Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Posted on 03/23/2005 2:21:55 AM PST by The Raven
When it comes to the law of unintended consequences, the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance "reform" is rapidly becoming a legal phenomenon. The latest example comes courtesy of the Federal Election Commission, where officials are being asked to extend the law to the very people it is supposed to empower: individual citizens.
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The problem facing the FEC is that McCain-Feingold broadly restricts coordination with, and contributions to, political candidates. So what is the agency to do with all those people who use their Web sites to praise a candidate? Computers and Web access cost money, which could be construed as a financial contribution to a campaign. Ditto bloggers who link to politicians' Web sites, or any individual who forwards a candidate's press release to a list of buddies. All this is to say nothing of blogs that are affiliated with political campaigns and coordinate their activities.
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An idea kicking around the FEC a few years ago would require government to calculate the percentage of individuals' electricity bills that went toward political advocacy (we aren't joking). Another alternative would be to classify all bloggers as journalists, seeing as how the press is about the only entity exempt from McCain-Feingold. As much we enjoy our profession, we think a nation of journalists is overkill.
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(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
I like how they try to spin it as unintended consequences. As if all the people who went along with that bill.. didn't know exactly what it would be used for in the future.
1984, here we come.
They'll try but it ain't going to work.
Who the hell are they kidding? Unintended, My a$$! M/F CFR was intended from the very beginning to be an "incumbant protection act," one that insulated the MSM, and would put roadblocks up against any sort of alternate media or news sources. It's only because of the funding behind Fox News that they can be somewhat protected by their standing as a part of "the press," but as we've seen over and over again, FNS has been demonized as a right wing propaganda outless.
No, McCain and Feingold, and the rest of the congresscritters who voted for it knew exactly what they were getting. And notice it left loopholes for a$$holes like Soros to pour millions of dollars into campaigning for his buddies.
Mark
"McCain and Feingold, and the rest of the congresscritters who voted for it knew exactly what they were getting."
Don't forget our president!
He could have vetoed it!
They can have my keyboard when they pry it from my pained, arthritic fingers.
Speaking of dumb as a sack of hammers, who the heck keyworded this with "the" and "to"?
Laughed at that so hard my face went blue.
I'm gonna add 'is' in a sec.
< insert evil grin here >
"As much we enjoy our profession, we think a nation of journalists is overkill."
Why? The MSM always seems to believe that they are so special. What makes them any more special than any other group? The web has leveled the playing field, and they refuse to believe it. If the FEC doesn't recognize bloggers as journalists, they are inviting the public to completely ignore the law just as their download bans did.
Of course, as usual, the secret government plan is to illegalize daily life, so that the police can arrest anyone anytime for some stupid minor infraction. /tinfoil moment...maybe.
bump
Actually, this isn't so surprising after all...
Unintended? Equine feces. Soros, Pew, et al. knew exactly what they were doing.
Yeah, I remember that being said during the McCain-Feingold debate. I even remember that the president said he wouldn't sign it if it didn't contain certain features.
They passed it. The lying SOB signed it. Or maybe he just couldn't find his freaking veto pen.
If you trust any of them, you're crazy.
If we let this pass . . . . . Well, let's just see that it doesn't pass. Anyone who pushes or supports this -- even to shut down the a**holes like Moveon.org -- should be tarred and feathered.
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