FEC Rules Would Regulate Paid Internet Ads

AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/24/06 | AP - Washington

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - The Federal Election Commission proposed new rules Friday that would leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated.

The proposal would, however, require paid advertisements for federal candidates on the Internet to be paid for with money regulated by federal campaign law.

There has been an explosion of political activity on the Internet and political bloggers who offer diverse views say they should be free of government regulation.

In a summary of the proposal, the FEC said the rules "are intended to ensure that political committees properly finance and disclose their Internet communications, without impeding individual citizens from using the Internet to speak freely regarding candidates and elections."

The revised definition includes paid Internet advertising placed on another person's web site, but does not encompass any other form of Internet communications.

A recent federal court decision on campaign finance law held that the previous definition of "public communication" impermissibly excluded all Internet communications.

The federal court instructed the six-member FEC to draw up regulations that would extend the nation's campaign finance and spending limits to the Web.

[goldstategop]

I can damn well contribute to whoever I please and endorse whoever I want. The FEC can go take a hike.

(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.")

[antaresequity]

This is the camels nose under the tent...

Mark my words...this government will attempt to fully regulate, tax, restrict and control internet content, access and distribution in the coming years.

Given the apathetic nature of the 'ordinary' American citizen...this government will succeed in all of the above.

Trust me...

[CharlesWayneCT]

If you are going to have a law which regulates the money a candidate can use to buy an ad, that law should apply to paid internet ads.

Of course, there should be NO SUCH LAW, but given the law it's hard to see why a paid internet ad should be treated differently from a paid cable tv ad.

[cgk]

I'd bet this is a knee-jerk reaction to the CBS document scandal. FReepers outed them as fakes, and that was right before an election, was it not? That 60 day rule we heard about would've applied had this stinker passed the way they'd like.

[gondramB]

"I can damn well contribute to whoever I please and endorse whoever I want. The FEC can go take a hike. "

Has the supreme court ever addressed the constitutionality of the individual contribution limits? It would seem like those issues are linked.

[Howlin]

September the 8th.

And they rushed to get it on the air that night.

[I got the rope]

They ignored it.

[gondramB]

"They ignored it."

The balance of the court is different. It basically comes down to the question of whether spending money is a form of speech.

[EternalVigilance]

Restore First Amendment free political speech:

Remove all regs and donation limits.

Congress has no right to tell the sovereign citizens of the United States, their employers, how to spend their money, what to say or when.

[HAL9000]

Remove all regs and donation limits.

Here is my proposal for campaign finance reform -

Candidates can accept direct contributions in any amount - but only from registered voters in their district. Candidates must disclose contributions and expenditures promptly.

Everything else is unregulated.

[philetus]

Seat belt laws will never be used as probable cause.

[cgk]

Yep. Election day was Nov. 6th... If they had a 60 day rule in effect in 2004 for "bloggers", CBS might not've been busted. Too creepy.

[cgk]

I suppose I could move to KS and OK when Brownback and Coburn are up for re-election. ;) Unless of course they're running for President, than I suppose all contributions from the whole USA would be okay.

[tcrlaf]

I'd say it's more in response to Dean's payoffs to KOS and other supposed "Independent" bloggers during 2004.....

[kingu]

The proposal would, however, require paid advertisements for federal candidates on the Internet to be paid for with money regulated by federal campaign law.

Paid advertisements is what the FEC reasonably extended the rules to cover as per a court order. If the law covers a paid ad in a newspaper, it should also cover a paid ad on the Internet, or at least that is their reasoning.

Strikes me as a very good compromise to a very stupid law.

Note it wouldn't have affected the uncovering of CBS's attempts to scam the American people; but it would have affected the billion Kerry ads that individuals put forward through google.com (while at the same time denying Bush ads.)

[Sun]

Limiting free speech is unconstitutional.

[conservative in nyc]

I'd bet this is a knee-jerk reaction to the CBS document scandal. FReepers outed them as fakes, and that was right before an election, was it not? That 60 day rule we heard about would've applied had this stinker passed the way they'd like.

Doubtful. The (unconstitutional) McCain-Feingold law was passed in 2002. The FEC came out with its original regulations on McCain Feingold (including those excluding Internet communications from the definition "public communication") in 2002 and 2003. The Shays suit made its way through the federal courts from 2003 to 2005.

The 60-day rule doesn't use the phrase "public communication". It only applies to "electioneering communications", which ONLY include "broadcast, cable or satellite communications" and nothing else, like Internet communications. I don't think the 60-day rule was ever intended to apply to the Internet, despite what recent reports have said.

[Buckhead]

No, it's an incumbent protection scam masquerading as an anti-corruption measure.

[fantom]

Truly a confederacy of swine.