HELENA, Mont.-
A television commercial slamming Sen. Conrad Burns for cursing at a firefighting crew could be too vulgar for broadcast television and may lead to fines if it isn’t pulled, the Montana Broadcasters Association warned its members Wednesday.
Citing the Federal Communications Commission’s “current stance on indecent language,” association President Greg MacDonald advised stations to pull the spot or check with attorneys before airing it.
“While we have no idea how the commission might come down on such language in a political spot we also don’t want to test the waters at $325,000 per violation,” MacDonald wrote.
Burns is locked in a tough race with challenger Jon Tester, and attack advertisements from both sides have been filling the airwaves in Montana. The latest commercial, paid for by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, opens with a cautionary note: “The following contains language by Conrad Burns unsuitable for Montana.”
The narrator begins by praising firefighters as heroes, then switches to quotes from reports of a confrontation Burns, a Republican, had with firefighters in July.
Burns said the firefighters did a “poor job,” according to a state official’s report, and used two vulgarities while discussing their efforts.
Burns later apologized for the comments, saying he was expressing the frustration of ranchers who were critical of the way the firefighting efforts had been handled.
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee said voters need to know what Burns said.
“Montanans want a senator they can be proud of, not a walking blooper,” DSCC spokesman Phil Singer said.
MacDonald said he issued the e-mail after one station alerted him to the content–and questioned whether the station could be in trouble with the FCC because of the language.
The Burns campaign said it expects the ads to get worse.
“Montana can expect more of the name calling and mud slinging from the national Democratic party,” said spokesman Jason Klindt.
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