Posted on 07/23/2007 6:30:32 PM PDT by indigo5
A complaint was filed against the Daily Kos for violating federal election rules. The filer writers on the story over at BC Magazine.:
Federal Election Commission rules apply for organizations that spend or contribute an equivalent of $1,000 per year in trying to influence elections for federal office. DailyKos is owned by Kos Media, a company, which makes it fit the definition of an organization. It surely spends at least $1,000 per year in hosting and based on what they charge (and get) for advertising, their support of candidates is certainly worth over $1,000 per year. Lastly, their self-identified purpose is to influence elections in the Democrats favor. They fit the criteria.Some will argue that this is a slippery slope that will snare all bloggers. First, most bloggers aren't organizations. Second, most bloggers are read by like 3 people and their posts are certainly not worth $1,000. Third, most bloggers don't exist for the primary purpose of electing certain people to federal office.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogcritics.org ...
The pukes at DailyKos imagine that in an emergency they might be able to steal some guns ~ but they would be wrong.
That's because the people over there are unable to think far into the future so they are unprepared for it.
They are now down to having FreeRepublic fight their freespeech battles for them and they don't even know about it.
Too much dope and too many skin diseases will do that to you.
People here often don’t understand how I can see any good in the ACLU - after all they are a major force for suppression of religious rights.
But they do take some tough, thankless and important cases.
Like free speech for vile people or the right to assemble for neo-nazis or protections against police brutality in world where people want crime stopped.
And this is one of those cases. If they can shut down the offensive anti-American web sites on the grounds they won’t stop there. So while I’m sure it pains them to do so, I bet the majority of Freepers see the need to protect rights of even the Daily KOS.
Not even close. No where does FR claim to be a shill for the Republican Party -- it only claims to support conservative causes. Here is FR's goals as stated on the site:
Free Republic is the premier online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America. And we always have fun doing it. Hoo-yah!And by contrast here is the KOS statement:
This is a Democratic blog, a partisan blog. One that recognizes that Democrats run from left to right on the ideological spectrum, and yet we're all still in this fight together. We happily embrace centrists like NDN's Simon Rosenberg and Howard Dean, conservatives like Martin Frost and Brad Carson, and liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama. Liberal? Yeah, we're around here and we're proud. But it's not a liberal blog. It's a Democratic blog with one goal in mind: electoral victory.See the difference?
HELL NO!!!! Leave the left wingers AND the right wingers alone!
If the only time McCain-Feingold is challenged in court is when it is used to shut down conservative speech McCain-Feingold will never be overturned, but if it is used to challenge the seft-annoited pretty boy of the left, then it has a far batter chance of being thrown out as the courts are controlled by the left.
I agree.Tho we can hope for a fair ruling in SCOTUS, since only four of the five justices who upheld McCain in McConnell v. FEC (and three of the four who dissented from it) still sit.
But other than the risk of an adverse ruling from SCOTUS, there is a danger in a DailyKos v. FEC contest. What if DailyKos simply rolls over? That would put FR, and probably Talk Radio, in mortal peril. Bush should never have signed on to this turkey!
The Kos is paid to favor certain candidates so they are not exactly innocent.
FR does not say “pay us or we will go against you.”
Kos actually extorts money from political campaigns.
The thing to me, is does one support the enforcement of laws?
If not, fine, but be clear, that gives anyone the right to ignore the law of their choosing.
If one supports the enforcent of Laws, like immigration etc, then why not the Laws relating to political campaigning. To say it should not apply beacause it might conceivably be applied to FR is wrong.
The DU board rules state:
“Who We Are: Democratic Underground is an online community for Democrats and other progressives. Members are expected to be generally supportive of progressive ideals, and to support Democratic candidates for political office. Democratic Underground is not affiliated with the Democratic Party, and comments posted here are not representative of the Democratic Party or its candidates.”
Clearly they are an organisation that supports the Democratic Party candidates for political office.
Sedition and treason are absolutely not free speech.
And while much may be considered parody/satire, any *bona fide* suborning or solicitation to murder/assassinate is not a conscionable exercise by the moral people to which the Constitution was intended to apply, nor should it be *tolerated*.
At first I didn’t support the action of the FEC, but now I realize why DK is subject to it. We raise money here at FR to run the site and promote the site. DK is a CONDUIT directly to the DNC coffers. It’s like those union run sites that call themselves things like “Americans for Change” but are really donation sites to directly aid democrat candidates and to directly DAMAGE republican candidates. To the best of my knowledge Jim Robinson isn’t using this site as an RNC fundraiser.
” Except FR doesn’t hold official campaign events for candidates and congressional leaders. “
That won’t hold the b*st*rds back once they have a law they can use as a battering ram.
“Should the DailyKos be Subject to the Federal Election Commission?”
The hellfires of d*mnation, maybe, but Federal regulation? NO.
“the best campaign finance law is the First Amendment.” - Senator Mitch McConnell during his valiant efforts to stop McCain-Feingold.
“What if DailyKos simply rolls over? “ Ha, if they do, they lose all credibility and seal their own doom.
>>Sedition and treason are absolutely not free speech.
And while much may be considered parody/satire, any *bona fide* suborning or solicitation to murder/assassinate is not a conscionable exercise by the moral people to which the Constitution was intended to apply, nor should it be *tolerated*.<<
If KOS is organizing an armed insurrection against the United States or they are helping a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure America that would not be covered under free speech and would change my position - we can prosecute those trying to overthrow the government by force -sanctions should be the least of their worries.
That said, Americans must be given wide latitude to criticize their government. It is our right and, ironically, one of the strengths of the country.
Its also worth remembering the Pelosis and McCain’s of the world trying to shut down conservative radio, blogs and message boards - we need to be on guard against such efforts.
There's anything but a uniformity on who Freepers generally will support. Anyone who has been around for various election cycles (I've seen five here at FR) knows the battles that can rage over ballot issues and candidates alike.
Once it is naked and on display in a court, the Sun will melt it down into a puddle on the floor. It will not stand. McCain - Feingold would fly in Russia or China, but not in the USA.
What if DailyKos simply rolls over?Ha, if they do, they lose all credibility and seal their own doom
. . . but if DailyKos could take FR and talk radio down with them, it would be a terrible trade for us. In addition to being a body blow to the First Amendment.I can't see lower court judges, even or especially liberal ones, finding against McCain-Feingold and McConnell v. FEC. Not even judges who sympathize with DailyKos. The best case would be for DailyKos to quickly win an appeal to SCOTUS - and the worst case would be for DailyKos to roll over, get a slap on the wrist, and leave McCain in place and "validated."
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