Bush adviser quits after appearing in swift boat ad. Politics. Sigh... I think it's best to just shake my head in bemused wonder
at the whole spectacle.

There's no way to obtain clean separation between the 527 "churches" and the "states" of political campaigns. Both are peopled by politically active folks, many of whom have undoubtedly worked on both sides of the 527 / political party fence. They all move in the same circles and go to the same parties. For every "official" connection, I'm sure there are hundreds more in the form of cocktail advice.

I suspect that even if both candidates shook hands and agreed to do everything in their power to prevent negative advertising, they could barely influence third-party political grandstanding. Why? Because there is money to be made - either directly ala Moore, or through increased donations to the 527 groups. And what could be more patriotic than free enterprise? If there was a strong need to reign in 527 noisemakers, effort would have to be directed at the source of their power - the purchasers and contributors who fuel these quixotic fires.

I believe third-party mudslinging is tarnishing the image of the political process and institutions, and this effect is surely a mixed one. So much of the authority and structure of our society is built on psychological foundations - it really is a case of the plane continuing to stay in the air because all the passengers believe that this massive, steel and aluminum envelope can fly. To the extent that political mudslinging undermines this faith, we can expect greater turbulence in the form of increased corruption and general disrespect for law. OTOH, it tends to bring the politicians down a notch and makes voters less manipulable by charisma and more focussed on performance issues.

A larger issue being raised is the notion that free speech must be regulated. I believe this is something which should not, and for many practical reasons, can not be effectively policed. If a moneyed muckraker wants to be heard, the message will go out.

And, hey, it's better than most "reality TV"!