FEC Proposal Not so Tame
I thought the FEC was going to let the First Amendment stand for bloggers. It seems not:According to the March 10 document, political Web sites would be regulated by default unless they were password-protected and read by fewer than 500 people in a 30-day period. Many of those Web sites would have been required to post government-mandated notices or risk violating campaign finance laws.Wizbang has much more, including this:
The only way to ensure complete freedom online is to keep up the pressure, since the FEC (to their credit) is listening. The Online Coalition will keep the pressure on the FEC. Join over 3,100 of your fellow bloggers in signing our letter to FEC Chairman Thomas online, and let your voice be heard.Update: James Miller writing at Tech Central Station warns of The Coming War on Blogs:
It's a universal law of capitalism: when an industry faces a new and significant threat to its profits and powers it turns to the government for protection. Well, bloggers who write on current events are challenging the mainstream media (MSM), the most politically well-connected industry in America. Watch for the MSM to start using their political influence to burden bloggers.There's more. All perfectly reasonable . . . and a reasonable response is at least a degree of apprehension.But won't the First Amendment protect blogs? Unfortunately, courts already hold that many governmental restrictions on speech don't violate the First Amendment, and I can think of three areas in which the MSM might successfully change laws and regulations to hinder their blogger competitors: ...
In a fight against the MSM, blogs have two significant weaknesses: lack of monetary and legal resources. Most bloggers already lose money on their blogs. A small paperwork, monetary or legal burden imposed on bloggers would drive many of them to extinction. Expect the MSM to exploit this weakness.
The Democratic Party will likely assist the MSM in their attack on blogs, not because most blogs are pro-Republican but because blogs are not as consistently liberal as the MSM. John Kerry, for example, is calling for the government to do something to protect the MSM.
I have reevaluated my position and written my representatives as well as the . In part:
I am greatly concerned that the FEC will deal a blow to the First Amendment in an upcoming decision on political communication on the internet.I am a blogger that writes almost exclusively about politics. I feel this is my right as much as any frontiersman that bought a printing press. I do not engage in libel but I do share my opinions. Freely, as it should be.
Blog post #4748 in category
Blogs etc.
posted 25 March 05
Been there, done that, but thanks for the remiinder of how important it is.
Posted by Marc on Friday at 8:15 AM
Yep, I ignored this one too long.
Posted by AlphaPatriot on Friday at 8:44 AM
I object to the use of the word 'capitalism' in the TCS article. That's mercantilism, not capitalism. One of my big peeves is the way people constantly confuse the two.
Posted by Stormy Dragon on Friday at 9:49 AM
My pet peeves are much more mundane. Like people that confuse fascist with Republican.
Posted by AlphaPatriot on Friday at 12:18 PM
I have a universal End User Licesne Agreement and mini-disclaimr posted on my own blog (parodies, so they are worth reading). I'll give you the best portions of th post, and hope you like it:
End User License Agreement: I, a visitor of this website (hereby known as "blog") acknowledge that this blog, in compliance with FEC regulations, is not (a) open to the public, and (b) does not support any candidate and/or his/her affiliated party, political belief(s), religion, or ideology. Further, I acknowledge that this blog has received no support, financial or otherwise, from any politician, political candidate and/or his campaign, Political Action Committee, Non-Governmental Organization, 501(C)3, political party, or any other form of organization required to report to the Federal Election Commission.
I further acknowledge that I am not a member of the general public and that this blog is not a form of communication, and thus said blog is not subject to the limitations on "public communication" (Thick Stack Of Papers That Ellen Weintraub Spilled Breakfast And Coffee On, page 27, just below the maple syrup stain). Anyone whom I email any document, post, image, or thought originating from this blog is not legally a person, and thus is not counted in FEC regulations which limit transmission of the same, or substantively similar, document(s) to 500 or more individuals within a 30-day period (Papers Used By Ellen Weintraub To Clean The Aforementioned Spill Of Coffee And Breakfast, page 9, two lines under the Scotch Tape that repaired said document). Futhermore, I acknowledge that I am neither a person nor an individual and thus excluded from the allotted 500 individuals who can view this website, which I provided a password to enter because this website is not open to the public even though I have no clear memory of providing said password, over a 30-day period.
I further acknowledge that this blog did not in any way influence or modify my views regarding any politician and/or his campaign or political party, nor did it influence or modify my political beliefs, religion, ideology, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marriage status, mental and/or physical problems. This blog did not encourage or discourage me from donating any amount of money to any cause or modify any such donation.
This blog did not and never will make me fat, and I will not hold it responsible for the extra airplane ticket that I may or may not have purchased to accommodate my weightyness.
DISCLAIMER: This blog uses 100% recycled electrons. No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.
Posted by Chris Edwards on Friday at 2:35 PM
Now that's funny. I'm going to have to get around to doing something like that.
Posted by AlphaPatriot on Saturday at 8:22 AM