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kalikshama -> Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown Sign Pledge To Curb Attacks From Outside Groups (1/25/2012 3:42:36 PM)
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Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his chief Democratic rival, Elizabeth Warren, have signed a pledge to curb political attack ads by outside groups in their Massachusetts Senate race.
Under the terms of the deal, each campaign would agree to donate half the cost of any third-party ad to charity if that ad either supports their candidacy or attacks their opponent by name.
At least one outside group that has targeted Warren immediately raised objections to the deal, while two outside groups that have targeted Brown said they were inclined to respect the deal, with one pledging to suspend its advertising.
Brown first laid out the basic terms of the deal last week, but top-level staffers for both candidates were unable to reach a final deal on Friday.
Then early Monday morning, Warren responded, saying she was ready to sign off on the deal as long as it included a few final changes, such as adding Internet advertising to the deal and closing any other loopholes that could permit third parties to help one campaign or the other by running ads.
Even as she agreed to the deal, Warren conceded she wasn't absolutely sure it would hold.
"Do we know it will succeed? No. But I do know that we go into this in good faith to try to have a chance to make our best case to the voters of Massachusetts," Warren told reporters Monday. "I think that's worth trying."
Brown quickly agreed to the changes, and signed what he described as the "People's Pledge."
"This is a great victory for the people of Massachusetts, and a bold statement that puts Super PACs and other third parties on notice that their interference in this race will not be tolerated," Brown said in a statement.
Both campaigns then quickly pointed out that each has already been the target of outside advertising.
The U.S. Supreme Court has paved the way for millions of dollars in spending by super PACs following a trio of decisions capped by the landmark Citizens United case in 2010, which eased restrictions on the use of corporate money in political campaigns.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/elizabeth-warren-scott-brown-attack-ads_n_1223574.html
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