DailyKos and RedState Lobby Congress on Blogger Freedom
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James Joyner | Thursday, March 9, 2006 |
For the second time in four months, Daily Kos’ Markos Moulitsas Zuniga and RedState’s Mike Krempasky have united to urge Congress to pass H.R. 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act.
Presuming that this meeting of matter and anti-matter do not have the destructive effects seen in science fiction movies, this is a good thing. While Left and Right will never agree on too many issues, free speech is among the self-evident, inalienable rights that has united Americans since the beginning.
Indeed, that so many in Congress are willing to throw it overboard in exchange for ephemeral “reforms” of the election system is baffling and, frankly, un-American. The latter is not an epithet I throw around lightly.
Update: A press release informs that:
The Committee on House Administration (CHA) by unanimous voice vote Thursday approved legislation that would free bloggers and other Internet communicators from possible regulation by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).
Chairman Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Mich., said the Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606) was necessary to “allow bloggers and other online activists to express their views on the Internet without fear of running afoul of our campaign finance laws.”
Excellent news! TownHall’s Tim Chapman has more.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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