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Democrats' Ads in Tandem Provoke G.O.P.: An analysis of advertising data shows a striking synchronicity between the advertising campaigns of Senator
John Kerry, Moveon.org and the Media Fund. (JIM RUTENBERG, 3/27/04, NY Times)

Senator John Kerry's advertising campaign is so closely complemented by those of two major liberal groups running commercials against President Bush that Republicans are accusing the Democrats of trying to evade campaign finance laws.

An analysis of advertising data provided by Republicans, Democrats and an independent group shows a striking synchronicity between the advertising campaigns of Mr. Kerry and Moveon.org and the Media Fund, which flatly deny any illegal consultations. They have been advertising in the same 17 swing states, in most of the same markets while almost uniformly ignoring others.

In mid-March, while Mr. Kerry advertised slightly more in the morning, the groups advertised slightly more at night. At other times of day, the two groups and the Kerry campaign together matched Mr. Bush's advertising nearly spot for spot, in a couple of cases exceeding it. That level of correlation has delighted Democrats, who acknowledge that the groups have gone a long way in helping Mr. Kerry to meet the advertising onslaught of Mr. Bush, whose campaign has raised far more money.

Officials of the two groups say that they do not need to speak to the Kerry campaign to join it in answering the Bush campaign. But such help is becoming a focal point in what is widely expected to be a legal battle with Republicans and some advocates of election reform over what legitimate role the groups, which are called 527 committees for the section of the tax code that created them, should be allowed to play.

The 527 groups' significance has grown exponentially this election cycle because they are able to collect millions in unregulated, unlimited contributions from unions, corporations and wealthy individuals. The parties and candidates are now prohibited from that type of fund-raising under the new campaign finance law.

While the law does not affect the fund-raising practices of these groups, it prohibited them from coordinating their efforts with federal parties or candidates.