Facebook Political Ads Test Limits

Political parties and interest groups have long cherry-picked news stories that promote their agenda to feature in campaign ads. But some new ads popping up on Facebook take that tactic to a new level. "AP Says: Palin Lied," reads one ad, accompanied by an unflattering photo of the vice presidential candidate. Another ad -- accompanied by the same photo -- reads, "Washington Post breaks ANOTHER Palin scandal. Charging tax payers for her sleeping at home." Another with a picture of John McCain grimacing reads, "Time's Joe Klein has had enough of McCain's dishonorable campaign lies. A must read." Clicking on the ads takes visitors straight to a story on the Web sites of those publications. People who click on the ad that reads "WSJ Says: Palin Lied," for instance, are directed to a story on The Wall Street Journal Web site about the contradictions in Gov. Palin's record regarding the "Bridge to Nowhere." But none of the publications cited in the ads bought them -- or even was aware of them. The buyer -- though never identified anywhere on the ads or on the pages that you land on after clicking on them -- is the liberal group MoveOn.org. It's the latest example of fuzziness about who's behind what when it comes to political ads online.