A Wisconsin television station has asked Sen. Russ Feingold’s campaign to stop airing his latest attack ad against the now official Republican nominee Ron Johnson. The ad, which The Associated Press called “misleading,” uses newscast footage from several local TV stations. And at least one of them isn’t too happy about it:

“They took out all the context, balance and other side of the story,” said Perry Boxx, WKOW News Director. “He did it without any permission. It may be legal, but it’s just plain wrong.”
Not only did WKOW not give permission for the use of those clips from our copyrighted newscast, we never even knew they had been used until the political ad first hit the air on Monday.
“The fair use doctrine of copyright law allows anyone to use excerpts from copyrighted work for purposes of comment,” said Bob Dreps, WKOW legal counsel.
“The question becomes not is it legal, but is it fair, is it just?” said Madison College Professor Maurice Sheppard.
Campaign ads using new[s] clips aren’t new, but they can blur the line between a news report and a campaign ad, making it seem like journalists are endorsing candidates.

As I have written about previously, the fact that anyone is questioning whether or not a Russ Feingold ad is “just” is yet another indication of how low “Mr. Clean Campaign“ has sunk, and is willing to sink, in his increasingly desperate bid for reelection.