ThinkProgress post removed on advice of lawyers?

[Canuckistanian]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/18/mccain-obama-socialist/

McCain: ‘I Don’t Know’ If Obama Is A Socialist

The Center for American Progress’ lawyers asked us to take down this post.

Anyone know what's going on here?

[BadgerKid]

1. May violate tax status

"The Center for American Progress’ lawyers asked us to take down this post because they tell us it violates our tax status policies."

[Canuckistanian]

2. That was changed since I wrote the post.

This is a news item. How could it possibly affect their tax status?

And anyways, the CNN Political Ticker has the exact same story. Why isn't THEIR tax status threatened?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/18/mccain-%e2%80%9ci-don%e2%80%99t-know%e2%80%9d-if-obama-is-socialist/

This doesn't clear anything up for me.

[BadgerKid]

4. Yeah, I thought as much.

It's clear as mud. :shrug:

[MiniMe]

5. I think it is because The CFP must be a 501c3 non-profit

That would be the same status as a church, and 501c3's aren't supposed to have any kind of a political agenda.

Yeah, I know. Church's do it all the time. Especially the fundie churches.

[Canuckistanian]

6. They're a political news website!

I see nothing out of the ordinary about posting what one politician said about another.

If that was the case, ThinkProgress would have been shut down YEARS ago.

[KharmaTrain]

7. 503c3s Walk A Fine Line...

The question is more along the lines if CFP is using either that post or even the website to attack Gramps. Most of ThinkProgress' reports are straight up...little commentary and many times just excerpts of wire stories, however there might be a source problem with this one that led to the phone ringing.

The fact you noticed says more about what's going on here than what the post said. I saw this quote and saw it cited on other sites as well, but they were attributed to ThinkProgress. Methinks CFP got a C & D letter that threatened action (and, yes, I wouldn't be surprised it was from either Gramps or the RNC) and instead of trying to fight it, removed the post...and that in itself has gotten people's attention. Yes, it'll be curious to see why the post was pulled and if there's any follow up.

[Canuckistanian]

3. kick

For some answers, dammit! :)