Meanwhile, in news that really should concern media watchdogs—on both the left AND the right—Redstate’s Mike Krempasky points to this CNET interview with FEC commisioner Bradley Smith, which suggests the FEC may soon attempt to regulate blogging and other internet activity:
In just a few months, [Smith] warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign’s Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate’s press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines.
(h/t Myopist)
mini-manifesto: AS A CITIZEN JOURNALIST, I AM CONFIDENT THAT HUGH HEWITT WILL NEVER ALLOW THE REGULATION OF MY SPEECH!
CHARGE!
****
update: bloggers react.
So this goes through and like the next time Putin and Bush meet, old Vlad can correctly say, “Well, you shut all those bloggers up, didn’t you?”
Sorry, I’m not dissing Dubya. I’m talking about seeing things through Ivan’s eyes.
FEC: Kiss this!
That’ll never happen. Remember the time they tried to regulate the internet? Remember when they tried to end internet porn? Remember when they tried to stop people from getting free music? Remember when they tried to stop people from getting free movies?
About those donuts that What-You-Talkin-Bout Willis wants to know about: Does he mean donuts eaten or donuts produced?
And I’ll give Bradley Smith and the FEC the same answer the parties always do – a big, juicy “fuck you”…
Toothless bitch.
Spambuster: spirit
Jeff, sign the petition already!
Am I reading this wrong? It sounds like Bradley Smith is AGAINST regulating the Internet, along with the two other Republican commissioners. He’s just sounding the alarm bells. It’s the 3 Democrats on the FEC that are supporting regulation.
Nope, MisterPundit, you’re not reading that wrong. That’s exactly the way this seems to be playing out. Bradley Smith sure appears to be the good guy in this one.
Spamword: went (as in, There went my First Amendment rights).
Don’t ya just love the concept of “improperly link[ing] to a campaign web site”?
As if the FEC is going to tell you who you can call on the telephone, or to whom you can write a letter! What is it with government idiots, uh sorry, bureaucrats?
And yeah, Brad Smith is one of the good guys on this issue.
“history” heh!
Does that mean that if the link is properly done, it’s okay? But if they leave out one of the quotes in the a href= part, it’s bad?
I DON’T GET IT.