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Bloggers push politics aside in fight against FEC
Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | March 19, 2006 | John Reinan

Posted on 03/20/2006 2:44:50 AM PST by RWR8189

This might be the first time Freepers and Kossacks have agreed on anything. From the conservative website Free Republic to the liberal Daily Kos, Internet users of all ideologies are uniting in opposition to federal regulation of political blogs.

As early as this afternoon, the Federal Election Commission will publish regulations that, for the first time, could put limits on what bloggers can do and say in support of political candidates.

The FEC is trying to define the line between offering political opinions and operating as part of a political campaign. The full commission is expected to vote Thursday on the regulations.

Meanwhile, Congress is considering two separate bills aimed at a similar goal: clarifying the role of bloggers in delivering political messages and using the Internet as a fundraising tool.

At issue is the growing power of the Internet, which has allowed activists to promote candidates and raise money for them without the kind of rules that long have governed similar activities by political parties, individual campaigns and traditional contributors.

The Internet has been exempt from campaign finance regulations. Last year, however, a federal court ruled that the Internet could no longer be excluded.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Free Republic; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 109th; 1stamendment; 2006election; 2008election; blogs; campaignfinance; censorship; election2006; election2008; electionlaws; fec; firstamendment; fr; freepers; freerepublic; frinthenews; internet; redstarguardian; shutusdown; thoughtcrime; unconstitutional; website
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To: chris1

I have nothing but contempt for McCain.


41 posted on 03/20/2006 7:08:54 AM PST by sauropod ("War is the Devil's way of teaching Americans geography" - Ambrose Bierce)
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To: sauropod

Look at what McLame tried to do to MMA cause he is a shill for boxing.

The more you look at this guy and what he does, the worse he is.


42 posted on 03/20/2006 7:14:54 AM PST by chris1
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To: khreshnan

Do you realize how embarassing you are? Please, stop while you are ahead.


43 posted on 03/20/2006 7:17:29 AM PST by chris1
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To: khreshnan

Do you support McCain/Keenedy immigration scamnesty?


44 posted on 03/20/2006 7:18:19 AM PST by chris1
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To: DustyMoment
Well, neither is anyone here. Still, the rules of CFR appply during election cycles. Plan on it.

We aren't even bloggers. FR is a message board. How do the rules of CFR apply to FR?

45 posted on 03/20/2006 7:27:26 AM PST by 6ppc
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To: 6ppc

Don't you love how the shills for these politicans show up and get smacked down? I can't believe someone would degrade themselves to such a point.


46 posted on 03/20/2006 7:29:28 AM PST by chris1
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To: khreshnan

No responses yet???????????????

And don't even try to scare me with Hillary.


47 posted on 03/20/2006 7:34:53 AM PST by chris1
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Another reason W can be accused of being an absentee president. McC-F should've met his veto pen.

.Does he have one???????

48 posted on 03/20/2006 8:32:22 AM PST by ibheath (Born again and grateful to God.)
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To: ibheath

I think the Clintons stole it on the way out.


49 posted on 03/20/2006 8:36:17 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: khreshnan

Mclame is NOT the best choice for the GOP in 08. That Maggot violated the very oath of office he took as a Senator AND as a Military Officer.

I wouldn't vote for that pig for goat catcher.

Let him and his butt buddy Feingold be retired to the dustbin of history.

There is NOTHING in the CFR that is constitutional. Never has been and never will be.

If he's the chosen for the GOP in 08, I know alot of people who will stay home. Don't even try this BS about "oh then you want to vote for Hillary". It's old and doesn't hold weight, plus I see zero difference between that Lying SOB and Her Hiney Clinton.


50 posted on 03/20/2006 8:41:31 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.)
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To: DustyMoment

"If you feel strongly enough about it, start letting your Congresscritter know. But, remember, that the Congresscritters ignored the public when it came to passing or voting down CFR. Bush, acknowledging that it was unConstitutional, signed it anyway. The SCOTUS failed to address the Constitutional issues surrounding CFR and refused to hear the case. Freedom, the Constitution, and the voters lost big on this issue."

My congress critter is Tom Allen from Maine. After 8 years of doing nothing at all but voting the party line, he has bestirred himself to sponsor these restrictions.

The real way to beat it is to keep appointing real judges and to rely on off shore hosting and legal loopholes. I would further expect blogs to go underground. If one can have outlaw radio stations, one can surely create and hide outlaw political sites on the worldwide web.

Beat the Gestapo in court and remember, we have McCain and bad judges to blame for this.


51 posted on 03/20/2006 8:54:19 AM PST by Jim Verdolini (We had it all, but the RINOs stalked the land and everything they touched was as dung and ashes!)
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To: chris1
We aren't even bloggers. FR is a message board. How do the rules of CFR apply to FR

Because they want them to! That's the point!

'Pod.

52 posted on 03/20/2006 8:55:46 AM PST by sauropod ("War is the Devil's way of teaching Americans geography" - Ambrose Bierce)
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To: RWR8189
Reformers also are concerned about situations in which bloggers are paid to advocate a certain point of view, but don't reveal it to their readers, Hasen said.

...a group of [paid] bloggers backing U.S. Senate candidate John Thune, a Republican, relentlessly attacked incumbent Democrat Tom Daschle.

"I want to know that when I'm reading the post," [Richard] Hasen[, a professor of election law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles] said.

Fine... Then regulate pro-bloggers; not everyone else. Of course, it will all be meaningless when the servers move to Tahiti and the mods are all wearing Hawaiian shirts and drinking out of coconut shells. Piña Coladas, anyone? A Mai Tai?

53 posted on 03/20/2006 9:16:45 AM PST by Redcloak (<--- Not always a people person.)
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To: sauropod

Wednesday, March 15, 2006


The U.S. House of Representatives will vote, as early as Thursday, on legislation introduced by Texas Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Ron Paul. This bill (H.R. 1606) will exempt the Internet from regulation under federal "electioneering" laws.


Unless the Hensarling-Paul bill is successful, many major blogs and web sites could be shut down for 60 days before any general election -- and for 30 days prior to any primary -- making it much more difficult for groups like Gun Owners of America to criticize anti-gun candidates.


54 posted on 03/20/2006 9:17:51 AM PST by mware (A teacher of geography.)
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To: Redcloak

The Bushes, McCains, Doles, Clintons, Reids, Pelosis, et all, would like nothing better than to shut us up, both right and left.


55 posted on 03/20/2006 9:17:59 AM PST by chris1
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To: RWR8189

I have three words for the FEC: Make our day.


56 posted on 03/20/2006 9:18:48 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: mware

Disgusting.


57 posted on 03/20/2006 9:20:22 AM PST by chris1
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To: mware
H.R. 1606: Online Freedom of Speech Act. Below are the tracked events matching these monitors.

The next meeting of the Senate is Mar 27, 2006;

the House next meets Mar 28, 2006.

Mar 13, 2006 - Bill Action H.R. 1606: Online Freedom of Speech Act Failed House. To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to exclude communications over the Internet from the definition of public communication.

Roll Call:

Failed 225/182,

26 not voting.

82% of Republicans supporting,

76% of Democrats opposing.

We need to get moving on this issue, NOW.

58 posted on 03/20/2006 9:23:27 AM PST by mware (A teacher of geography.)
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To: khreshnan
LOL.

Why doesn't it surprise me that a wackjob like you would be on the McCain bandwagon?

I hate to break this to you, but outside of New England there aren't many people eager to see a McCain presidency.

Go back to the 2000 Republican primaries and tell me how you envision him winning a race against any well-funded conservative Republican.

59 posted on 03/20/2006 9:51:10 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham ("The moment that someone wants to forbid caricatures, that is the moment we publish them.")
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To: 6ppc
FR is a message board. How do the rules of CFR apply to FR?

It is widely recognized as a conservative political site. Call it what you like, it will not escape the FECs notice. CFR has tentacles that reach far and wide.

Here's a test question for you - What Constitutional Amendment gives federal agencies such as the IRS and the FEC the right to make regulations?
60 posted on 03/20/2006 10:34:35 AM PST by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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