Fine Print Is Given Full Voice in Campaign Ads:
"In one of his television commercials, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts announces his candidacy for president before a throng of adoring, placard-waving supporters.

But at the end of the spot, amid the roar of the crowd, Mr. Kerry abruptly steps from the podium, looks into the camera and shouts, 'I'm John Kerry, and I approve this message!'"

Such odd juxtapositions occur often in the first commercials of this election season because of a little-noticed provision of the new election law requiring candidates — including President Bush, when his campaign begins running ads — to pledge responsibility for their ads.…

"It's really clumsy and awkward to put in an ad," said Steve McMahon, whose firm is handling the advertising for Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont. "Focus groups say `Of course you approve it, you wouldn't have said it.' "

Academics, lawmakers and lobbyists who helped write the provision said it was intended to force campaigns to stand by any attack ads they produce. That, some argued, could dissuade the production of such ads to begin with.

But the campaigns contend that it is unclear whether the provision will ultimately stanch the flow of negative political advertisements this election season anyway.

At the very least, strategists with every presidential campaign now advertising said the rule seemed silly at this early stage, when the vast majority of spots are positive.

"It's just one more example of reform gone amok," said David Axelrod, a consultant for Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. "It was meant to police negative ads, and now you have this absurd addendum to positive ads that makes absolutely no sense."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/08/politics/campaigns/08ADS.html