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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
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November 04, 2005
Blogs To Be Regulated
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. - US Constitution, Amendment I
The US House of Representatives got a majority vote (225-182) for a bill to exempt websites and emails from ongoing "campaign finance" censorship, but this was not enough to make the 2/3 vote needed for passage. READ STORY
Here's the wording of the defeated Online Freedom of Speech Act:
Paragraph (22) of section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(22)) is amended by adding at the end of the following new sentence: "Such term shall not include communications over the Internet."
Last year a federal court ordered the FEC to draw up regulations to apply all the (blatantly unconstitutional) McCain-Feingold regulations and other such nonsense to the internet. This bill would have pre-empted that.
Brother Blogcritic and Hoosier Libertarian Mike Kole is on the case.
As Kole among others notes, this all in fact works to consolidate influence to wealthier groups at the expense of individuals and small fish. The big money will always find the work around. They can afford to jump through the hoops, and hire the lawyers to keep it legal, and keep the FEC types at bay. You think the insurance industry is just going to pack it in and go home because there's a new campaign finance law?
Meanwhile, lots of small groups will just give up, under the threat of legal sanction for the crime of trying to get their two cents into the public debate.
As has often been the case in recent years- particularly regarding "campaign finance" legislation- it was Democrats leading the calls for censorship, notably Massachusetts dirtbag Marty Meehan. Here's the ROLL CALL on this. Note that Republicans voted FOR this free speech measure 179-38, while Democrats voted AGAINST it with 143 nay votes to 38 in favor.
On the other hand, let us say a few kind words for one Texas Republican who has not previously come up on my personal radar screen. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, sponsored the failed attempt at protecting free expression on the internet, saying,
"The newest battlefield in the fight to protect the First Amendment is the internet. The internet is the new town square, and campaign finance regulations are not appropriate there."
Well put. Thank you, Mr Hensarling.
Will I be smacked down by the FEC for having a link to Kole's campaign on my Culpepper blog? Will this now be an "in-kind contribution" triggering paperwork requirements and other such prohibitive nonsense? I say the bastards can have my blog when they pry the keyboard from my cold, dead fingers.
Marty Meehan, John McCain, et al: You bastards start your OWN websites, and you can put up whatever you want. You can leave mine the hell alone though, thank you.
posted by Al at 11/04/2005 08:12:00 AM
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