Comments on: The coming crackdown on blogging

Federal Election Commissioner Bradley Smith says the freewheeling days of political expression on the Internet may be about to end.

[ang6666]

It will never happen.

You cannot silence those who wish to be heard. And preventing MILLIONS from linking? Impossible!

Regulation of the Internet?

I don't think so. Who do they (or we as a country for that matter) think we are? The Internet is world wide. Does some judge, or worse, a politician believe that just because they say so that they can control what goes over the Internet? What a load of rubbish!

[RavingEniac]

FEC Commissioners' affiliations

According to the FEC website, McDonald is the only up-front Democrat. He's from Oklahoma, a Reagan appointee and probably a conservative. Two present themselves as nonpartisan. Of the other three, one is a former Republican National Committee staffer, one is a homeschooler from Lynchburg, VA who probably is a buddy of Jerry Falwell, and the third likes the libertarian Cato Institute and the Federalist Society (a rightwing lawyers organization). This doesn't look like a politically balanced commission to me.
http://www.fec.gov/members/members.shtml

[declan00]

what affiliations mean

The FEC is divided: 3 Dems and 3 Repubs.

The last fellow you mentioned is the one I interviewed. He's probably the least regulatory (but has little choice because of the court decision).

[r4780y]

Forget about it

When the legislature and the judicial branch
start thinking clearly would somebody please
wake me?

It seems they are bent on making things
overcomplicated. Counting cost by the $ raised?
Oh that makes sense... not.

Governing must be done by spirit of law. If the
previous laws don't cover the Internet, think
like the original law-writers might think.

I personally believe in campaign spending
limits. It's about keeping the playing field
equal for little guys to compete with
millionaires. But what is the cost behind a
blog?

We allow volunteers to carry signs and yet we
don't calculate the cost of their shoes or the
clothes they wear. Perhaps we should take the
time they volunteer and calculate the percentage
and cost of the average meal so we can count
that too. We don't keep track of the gas they
use to get to the location, nor the expense
induced on their car.

So why would we bother with some obfuscated
percentage of the cost of a computer or their
Internet connection fees? Blog-sites are free
to the average Joe, so why would be care about
those costs?

But let's continue with the screwed up "money
earned" theme. I increase my income through
advertising my business. Sometimes it's done by
posting to email lists, other times by
word-of-mouth, and occasionally taking clients
out to lunch/dinner, or (heaven-forbid) purchase
ad space somewhere. I am in the habit of
writing off the expenses I incur from doing so.
Most of the advertising methods incur nearly
zero cost, while others cost moderately (I'm not
a big corporation so I have to be frugal).

I like the extension of this last bit of
thinking, because rather than adding up the cost
of doing what I've done, let's add up the money
*earned* from what I've done! That accounts for
all income throughout the year, so I pay no
taxes. I'm in! Where do I sign?

[spirit729]

BLAST THE ANTI-BLOGGER

Q: "If Congress doesn't change the law, what kind of activities will the FEC have to target?

A: "We're talking about any decision by an individual to put a link (to a political candidate) on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass e-mails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet."

COMMENT: Then we'd better plan to figure the "financial value" of all those yard signs and bumper stickers for Bush/Cheney that I saw littering the landscape in my rural, conservative part of the "very blue" and proud of it Golden State of California!!!

Perhaps a percentage of their home/business property tax assessment?? Factored with the average number of passer's-by that could possibly view their political "yard spam??"

There's no end to the absolute stupidity (and hubris) of the RNC machine...and their fear that American's are just about ready to fire the whole sad lot of these elitist greedmongers...

Peace/out

Republicans?

I don't think this is a partisan issue (heck, it sounds like the
Democrats are at least as bad on this one). The problem is not
with "republicans", it is "politicians". Whatever party they are
from they are interested in getting power and securing it from
attacks. Lately the attacks have been coming form blogs so they
are trying to use their only real power (police powers) to stop the
attacks.

Everyone Democrat, Green, Libertarian, independent, and
Republican with any care for freedom should stand up and be
counted against censorship in general and against the campaign
finance reform law in general. Freedom is not just for people we
agree with, but people we disagree with too!

--Brian

more Bush hate speech

What about all the Kerry/Edwards signs and bumper stickers, etc. I find it interesting that you don't mention those. They are just as annoying as the Bush/Cheney signs...and still are for all of those who still have theses signs up or still have these bumper stickers on their vehicles.

[NWLB]

A lot of fuss that will amount to nothing.

Not that I don't think we should kick-up a major stink over the issue, but I think in the end this will amount to nothing.

If anything, this reveals how pointless the attempt to control people giving money, time, or service to a canidate is in the end.

None-the-less, somebody will try. The effort to curtail blogs will only drive more people to read them.

NWLB
****
http://www.nwlbnet.blogspot.com

Time to exit America. Freedom is no more.

Freedom has abandoned America, and so have I.

I will never go back there, and I suggest anyone that reads this to pack your lugagge, and leave that horrendous place before you land in jail for sneezing.

I am not kidding !

I'm staying

I love my country and although we have hell to pay for the actions of this administration. I will stay and do what I can to save her. I will go down with my countrymen and I will suffer the consequences and I will also do whatever I can to ensure that those responsible for these altrocities on mankind pay for it and justice is served. Besides, where are you safe - when your an american and America is everywhere now a days

[Jane in KC]

What's the best way to fight this?

This is insane! Should we all find the email addys of our senators and representatives and work that way? Any other suggestions?

How to Resist

Here's an idea...

Remember the blue ribbon campaign from about tne years ago
to promote free speech on the Internet? Millions of people put
links to the anti-censorship site on their pages and there was a
day of blacked out screens to protest internet censorship.

This time it could be a little more direct kind of response of civil
disobedience. Someone can put up a page with the names (and
email addresses if they dare to publish them) of all of the creeps
who vote for this thing as well as links to their political
opponents who deserve to defeat them in the next election. Just
let them try to throw those millions of people into jail and
overtly shut down the page that campaigns for their demise. If
we can get enough publicity for this I think they'd run screaming
for the hills.

--Brian

Best way to fight...

I have included a list of every political party I could find in another "talkback" for this article. If you have a website you could add the links to a page.

It would mean disobeying the law if this gets voted in and could mean risking the wrath of the federal government. This could mean pressure on your hosting company to remove the site, fines or even jail time.

If you don't have a website where you can list them or don't feel strongly enough about this issue to risk prison you could also send the FEC a letter or email. Contact information provided below.
-----------------------------------------------

FEC Congressional Affairs Office

email:
[e-mail]

Telephone:
800-424-9530 (press 0, then ext. 1040)

Mailing address:
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20463

[richards1052]

What about bloggers that hide their relationships to campaigns?

I share Brad Smith's concerns. But shouldn't we also not lose sight of the egregious abuses that we're starting to see--like the case of the anti-Daschle bloggers paid by the John Thune campaign to assault the coverage of S. Dakota's leading newspaper, which leaned toward Daschle in its editorial (& the right wingers would say, news) coverage during the last Senate campaign. THese bloggers never disclosed that they were paid to do what they did by the Thune campaign.

In a very close election, who's to say that these two didn't wreak irreparable harm on the electoral process. Here's an example of a campaign using blogs in a surreptitious way to influence an election. Shouldn't a campaign (& bloggers) be forced to announce all such financial arrangements as part of campaign finance disclosure rules?

Completely Unconstitutional

I am appalled to hear that they are even CONSIDERING any such
limitations. What part of "no law" don't they understand? This is
one that is well worth breaking. Nobody is going to tell me what
I can or cannot publish on political topics. If they throw me in
jail that's just a proof of who these goons are.

This kind of oppressive nonsense is the logical consequence of
the whole McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. They have
no business regulating what anybody can say about them and
how much. Rather than haggling over whether a link on a blog
is worth a penny or a million dollars they should go back and
question whether the whole principle of limiting free speech is
practical, moral, or constitutional. It is none of them.

What I want to know is who is even remotely considering this
stuff. I want to give $2001 to whoever their opponents are.

--Brian

Free speech? How quaint!

I'm sure thousands (millions?) of website owners would love it if each link to their site constituted a donation or even approval, but only a politician would be depraved enough claim such an equivalence with a straight face.

We can expect that bloggers will continue to come under increasing attack now that mainstream media and politicians are finally figuring out that bloggers represent a true threat to the government/corporate propaganda system.

Perhaps Torturer in Chief Gonzales will simplify things for us by declaring free speech "quaint" just as he did the Geneva Conventions.

Those caught blogging can be punished; first by being forced to listen to Michael Powell dribble on about how great media consolidation is, and then by Karl Rove who will show them how truth and free speech aren't what they're cracked up to be. (Come to the dark side, Luke.)

...and if that doesn't work, it's off to Abu Ghraib!

[Prndll]

lol.....worked up over nothing at all.....

Come on people....
Get a grip.

For one thing...the whole idea of "blogging" is nonsense.

For another...the owner of a website has always retained the right to "control" what's on the site. Now, if the site owner can be coersed, well...that's another matter. lol.... Mainly just a matter of that persons integrity.

Do any of you really think you have the right to "demand" what someone else puts on their website? Do any of you "really" understand what blogging is?

lol.....

This would be like me trying to push a lawsuit against CNET for deleting any blog I post on their site. Of course I would not like it...but then, I have the right to go elsewhere. Just as i have the right to remove the link I have on my website to cnet.com. If I were to do that, it would be inapropriate for cnet to complain.

You people really need to relax a bit....
There are much bigger threats out there worth getting upset about.

cracking down on blogging

we are being stalinized in the USA

cracking down on blogging

we are being Stalinized in the USA

The coming crackdown on the cave-dwelling Neanderthals

Read the article, ?The coming crackdown on blogging?.

That is fine. I don?t think that the federal government is interested in cracking on those bloggers.. Instead, they hope to target any blogger in the world whom they don?t like. Fine but how can you crackdown a foreign blogger who lives in Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, China, Iran, Syria, or Korea? What??? Want to regulate the entire Internet?

To do this, the first thing federal government needs to do is to send so many soldiers to capture all of those countries before they can start taking control of the Internet. Can the federal crack down http://www.iraq-war.ru/ which is based in Moscow? Will the federal government search for a way to kick most of the Internet providers out, while leaving AOL alone, in America? Includes my Internet provider? Or kick me out because I am just an Internet user?

The real-world bloggers don?t care about Republicans and Democrats because they are considered twins - twin parties. They only care about truth, such as going into a forest to hunt for a greedy Republican deer and a self-serving Democrat goose. If the federal government, Republicans, and Democrats want to behave like Lords with angel-like wings, just stay away from Internet because it is not a member of the ancient world. Instead, Internet is a honorable member of the ULTRA modern world.

Internet works 24 hours to improve our living standards as the federal government is maliciously trying to push us into the Ice Age, that is when we will still be the **** sapiens who will plan to come into a cave to kick Democrat and Republican Neanderthals out and make a room for ourselves so we can paint some pictures painted on an empty and boring rocky wall and make some potteries which can take some spaces where those Neanderthals are currently occupy. In order to continue our evolution, we can?t dwell on the Neanderthal lies forever.

NO! Blogs are protected by the Constitution and by law

There should be NO government interference with the internet.
Blogs should be protected as Free Speech. Since they are BOTH
broadcast and periodical, they should be protected by Freedom
of the Press. I have a right to support a candidate. I have a right
to assemble with whomever I choose, including on a mailing list
or a forum, and to exercise our right to protest, to advocate for
a candidate or cause, to educate and to comment on any topic I
choose. The only requirement should be to disclose money
changing hands with Candidates. Otherwise, leave us alone.

The coming crackdown...

I can only think of one suitable response towards this article. It follows below:

------------------------------
America First Party:
http://www.americafirstparty.org/

American Party:
http://www.theamericanparty.org/

American Heritage Party:
http://www.americanheritageparty.org/

American Independent Party:
http://www.aipca.org/

American Nazi Party:
http://www.americannaziparty.com/

American Reform Party:
http://www.americanreform.org/

Christian Falangist Party of America:
http://www.falangist.com/

Communist Party USA:
http://www.cpusa.org/

Constitution Party:
http://www.constitution-party.net/

Constitutional Action Party:
http://www2.ari.net/home/CAP/

Democratic Party (DNC):
http://www.democrats.org/

Family Values Party:
http://members.aol.com/fvparty/fvparty1/

Freedom Socialist Party / Radical Women
http://www.socialism.com/

Grassroots Party:
http://www.vtgrassrootsparty.org/

Green Party of the United States (Green Party):
http://www.gp.org/

The Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA):
http://www.greenparty.org/

Independence Party:
http://www.mnip.org/

Independent American Party:
http://www.usiap.org/

Labor Party:
http://www.thelaborparty.org/

Libertarian Party:
http://www.lp.org/

Light Party:
http://www.lightparty.com/

Natural Law Party:
http://www.natural-law.org/

New Party:
http://www.newparty.org/

New Union Party:
http://www1.minn.net/~nup/

Peace & Freedom Party:
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/

Prohibition Party:
http://www.prohibition.org/

Reform Party:
http://www.reformparty.org/

Republican Party (RNC):
http://www.rnc.org/

The Revolution:
http://www.revolting.com/

Socialist Party USA:
http://www.sp-usa.org/

Socialist Action:
http://www.socialistaction.org/

Socialist Equality Party:
http://www.socialequality.com/

Socialist Labor Party:
http://www.slp.org/

Socialist Workers Party:
http://www.themilitant.com/

Southern Party:
http://www.southernparty.org/

Southern Independence Party:
http://www.southernindependentparty.com/

U.S. Pacifist Party:
http://www.uspacifistparty.org/

Veterans Party of America:
http://www.veteransparty.us/

We The People Party:
http://www.wethepeople-wtp.org/

Workers World Party:
http://www.workers.org/

(Party list courtesy of http://www.politics1.com/)
--------------------------------------

If posting links to these parties means that I must "risk the wrath of the federal government"... so be it.

Regardless of whether or not I agree with the individual party's platform I do remember one thing that many politicians in office seem to have forgotten.

"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."

Oh, if anyone else happens to have a grievance with this idea, or any other, feel free to write your elected officials. You can find the addresses at:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/

The Evil-Twins Party

The Rs and Ds want to keep the business party functioning as is,
keeping 3rd, 4th,..., Nth parties out. I've seen recent discussions
of blogs on network/cable news (reporting blog content), so
BigNews knows where their monopoly is threatened.

Hubris and/or a wonk seeking funding

Such hyperbole makes me so glad I'm leaving the D.C. area.

Pulease ... hyperlinking has been covered in court case after court case, and I don't think the 2002 campaign finance law is going to be able to extend its arms far enough to overrule OTHER decisions already mandated by the Supreme Court ... not sure why Mr.Smith missed that little factoid but hey, we're all busy these daze.

Only thing I can think is that someone (and not necessarily B.S.) is testing the waters so they can keep their tax-payer financed jobs by gobbling up tons of new funding to go after a growing industry ... which in the eyes of some federalies appears in their glaze as a new form of taxable revenue ... in this case going after blogs that link-up political websites.

Good luck w/putting a price on the Blogging Ecosystem ... and enforcement.

[Dingbattie]

Sharpen your Guillotines, mes amis,

Spring cleaning is long overdue.

blogging on the internet

Aren't the radio talk shows that's for one side the same thing?

[Collants]

This Is Weird

How in the world would a blogging service manage to protect themselves from this?

Would this mean bloggers might have to fear posting their political opinions on the Internet?

That does not sound like freedom to me. At any rate, the article is confusing. The end of blogging is a more serious issue than the regulation of political contributions: It sounds more like the end of freedom of expression.

Eek!