmless, like addiction to tobacco.
If it’s the breaking of law that is your concern, you might do well to recall that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, considered by many to be among the best of U.S. presidents, drank up to ten Martinis a day, before, *during*, and after Prohibition, the fourteen year period when alcohol consumption was strictly illegal. It’s said he toasted the repeal of Prohibition (passage of the 21st Amendment) with a Martini that he had, at that moment, at his elbow… oh, and that was in addition to FDR’s two mistresses, which he had concurrently, while married, his associating with crooked politicians and consulting with astrologers.
T-Rav is a choirboy in comparison… and far less superstitious.( No astrologers.)
Apparently we don’t know quite as much as we think. Laudanum as you mention is an opiate – opium byproduct, however, opium comes from the opium poppy generally found in what we once referred to as the”far east”. Cocaine is a byproduct of the coca plant indigenous to Central and South America.
No one who really understand the “New Deal” believes that FDR was one of our ” best presidents” and almost no one would rank him as the best.
I concede that you know more about illegal drugs than I… and who am I to question why that is.
However, my point is still valid, I believe.
Remind me what position Ol’Been Franklin was elected to? FDR is just further evidence of my point that our politicians are rapidly going down hill. At least FDR had substantial experience and training. Being convicted of drug dealing, drunken driving, FEC violations and being a baby daddy aren’t my idea of curricula vita builders
Actually, if you bothered to read up on it, astrology is a very scientific realm of interest. Not to be confused with the generic, daily horoscopes posted in newspapers, magazines, and the like, astrological readings can be quite accurate if done by a competent astrologer.
While I don’t fully understand it by any means, there is something to it.
Completely missed that CIC.
I see you’re channeling the Reagans now.
…, or Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Boehner, Obama, Reid, Pelosi, etc…
I think you meant “…and Lindsey Graham…” My only disagreement there is that Lindsey, McCain and many of the others may be wrong headed politically but they’re not “publicity whore” “baby daddies” who are also convicted drug dealers, drunk drivers and FEC regulation violators.
Aye that Colonel, but I believe if someone had the guts and the backing to try, cases for high Treason could be made against all of them, making each one worse than T-Rav.
Okay, you’re the Attorney General for the day, build your case for treason against Lindsey.
* NDAA 2012 and its contempt for Constitutional safeguards
* Wants to grant amnesty and numerous other privs to invaders coming in via our Southern borders
* Wants to give money our country doesn’t have to spare to Third-World countries who hate our guts or are at best, ambiguous in their intent toward us so they will “like” us
There are more. Yes, I know as worded, what I have posted is weak but for someone with the time and resources to not only dress up the wording, but to dig more deeply into what this piece of shit is trying to do to our country, I believe a sizable case could be made. There is plenty more similar to the above noted items, I am busy today and don’t have time to do a lot of digging. For anyone paying attention to his shenanigans, it appears that he is not a friend of the American citizen, taxpayer, or way of life.
Won’t stick. Two definitions of treason possibly applicable here:
1. the betrayal of a trust : treachery
2. the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign’s family
Number two is obviously a throw away – you can accuse Lindsey of a lot of stuff but attempting to overthrow the gubamint would be a stretch even for Wasserman-Shultz to justify. So we’re left with number one, I would submit that Lindsey has been Lindsey for the last couple of election cycles and we keep sending him back so the jury at best would be deadlocked with the majority in favor of acquittal.
The baby mommy and the baby can still be paid.
They could televise his entire campaign from start to finish 24 hours a day 7 days a week for free and he’d still get pwned.
Why is a reality show treated differently than any other TV program or is it?
You have some good points there.
Do they get paid for appearances on other TV programs? If so, then I’d have to agree with you. I think it’s all about the money…maybe the TV guys could just donate his salary to some supporting PAC, with the PAC sending it right into his campaign, to get around the rule.
“But there’s a catch: Any compensation paid to the candidate would be considered a corporate contribution – and the knowing acceptance of a corporate contribution is illegal under the federal election law.”…do you really think this would be a problem for a convicted felon?
Not as long as he can spend it all on hookers and blow before the feds slap him on the wrist.
Who really cares: On SCPD, there is a report that Gov. Rick Perry is defying (and embarrassing) Obama and sending NG troops to the border.
And an update on the Quack global warming kooks: http://scdigest.blogspot.com/
“Please, sir, visit my blog! You just have to visit! I’m only 235 clicks away from being able to afford the bus fare! Won’t you help out someone down on his luck?”
GrandTango, the panhandler of FITSNews.
Just out of a perverse sense of curiosity, I went to Emily,BigT,GrandTango’s site. Do you think we should tell him, her, it that paragraphs generally consist of more than one sentence-or is there some other reason behind the odd paragraph structure he’s, she, it is using?
You are a good example of why we keep getting the same old bad government. Lame-brains like you march to status quo (general) rules. You are confined by what you were told, regardless of how stupid, and incompetent, it makes you look.
Think for yourself. Break the chains of your puppet masters. You don’t have to live like a Dumb@$$…Open your mind.
I seldom march to the beat of anyone’s drum but my own – I do however make one general exception to “doing things my way” and that is in the use of standard grammar, spelling and punctuation.
There’s a huge difference between an open mind and an empty head Emily/Big T/Grand Tango.
GT:
My entire problem with all of your shameless self-promotion is this…Without fail, you are enjoining your opinions inside a discussion that is normally unrelated to the matter.
The article could be discussing civil unrest in the Middle East, and you’ll climb on and say something to the effect of….”Interesting opinion you have there, what I also thought was interesting is how this other blog gave an opinion about the upcoming college football season….check it out here http://www.not_even_remotely_related_to_your_prior_discussion.com.”
It really is shameful. I understand the idea of guerrilla marketing–what you are more than likely attempting to emulate. But your attempts are woefully pathetic.
I’m not asking you to stop posting comments. I’m simply asking for you to spend a few bills and market. I’m sure Sic would be more than happy to mentor you on how he began marketing in the early stages of Fits.
That’s what you all think, before FITS and T-Rav herd all you lemmings into the Gas Chamber, known as the Nut-Job abyss.
Go to your blog? Hell, you can’t even use punctuation correctly.
I thought you had a job? You must be working at one of those Obamacare call centers that never got a call.
I think you are jealous of Tango.
WoW – and even Little Miss Muffett could not tolerate the atmosphere around GT..!! Perhaps Clemson will award her a special scholarship.
GT:
My entire problem with all of your shameless self-promotion is this…Without fail, you are enjoining your opinions inside a discussion that is normally unrelated to the matter.
The article could be discussing civil unrest in the Middle East, and you’ll climb on and say something to the effect of….”Interesting opinion you have there, what I also thought was interesting is how this other blog gave an opinion about the upcoming college football season….check it out here http://www.not_even_remotely_related_….”
It really is shameful. I understand the idea of guerrilla marketing–what you are more than likely attempting to emulate. But your attempts are woefully pathetic.
I’m not asking you to stop posting comments. I’m simply asking for you to spend a few bills and market. I’m sure Sic would be more than happy to mentor you on how he began marketing in the early stages of Fits.
I thought this guy was a gazillionaire or something. Why can’t he just do the show for free? Does anyone watch it anyway?
Do not be deceived. The ONLY reason the FEC is looking into this is to try and derail convicted felon T-Rav’s campaign. You can bet that Graham has called in markers from Obama to make this happen. Graham is scared shitless by T-Rav’s candidacy. There Sic Willie, I beat you to it.