Legal News

Palin: Media Criticism of My Criticism = First Amendment Violation

By Dan Slater

UPDATE: A WSJ colleague just sent over the Alaska Constitution. §5. Freedom of Speech: Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.

What do you think, LB’ers? Does Palin have an argument?
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Loyal Readers know that we have a special place for the First Amendment. And we’re glad to see that Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin does too.

In an interview this morning with WMAL-AM, a conservative D.C. radio station, Palin reportedly expressed concern that her First Amendment rights may be threatened by “attacks” from reporters. (Thanks to a Loyal Reader, here’s the report from ABC News.)

“If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations then I don’t know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.”

Palin reportedly told WMAL that her criticism of Obama’s associations, such as those with Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, shouldn’t be considered negative attacks. The media’s suggestions that it’s going negative may threaten a candidate’s free speech rights under the Constitution, she said.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on October 31, 2008 (boomark / email).