# FEC complaint filed on Fahrenheit 9/11
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [June 25, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153 "2004-06-25T06:30:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/61 "2004-06-29T00:38:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> Excuse me?
Perhaps I misinterpreted your post about being willing to compromise. My assumption (and correct me if I’m wrong) is that you \*\*started \*\* with the premise that corporate funding needed to be restricted and were offering to restrict union funding only as a means towards that end.
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### Author:  [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/62 "2004-06-29T15:11:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> Your humble servent thanks you for you educative efforts. I quite agree, a step in the right direction. Not sufficient, in and of itself. A crutch might be quite useful for one with a broken leg, but I’d prefer to mend the leg.
That’s funny, I had gotten the impression that you would prefer to break the other leg so that they would be ‘equal’.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/63 "2004-06-29T15:26:03Z")
You are, of course, entirely welcome to think whatever you like. Happily for you, you can express the whole sum of those thoughts in but a few words, in a single drive-by. That must be nice.
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### Author:  [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/64 "2004-06-29T16:12:38Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#):
>
> Environmental concerns should always be balanced against economic concerns, and to that end those who have to bear the burden of environmental regulation should be afforded the ability to help shape the composition of legislative bodies. That’s the real issue: not that corporations are universally pro-environment, but rater that they are impacted by those regulations and should thus be allowed the same access to the electoral process as their environmentalist counterparts.
Tell me again who was on Cheney’s Energy Task Force? Do you suggest the members were chosen to be a balanced, fair, impartial advisory board? You mean that campaign contributions and the money network did not result in more influence?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/65 "2004-06-29T18:34:56Z")
> [@Homebrew](#):
>
> Tell me again who was on Cheney’s Energy Task Force? Do you suggest the members were chosen to be a balanced, fair, impartial advisory board? You mean that campaign contributions and the money network did not result in more influence?
That’s beside the point. The fact that the enegy industry was a major supporter of the Bush campaign is well-known. If the voters feel Messrs. Bush and Cheney are unduly influenced by energy concerns, they can take steps to make their displeasure known come November.
The question I raised was a bit different: should business enterprises be excluded from participation in the electoral process, given that they have a stake in the outcome? This isn’t a partisan issue. I think, for example, that large plaintiff’s law firms ought to be able to contribute money to the Democrats pretty much without restriction, so long as those donations are fully disclosed.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/66 "2004-06-29T19:04:53Z")
“so long as those donations are fully disclosed,” you say. Huh. The condition that swallows the rule, isn’t it? Full disclosure of participation was \*the entire issue \* in Cheney’s task force, wasn’t it?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/67 "2004-06-29T19:38:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> “so long as those donations are fully disclosed,” you say. Huh. The condition that swallows the rule, isn’t it? Full disclosure of participation was \*the entire issue \* in Cheney’s task force, wasn’t it?
You are confusing the disclosure of political campaign contributions with the disclosure of attendees at policymaking meetings. The latter is arguably justified on separation of powers grounds. The former is not because running for office is not one of the governmental functions of the executive branch.
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/68 "2004-06-29T21:23:45Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#):
>
> The question I raised was a bit different: should business enterprises be excluded from participation in the electoral process, given that they have a stake in the outcome? This isn’t a partisan issue. I think, for example, that large plaintiff’s law firms ought to be able to contribute money to the Democrats pretty much without restriction, so long as those donations are fully disclosed.
Other nations are also heavily concerned with the outcome of US elections…
-Joe
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### Author:  [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/69 "2004-06-29T21:33:45Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#):
>
> That’s beside the point. The fact that the enegy industry was a major supporter of the Bush campaign is well-known. If the voters feel Messrs. Bush and Cheney are unduly influenced by energy concerns, they can take steps to make their displeasure known come November.
No, it’s directly on point as an example of how Big Money corrupts the political process. These Big Contributers aren’t doing it for no gain. The Energy Task Force is a blatant example of buying influence and a demonstration of why campaign finance reform is needed. Full disclosure is absolutely essential as a first step, I’ll agree; but more is obviously needed and this is a prime example of why.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/70 "2004-06-29T21:48:18Z")
> [@Homebrew](#):
>
> No, it’s directly on point as an example of how Big Money corrupts the political process. These Big Contributers aren’t doing it for no gain. The Energy Task Force is a blatant example of buying influence and a demonstration of why campaign finance reform is needed. Full disclosure is absolutely essential as a first step, I’ll agree; but more is obviously needed and this is a prime example of why.
Why can’t the voters simply decide if this is a matter of concern to them? If they know Bush will favor the energy companies (either out of ideology or out of repayment), and they vote him in anyway, what difference does it make?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/71 "2004-06-29T21:54:34Z")
> [@Merijeek](#):
>
> Other nations are also heavily concerned with the outcome of US elections…
>
> -Joe
I think the notion of full disclosure can cover this as well. If, for instance, Kerry recieves $50M from French nationals and corporations, let the people decide if that is of concern.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fec-complaint-filed-on-fahrenheit-9-11/252153/72 "2004-07-16T20:18:26Z")
I came across this topic while doing a search and had a a mindless and illogical afterthought:
What is the plural of FEC?
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