[leucetios]

TACOMA - A law that bars political candidates from deliberately making false statements about their opponents violates the First Amendment right of free speech, an appeals panel has ruled.

...

In a campaign flier Rickert said the incumbent, Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, "voted to close a facility for the developmentally challenged." Sheldon won re-election, then filed a complaint with the commission, asserting that he was the only legislator who voted to keep it open.

So the politician can legally just lie about their opponents. That's not going to confuse things.

[SanDog]

So the politician can legally just lie about their opponents. That's not going to confuse things.

That is an overturn waiting to happen. I am guessing this was 9th circuit decision.

[leucetios]

That is an overturn waiting to happen. I am guessing this was 9th circuit decision.

So a law was enacted by the legislation in 1999, and I guess they just overturned the law. I dunno, the article is written really badly, it is kinda confusing. I know the short version is that the politician can lie (sorry, misrepresent), and not get in trouble :S