Posted on 03/28/2006 9:36:20 AM PST by neverdem
www.gunowners.org
Mar 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Gun Owners of America alerted you a couple of weeks ago to legislation -- introduced by Texas Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Ron Paul -- that will exempt the Internet from regulation under federal "electioneering" laws.
The bill, H.R. 1606, was supposed to come to a vote on March 16, but it was inexplicably pulled from the House calendar. The good news is that bill is now back on the calendar, and it is scheduled for a vote as early as Wednesday.
Unless the Hensarling-Paul bill is enacted, 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.
These regulations have resulted from two court opinions that followed the passage of the Incumbent Protection Act -- a law sponsored by Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold. One opinion upheld the McCain-Feingold law almost in its entirely [McConnell v. FEC]. In the other -- Shays v. Federal Election Commission -- judges ordered the Federal Election Commission to regulate the Internet.
The FEC is still mightily fighting the court to minimize the regulation of the Internet. But who knows if they will prevail, or if a future administration will take a much different view. This is why H.R. 1606 is so important.
The danger, as it stands now, is that if Hensarling and Paul are unsuccessful in exempting the Internet from FEC regulation, many major blogs and web sites could one day be construed to be engaged in "electioneering communications" because they praise or criticize candidates. And, if this happens, they could be shut down for 60 days prior to an election -- or, at least, subject to a "gag rule" on what they are allowed to say.
ACTION:
1. Contact your congressman. Ask him to vote for H.R. 1606, a bill to exempt the Internet from McCain-Feingold.
You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representative a pre-written e-mail message such as the one below.
2. Take action and then please forward this alert to your pro-gun friends and family!
Dear Representative:
The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on H.R. 1606, a bill by introduced by Texas Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Ron Paul to exempt the Internet from regulation under federal “electioneering” laws.
Unless the Hensarling-Paul bill is enacted, 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.
Please support H.R. 1606. Thank you.
Sincerely,
*****************************
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Why does everyone hail that as good news??? Eventhough the FEC gods allowed us some 1st Amendment rights, the proposed rule still tramples on first amendment rights of those who wish to advertize their views. It was not a victory, it was another hit to the first Amendment, just not as big as some feared it would be.
Different topic, but that crap in the Senate isn't likely to fly in the House, not with poll numbers like these. Polls: Public Concerned About Immigration
IIRC, that was the minimum which was directed by a judge's ruling. That's why we need Ron Paul's bill made into law until McCain's abomination can be overturned.
"We tried to craft a regulation that would allow the maximum amount of freedom for people as possible," said Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democrat.
Our Republican City Committee had a table at the Chamber of Commerce Breakjfast this morning. All McCain talk pointed to kicking his A$$ in the primaries.
Appeals Court rules against McDermott in taped call dispute
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Pass the bill. Once they get their regulatory nose into the Internet there is NO reason they cannot simply later change the rules. PASS 1606 NOW!
Just nailed it. Mega dittos!
Thanks.
We are live in New York..
http://www.newyorkcoalition.org/
Thanks for the link!
BTTT
I have a little different perspective. If everyone is P.O.ed about immigration, one of the leaks in the dyke is the web. Inhibiting free speech on the web OR in campaigns, i.e., trampling 1st Amendment rights in an act of treason, is a major way to plug that leak. Methinks not many representatives will want to do away with that plug.
Please pass it around.
We just went live, press conference in Albany, Manhattan and Buffalo coming Monday?
I certainly agree that CFR in all its manifestations is treason. There is no such thing as "some free speech" or "regulated free speech." It's time people started to wrap their minds around the fact that Washington is progressively nullifying the Constitution.
Yes, they are accelerating. I really like your tag line.
Once again we have McCain leading the Sell America Out Now crowd.
Note, it's the Senate supporting him, NOT the Congress.
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