Hot Air absurdly credits Bush for starting trend of candidates saying “I approve this message”

Written by Julie Millican

Published

In touting Christine O'Donnell's latest campaign attack ad, Hot Air's Allahpundit marvels that "[a]part from the lightning-quick attribution at the end of the spot, her name is never mentioned; there's not even an 'I'm Christine O'Donnell and I approve this message' voiceover," which he laughably credits Bush for starting, saying these disclosures have “become perfunctory in political ads ever since Bush started doing it in 2004.” Earth to Allahpundit: Bush didn't just start using these disclosures in his campaign ads because he felt like. No, he started doing it because a law passed in 2002 required it.

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002--also known as the McCain-Feingold campaign reform bill--included a provision requiring that campaign ads include “a statement that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication.” So, Bush wasn't starting any sort of trend when he did this during his 2004 campaign--he was following the law. From the bill:

''(1) COMMUNICATIONS BY CANDIDATES OR AUTHORIZED PERSONS.--

''(A) BY RADIO.--Any communication described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) which is transmitted through radio shall include, in addition to the requirements of that paragraph, an audio statement by the candidate that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication.

''(B) BY TELEVISION.--Any communication described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) which is transmitted through television shall include, in addition to the requirements of that paragraph, a statement that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication. Such statement--

''(i) shall be conveyed by--

''(I) an unobscured, full-screen view of the candidate

making the statement, or

''(II) the candidate in voice-over, accompanied

by a clearly identifiable photographic or similar

image of the candidate; and

''(ii) shall also appear in writing at the end of the communication in a clearly readable manner with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement, for a period of at least 4 seconds.