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Proposed FEC Rules Would Exempt Most Political Activity on Internet
Washington Post ^ | March 25, 2006 | Zachary A. Goldfarb and Thomas B. Edsall

Posted on 3/25/2006, 9:44:56 PM by West Coast Conservative

The Federal Election Commission last night released proposed new rules that leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated except for the purchase of campaign ads on Web sites.

"My key goal in this rule-making has been to make sure that the commission establish clear rules to exempt individuals who engage in online politics from campaign finance laws," said Chairman Michael E. Toner, a Republican.

"We tried to craft a regulation that would allow the maximum amount of freedom for people as possible," said Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democrat.

Most bloggers, individual Web users, and such Web sites as Drudge Report and Salon.com are exempted from regulation and will be free to support and attack federal candidates, much as newspapers are allowed.

For the most part, leading advocates of the blogger community welcomed the proposed rules.

"As a whole, these are rules that I think those who have been fighting regulations are going to be cheering," said Richard L. Hasen, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, who runs the Election Law blog. The rules provide "broad exemptions for most political activity on the Internet, and expand the media exemption to the Internet," he said.

Hasen and others noted that as technology advances, the regulations will have to be modified.

In particular, Hasen said, "as the Internet and TV converge, the FEC or Congress will eventually need to rethink these rules to see if they make sense."

"Generally, it's in line with what I think bloggers ask for," said Jerome Armstrong, the founder of the liberal blog MyDD, an adviser to the Howard Dean for president campaign in 2004 and currently an adviser to former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner's political action committee. "They give bloggers the media exemption."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: blog; election; fec; internet; media; weblogs
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1 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:44:59 PM by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative

We still need a law. The FEC, McCain, Feingold and a future fascist President like Hillary cannot be trusted to maintain this approach.


2 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:46:01 PM by muawiyah (-)
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To: West Coast Conservative; Jim Robinson
Does this mean we can continue to chatter?
3 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:48:00 PM by Not now, Not ever! (This tag-line is temporarily closed for remodeling)
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To: West Coast Conservative; freepatriot32; eyespysomething
"We tried to craft a regulation that would allow the maximum amount of freedom for people as possible," said Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democrat.

Well wasn't that gracious of them, trying to allow the maximum amount of freedom? I'm sure for these [FreeRepublic's rules of decency have required the next four words be redacted] government so-and-so's it was quite a challenge trying to allow freedom.

4 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:48:26 PM by SittinYonder (That's how I saw it, and see it still.)
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To: West Coast Conservative
The Federal Election Commission last night released proposed new rules that leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated except for the purchase of campaign ads on Web sites.

I still can't figure what political activity cries out for regulation.

5 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:49:18 PM by stevem
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To: Not now, Not ever!
Does this mean we can will, would anyway continue to chatter?
6 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:50:53 PM by maine-iac7 ("...BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME." Lincoln)
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To: West Coast Conservative

McCain and hClinton will have to try another approach to get a gatekeeper for the Internet.

Both saw the damage it inflicted on Kerry's campaign. Neither want that to happen to them.

Don't be surprised to see an attempt to create some Internet Control Commission in the near future. Imagine how much hClinton would love for someone like Jamie Gorelick to be in charge of it. [The Clintons do owe Gorelick bigtime for her deflecting the 9-11 Commission results away from the Clintons.]


7 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:50:56 PM by TomGuy
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To: maine-iac7

True, But chatter on Jim Rob's website?


8 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:52:40 PM by Not now, Not ever! (This tag-line is temporarily closed for remodeling)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Its still fascist. Their attitude is freedom is a privilege they'll let us keep for now. NO! I REJECT THESE REGULATIONS AND OUR GOVERNMENT KEEPS ITS FILTHY HANDS OFF THE INTERNET! NO REGULATION!!!

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

9 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:56:59 PM by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: TomGuy
Don't be surprised to see an attempt to create some Internet Control Commission in the near future

their goal, along with Kerry, if to get the Internet under the control of the UN - and the UN already has it's ducks in a row to tax the Internet....

Just saw a great poll result on Fox - Heretofore, the poles have been how Hitlery will be the runaway candidate. That,however, is only for the democratic primary. This poll show that against either McChicken of Rudy - it's about 52 to 38 with her on the low side. Betcha she's hub-bubbing with her strategists as we speak......

10 posted on 3/25/2006, 9:59:44 PM by maine-iac7 ("...BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME." Lincoln)
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To: SittinYonder
Our government is full of horsesh*t. Yeah, I told Jim Robinson an expletive but when it comes to American rights, I'm not inclined to be tolerant of government encroachment upon them. That's how dictatorships are born... it takes a little at a time until all our freedom is gone. Well, that's not the country our forebears fought to establish. GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH. And in the absence of the former, I demand the latter.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

11 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:00:35 PM by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: West Coast Conservative; Jim Robinson; weegee; Acts 2:38; CDHart; Howlin; bert; rightinthemiddle; ..
TRANSLATION:

FEC efforts so far would only encroach 'just a little' on your First Amendment freedoms.

And if you Americans don't swat this down hard, the Free Speech Terminator says,

I'lllllll be BACK!

12 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:09:00 PM by The Spirit Of Allegiance (SAVE THE BRAINFOREST! Boycott the RED Dead Tree Media & NUKE the DNC Class Action Temper Tantrum!)
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To: TomGuy

"McCain and hClinton will have to try another approach to get a gatekeeper for the Internet."


IMO, we're now untouchable. (Until '08 or so, anyway.)

The last thing the FEC, McCain, Witchilly or any so-called progressive inside the Beltway wants now is the slightest excuse to revisit ANY provision or regulation involved with McF. They've managed to get FR, DU, Kos and half the bloggers on earth up in arms (and on the same side, no less) by that little bit of noodling around by the FEC, and if they passed a law or restrictive regulation, the whole bunch of us would have them before the good Justice Roberts in half a heartbeat.

Want to place any bets on how long McF would last before THIS court, with or without restrictions on internet free speech?


13 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:09:32 PM by Unrepentant VN Vet ("Antique" MSM infers some remaining functionality; IMO they're the zombie media.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

I must admit that I haven't been following this issue very closely.The proposal doesn't appear that it will affect sites like FR or FrontpageMag.com,but the cynic in me says this could just be a means of regulators/polititians getting a foot in the door.Am i over reacting?


14 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:12:01 PM by Thombo2
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Add note: Should we start a Legal Fund just in case? Or just ask for lawyers on the net to do this Pro Bono?


15 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:13:48 PM by Unrepentant VN Vet ("Antique" MSM infers some remaining functionality; IMO they're the zombie media.)
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To: Thombo2
YES! I don't understand why people are cheering this. This establishes the principle the Internet CAN be regulated by the government. The rest is simply a matter of filling in the details. So for now, the FEC isn't regulating freedom of speech to get bloggers and the New Media to drop their resistance to regulation of the Internet. But when the CFR proponents think its politically propitious to silence us, they'll go ahead and do it. This is really an empty victory.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

16 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:19:25 PM by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: West Coast Conservative

Hey, look at that. It's a camel's nose in our tent.


17 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:20:29 PM by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: Unrepentant VN Vet
Its not just in case. Think about the anti-smoking crusade. Do you really think they'll stop with campaign financing? Then you're too stupid - all of you who acquiesce in these FEC rules - are too stupid to live in a free country. He who gives up his freedom lightly doesn't deserve the gift of freedom.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

18 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:21:50 PM by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: West Coast Conservative

btt


19 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:22:35 PM by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: advance_copy
Amen. Just wait til the camel appears inside our tent.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

20 posted on 3/25/2006, 10:22:49 PM by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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