Democrats Imply a Publisher Promoting Republican Books Could Be Illegal

Over at stopnetregulation.org, Seton Motley reports that if the Democrats can't ban books, they'll try to ban book promotion. Democrats are furious that the conservative Threshhold imprint of Simon & Schuster (a corporate cousin of CBS) published a book by three House Republicans titled "Young Guns," and included a promotional video:   

That was too much free speech for the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which lawyered up and sent the publishing house an ominous letter intimating it may be in violation of several campaign finance laws - claiming the video was an in-kind contribution to Republicans. This despite the fact that...

Corporations are permitted to make independent expenditures with no coordination with candidates...

Or the simple possibility that Simon & Schuster has printed tens of thousands of copies and would now like to, you know, sell them.

The DCCC's attorneys suggest it's improper for a corporation to host a video on its website that in turn directs viewers to Rep. Eric Cantor's ERIC-PAC website that solicits contributions for Republican candidates for Congress.

But consider this: if Simon & Schuster really wanted this book to fly off the shelves, or Republicans to be helped, wouldn't they offer a much more prominent video presentation -- on a CBS property like 60 Minutes? It wouldn't be the first time. (They put Simon & Schuster-published The Big Short by liberal author Michael Lewis in that promotional slot.) Seton continued:

Never ones to let the facts get in the way of a good beating....

The DCCC is looking for an “assurance” that the book will be promoted legally.

This is chilling language and a chilling move coming from the Party that is (for now still) in control of Congress – what with their ability to hold “investigative” hearings and haul anyone they wish before them for intimidation purposes disguised as interrogative ones. 

Not to mention a Democrat President with the keys to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and what is quickly becoming the most ideological and partisan Justice Department in our nation’s history. 

It doesn’t occur to Democrats and liberals that they too can write a book and get it published and promoted - in just the same manner as have the Republicans?  You know, meet free speech with free speech.

Apparently not.  Instead they seek to drop the censorship hammer.  Again.