Setting some terms

The basic definition we're using here can be summed up as "Unsolicited Political Email", a subset of the ever popular "Unsolicited Bulk Email" or spam. If you signed up to get it, it's not spam. Chip Rosenthal writes here about Texas Democrats complaining about getting too much email from the party's mailing lists. I agree with Chip; I understand their complaint, but it's not spam if you signed up for it - there may be some bad mailing practices involved, but bad mailing practices do not automatically equate to spam.
MoveOn.org is frustrating and problematic. They have some very bad email practices, skating near the edge of spam, and what is more, tend to be pretty obstinate about not understanding the problems that others have with their practices. But that's probably a topic for a different, longer posting.
Finally, watch those terms and conditions. Back in 2004, I read the terms and conditions on the Bush-Cheney website that were tied to the submission of your email address. The campaign reserved the right to share your email address with pretty much every single Republican candidate or committee in the entire country. Fun, eh? But technically not spam. You did read those terms and conditions, right?