Posted on 03/11/2005 4:21:51 PM PST by Jim Robinson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Internet bloggers should enjoy traditional press freedoms and not face regulation as political groups, lawmakers and online journalists said on Friday.
In separate letters, Democratic lawmakers and Internet commentators urged the Federal Election Commission to make sure that political Web sites that serve as focal points for political discussion, like Wonkette.com and Freerepublic.com, don't have to comply with campaign-finance rules.
"Curtailing blogs and other online publications will dampen the impact of new voices in the political process and will do a disservice to the millions of voters who rely on the Web for original, insightful political commentary," said the Online Coalition, a group of bloggers and online activists.
Fourteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives said blogs foster a welcome diversity of viewpoints.
"This 'democratization' of the media is a welcome development in this era of media consolidation and a corresponding lack of diversity of views in traditional media outlets," said the group, which consists of thirteen Democrats and one Republican.
The FEC ruled in 2002 that Internet activities do not count as "coordinated political activity" and thus don't have to comply with laws that regulate money in politics.
But a U.S. judge struck down that ruling as too broad last year, and the FEC is scheduled to consider it later this month.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I just googled "free republic." 19,600,000 entries. Jim, this has grown out of control!!!
Free Freeper Speech bump
Kennedy checking in with the Euro's again?
Yes and we rock, doug. :)
That shoud be "four hundred members."
The cowards.
Hehehhehe...Golly miss Molly I think we've just hit the jackpot! :)
Holy cow! It's alive, it's aliiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvve.
Say what? Jim are you a "member"? Anyone invite you to this party?
FReeper
add definition, add image, add sound
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1. Freeper
Right-wing political activist. So-called, because it is the nickname of the denizens of the ultra-right wing Web site FreeRepublic.com. Similar to "ditto-head."
Also spelled FReeper Bill thinks that anyone who opposes President Bush should be thrown in jail. He's a total Freeper.
Source: PW, Apr 8, 2004
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309 up, 94 down
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2. Freeper
someone who freeps a lot
to freep: fall asleep on the toilet in the middle of explosive diarea so your sit winds up touching your ass. Anti freeping medicine is available at your local farmacy in the hair products aisle. Dude last night i cought Joe freeping in the guys bathroom.
Source: satanlikessquirrels, Mar 7, 2005
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3 thumbs down
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3. Freeper
A member of the Free Republic internet forum. The term applies to both activist and non activist members.
The term was originally coined by Lucianne Goldberg in 1998 when she posted there under the posting name, "Trixie". The Freepers went to a rally.
See also: verb: to freep = activist activities -to participate in a demonstration, letter writing, petitions, polls etc. Expressed in the form, "Freep that poll" or "Freep that meeting" for example. Source: Freeper, Sep 17, 2004
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41 up, 62 down
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I would tend to think that congress critters would print things from FreeRepublic - not vice versa.
If the Republicans don't 1) start protecting our rights, instead of impinging on them, and 2) fulfill government's duty to the poor instead of spending like crazy and then eliminating bankruptcy and hitting programs that deal with the poorest of us.
Then I might just have a hard choice next election. It's hard to imagine ever voting for democrats with their support for abortions and gay marriage.
But the things the democrats are advocating however terrible for society as a whole are mostly individual responsibilities. They are things where government should lead and set a good example and the moral tone, but it's not government's primary role to do so.
The things the republicans are doing in the last couple of months are things that are shirking direct government responsibilities and/or misusing government authority.
I'm not to the point of thinking the 'rats are the lesser of two evils yet, but the repubs are quickly moving from a good to an evil.
Doug it is now up to 20,600,000 at google.
Here's the letter from the Online Coalition:
http://www.onlinecoalition.com/
March 11, 2005
The Honorable Scott E. Thomas
Chairman
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20463
Re: Upcoming FEC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking governing political activity on the internet
Dear Chairman Thomas,
We are concerned about the potential impact that Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly’s decision in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Shays v. FEC, 337 F. Supp. 2d 28 (D.D.C. 2004) and the FEC’s upcoming rulemaking process may have on political communication on the Internet.
One area of great concern is the potential regulation of bloggers and other online journalists who distribute political news and commentary exclusively over the web. While paid political advertising on the Internet should remain subject to FEC rules and regulations, curtailing blogs and other online publications will dampen the impact of new voices in the political process and will do a disservice to the millions of voters who rely on the web for original, insightful political commentary.
Under the current rules, “any news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication,” is exempt from reporting and coordination requirements. It is not clear, however, that the FEC’s “media exemption” provides sufficient protection for those of us in the online journalism community.
As bipartisan members of the online journalism, blogging, and advertising community, we ask that you grant blogs and online publications the same consideration and protection as broadcast media, newspapers, or periodicals by clearly including them under the Federal Election Commission’s “media exemption” rule.
In order to ensure that there are sufficient measures taken, we also request that the FEC promulgate a rule exempting unpaid political activity on the Internet from regulation, thereby guaranteeing every American’s right to speak freely and participate in our democratic process.
Finally, we ask that you clarify the rules and definitions related to “coordinated activity” to protect bloggers and journalists from running afoul of Commission rules regarding the republication of campaign materials.
The Internet is a fundamental tool in the American political process. Just this week, we learned that 75 million Americans used the Internet to gather news, read commentary, discuss issues, register to vote, and generally join in the democratic process during the last election cycle. We believe the Internet is the primary driving force behind increased participation among traditionally under-represented groups of voters, and we applaud the Federal Election Committee for crafting rules that have allowed the Internet to flourish as a political communications medium.
Like the town hall meeting, online political activism is a vital part of American civic life. We encourage the FEC to provide bloggers, online journalists, and everyday cyber-citizens with the same freedoms that individuals and traditional journalists are free to exercise elsewhere. The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 was intended to prevent unlimited soft money contributions and regulate electioneering advertising, not to stifle free speech or grassroots activities on the Internet that serve the common good.
Respectfully,
[signatures]
As John said in the original run of the Undead Thread, "What the?!"
*chuckle*
Nineteen million six hundred thousand entries.. That's alot of internet real estate.
Actually I take that back. Abortion, protecting the lives of the innocent, is very much a government responsibility.
Help!
5.56mm
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