[Heads up: Michelle Malkin]
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is starting the process to expand the reach of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Act to include the Internet. This has far reaching implications for bloggers such as your’s truly, along with a great deal of the Blogosphere. Psjama Hadin has a list of links to sources and commentary about this. Senator Leahy has a proposed bill that on its face would recognize at least some bloggers as members of the news media. It’s just not apparent as to what the criteria would be to secure inclusion in this category.

At the Democracy Project they’re saying:

This is a clear attempt by some on the FEC to reign in the ability of bloggers and others who publish on the Net. I would go so far as to call it the Establishment’s revenge. If the grassroots nature of the Net is destroyed, then the Net in America goes underground, much as it already is in China, Iran, and other oppressive states. I’m not assuming that bloggers would be arrested and beaten, but fining or regulating them will, effectively, close them down. What these regulators hate most about the Net is its spontaneity, because that is its greatest strength. And that’s precisely what regulation would destroy.

Polipundit brings up the point which I expand upon below about this being something you would expect from a totalitarian government, (read the comments, too!) but not here in the good ol’ US of A, and Instapundit has even more links, plus The Anchoress has a few pithy thoughts of her own about this. (You go, girl!)

I have to agree with the quote above in regards to this being the Establishment’s revenge. The MSM wasn’t the only big entity that learned, during last Fall’s election cycle, how powerful this new media could become, and how fast it all moves when stirred to action. Our government, and the lemmings that make up the majority of its institutions, are terrified of something this uncontrollable. Yesterday I was worried about China trying to cause International control and content management of the Internet. Today we have to worry about our own elected officials pulling the same kind of “you-know-what”! Surely, much more to come . . . (db)

[Update 3/4/05] Regarding the comment to this post from Don Singleton who presents a former FEC head that is not so worried about this issue, I suggest you read today’s post by Mark Tapscott at Tapscott’s Copy Desk:

It is different now because, given the logic of the Court’s decision, regulation of political speech on the Internet is required if campaign finance reform is to be implemented as intended by its backers. That’s the point of the U.S. District Court decision last fall and it is why this battle must be fought.

Also, the comment left to Singleton’s post by Karl Mayer,

“Whether they do it now or later, the FEC will regulate blog speech or Congress will do it for them. Why? Because they can. And the Supreme Court will let them do it. Unless we do something about the Supreme Court.”

is full of truth! Also check out La Shawn Barber for even more links and a concise explanation of the law. (db)

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 3rd, 2005 at 10:38 am and is filed under Focus On Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.  |   Print This Post  |   Email This Post

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