Friday, March 18, 2005
Campaign Finance Reform and Internet Freedom
My previous post on buying campaign finance reform discussed the way "Big Money"lobbied to pass the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), which didn't keep money out of campaigns, but did restrict the 1st Amendment rights of citizen groups to speak prior to elections. A recent court case is pushing the FEC to examine and possibly extend that Act's restrictions to blogs and other internet expressions of political speech. It has caused quite an uproar among bloggers and , perhaps, some positive results.
Capt. Ed posts from his Captain's Quarters Blog that "Bloggers Have Been Heard", noting recent actions by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) :
"Reid shows the first sign that the Senate may have heard the outcry from the blogosphere about the BCRA, the FEC capitulation on Shays, Meehan v. FEC, and the coming limitations on blogging." Citing " a bill which Reid introduced to the Senate which exempts Internet communications from FEC regulation altogether:
Paragraph 22 of section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(22)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 'Such term shall not include communications over the Internet.'
Expect a howl to arise from the people who have paid good money -- lots of it -- to ensure that campaign finance and speech limits get applied to everyone except the Exempt Media. However, with Reid pushing the bill, it may have a good chance of passing the Senate, especially if enough GOP senators sign on. Get the word out to your Senators as soon as possible to support this bill.
Reid has also written to Scott Thomas, chairman of the FEC, telling him that legislation affecting bloggers will not be received with favor by Congress:
Regulation of the Internet at this time, with its blogs and other novel features, would blunt its tremendous potential, discourage broad political involvement in our nation and diminish our representative democracy.
While I have a quibble with the qualifying phrase 'at this time' -- as if it would be better to wait a while longer -- his accompanying legislation demonstrates his sincerity in addressing the issue. Harry Reid deserves our thanks for acting to protect free speech and open political debate on the Internet.
Don't forget to join the Online Coalition, ( You can sign the The Online Coalition :: Letter to the FEC. here.) whether you blog or just read blogs. Supporters of free speech across the political spectrum have joined by the thousands -- add your voice to those who refused to be silenced."
The above is a long copy from another blog, but it is well said. I've signed the coalition letter and recommend it to others. Also, for those who care to write their Senator or Representative, there are draft letters available at PHILIPPICS ; who notes that this is only a proposal for action and not yet a bill.
Capt. Ed posts from his Captain's Quarters Blog that "Bloggers Have Been Heard", noting recent actions by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) :
"Reid shows the first sign that the Senate may have heard the outcry from the blogosphere about the BCRA, the FEC capitulation on Shays, Meehan v. FEC, and the coming limitations on blogging." Citing " a bill which Reid introduced to the Senate which exempts Internet communications from FEC regulation altogether:
Paragraph 22 of section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(22)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 'Such term shall not include communications over the Internet.'
Expect a howl to arise from the people who have paid good money -- lots of it -- to ensure that campaign finance and speech limits get applied to everyone except the Exempt Media. However, with Reid pushing the bill, it may have a good chance of passing the Senate, especially if enough GOP senators sign on. Get the word out to your Senators as soon as possible to support this bill.
Reid has also written to Scott Thomas, chairman of the FEC, telling him that legislation affecting bloggers will not be received with favor by Congress:
Regulation of the Internet at this time, with its blogs and other novel features, would blunt its tremendous potential, discourage broad political involvement in our nation and diminish our representative democracy.
While I have a quibble with the qualifying phrase 'at this time' -- as if it would be better to wait a while longer -- his accompanying legislation demonstrates his sincerity in addressing the issue. Harry Reid deserves our thanks for acting to protect free speech and open political debate on the Internet.
Don't forget to join the Online Coalition, ( You can sign the The Online Coalition :: Letter to the FEC. here.) whether you blog or just read blogs. Supporters of free speech across the political spectrum have joined by the thousands -- add your voice to those who refused to be silenced."
The above is a long copy from another blog, but it is well said. I've signed the coalition letter and recommend it to others. Also, for those who care to write their Senator or Representative, there are draft letters available at PHILIPPICS ; who notes that this is only a proposal for action and not yet a bill.
