Posted on 10/24/2014 5:13:16 PM PDT by knak
In a surprise move late Friday, a key Democrat on the Federal Election Commission called for burdensome new rules on internet-based campaigning, prompting the Republican chairman to warn that the left wants to regulate conservative political sites and even news outlets like the Drudge Report.
Democratic FEC Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel announced plans to begin the process to win regulations on internet-based campaigns and videos, currently free from most of the FEC’s rules. “A reexamination of the commission’s approach to the internet and other emerging technologies is long over due,” she said.
The powerplay followed a deadlocked 3-3 vote on whether an Ohio anti-Obama internet campaign featuring two videos violated FEC rules when it did not report its finances or offer a disclosure on the ads. The ads were placed for free on YouTube and were not paid advertising.
Under a 2006 FEC rule, free political videos and advocacy sites have been free of regulation in a bid to boost voter participation in politics. Only internet videos that are placed for a fee on websites, such as the Washington Examiner, are regulated just like normal TV ads.
Ravel’s statement suggests that she would regulate right-leaning groups like America Rising that posts anti-Democrat YouTubes on its website.
FEC Chairman Lee E. Goodman, a Republican, said if regulation extends that far, then anybody who writes a political blog, runs a politically active news site or even chat room could be regulated. He added that funny internet campaigns like “Obama Girl,” shown above, and “Jib Jab” would also face regulations.
“I told you this was coming,” he told Secrets. Earlier this year he warned that Democrats on the panel were gunning for conservative internet sites like the Drudge Report.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
The “takeover” is in full acceleration mode now.
Fascist Friday. Doesn’t have much of ring to it.
Just putting it out there that the enemy of the people are the conservatives. Short attention spans, less than two weeks to the election. Add in a few shootings. Rinse and repeat.
Tru dat ;-)
Can we regulate NPR and the Huffington site? j/k
THIS is why Monica was bloviating the other day.
Now that we’ve decided to downgrade to banana republic style elections, why the hell do we even need a Federal Elections Commission? What a waste of taxpayer dollars. This money could be used to build more “schools” and pay for a fourth meal of the day and warm milk and cookies before bedtime for every “student”!
But this can’t be. I thought only evil Republicans wanted to strip away free speech?
This just underscores the fact that they are up to no good. If they didn't think they were doing something controversial, they'd have done it during the normal news cycle.
“In a surprise move...”
Anti free speech moves by a democrat? Is that really a surprise?
Boy tell me a lot this President has reallyyyyyy thin skin
Even Richard Nixon be saying damn
Rules never apply to them.
Bad, Bad move right before an election.
I’m laughing my ass off at the clueless ignoramuses that insist that we can stop tyranny by voting for more Republicans.
History illustrates without any exceptions that you cannot stop this kind of tyranny by civil means, period.
Look for this land up in the fed courts.
This needs to be stopped and Ravel and her commie comrades jailed.
There are no coincidences.
Communists must “manage” everything. How else will they seize and retain power?
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