The Daily Background

Okay totally hypothetical situation here. Isn’t actually happening or anything. Yeah.

Let’s say you’re the FEC. The Federal Election Commission, the body that is in charge of regulating elections. Let’s say that some really dirty, nasty stuff happened to Democrats during the 2004 election cycle, including some really disgusting ads against the Democratic nominee for President, from a libelous group called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.” Turns out, they were also the single-largest 527 political organization operating illegally– by accepting huge swathes of campaign money from all sorts of conservatives in blatant violation of contribution limits. Some $300,000 past the limits in fact. This is all hypothetical, of course.

Let’s say that, hypothetically, the Democratic candidate lost that year, and the Republicans maintained control of Congress. And let’s say, hypothetically, that you never bothered to fine the “Swift Boat Vets” for their illegal behavior, or reprimand them in any way. Hyptothetically.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that Democrats sweep Congress two years later in the largest wave year since 1994.

Hypothetically, you decide that now might be a good time to finally fine the 2004 violators- right before Democrats take control of Congress. Do you think that just maybe the timing seem a tiny bit suspicious to the outside observer? Well, as you might have guessed by now, none of this is hypothetical.

Filed under: oh six midterm Elections, Z-TDB Blog