by TChris

Some supporters of the Bush administration are hoping that the Federal Elections Commission will overlook Michael Moore's constititutional right to free speech by banning broadcast advertising of his documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11.

In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC’s agenda for today’s meeting, the agency’s general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.

The FEC would presumably have no authority over ads for Fahrenheit 9/11 that don't mention Bush, but since the movie is about Bush, Moore would effectively be banned from running ads that tell the public what his movie is about. And Moore isn't the only documentary maker affected by the potential ruling.

The FEC ruling may also affect promotion of a slew of other upcoming political documentaries and films, such as “Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War,” which opens in August, “The Corporation,” about democratic institutions being subsumed by the corporate agenda, or “Silver City,” a recently finished film by John Sayles that criticizes the Bush administration.

The First Amendment prohibits the government from regulating the content of political documentaries. Should the government be entitled to prevent documentary makers from telling potential audiences what to expect from their films?