It’s not a dream folks: The government is going to knock on my door one day
The following an email I just received from The Online Coaltion, of which I am a member, that seeks to prevent the government regulating blogs in the name of campain reform:
Dear Friends,
You haven’t heard from us in a few months – but we’ve been working hard to protect your freedom to speak online. And now we need your help.
Right now – there are TWO bills in Congress that will affect bloggers – one good, one bad. The bill that deserves our support is HR 1606 – The Online Freedom of Speech Act.
The other bill – HR 4194 – is a substitute offered by those most interested in regulating the Internet. Its supporters are engaged in an aggressive campaign to pass this legislation in Congress, in an effort to muddy the waters and distract Congress from passing real protections for bloggers. They’re so terrified of your freedom to speak your mind that they’ve actually compared giving freedom to bloggers to the scandal involving Scooter Libby in the White House. (No, we’re not making that up.)
In order to pass the bill we want – we need – to stop the sham alternative bill, HR 4194.
Their measure, HR 4194 purports to protect “bloggers” from campaign finance regulation. But, in fact, it is so riddled with exceptions and exclusions that it is worse that nothing.
Click here to search for your member of Congress by zip code. Tell them that the blogosphere is not behind HR 4194.
[Note: Ray LaHood (R-18th District, Peoria) and Lane Evans (D-17th, Rock Island) both voted to regulate bloggers' free speech rights.]
Problems with 4194:
* It offers no guidance as to the treatment of group political activity, potentially treating all group websites that discuss federal candidates as political committees
* It would stifle technological innovation. HR 4914 specifically mentions “blogging,” but ignores such as already-widely used technologies like podcasting, wikis and peer-to-peer networks, let alone the technologies of tomorrow.
* Its alleged protection to incorporated bloggers offers no real protection. In comments filed before the FEC, supporters of HR 4194 have stated explicitly that those websites which endorse, expressly advocate, and urge readers to donate funds to the election of preferred candidates do not qualify for protection under the law. This would force bloggers that speak forcefully about politics to seek legal counsel – a complete disaster.
This measure is a smokescreen designed to confuse the issue and prevent better laws from passing. Call your Representatives in Congress and make sure they understand that HR 4194 is unacceptable.
Sincerely,
The Online Coalition
info@onlinecoalition.com
Bill here: In an earlier post, a commenter accused me of suffering from paranoid dreams in which the government was coming to lock me up. It’s no dream. I’m not going to alter my behavior one little bit. I’m still going to link to politicians’ Web sites. I’m still going to accept donations and run advertising, perhaps from the candidates themselves. Someone associated with a campaign is going to decide this is unfair and file a complaint and if these new rules are in effect, I will be told I must pay a fine. I will not pay that fine. I’ll be perfectly happy to let George Bush’s government pay my room and board for a while.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Bloggers Unite Against HR 4194
From two opposite ends of the blogging political spectrum, Michael Krempasky of RedState.org and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of DailyKos.com have jointly written a letter Congress in opposition of HR 4194.
Excerpt:
As bloggers from the right and left…
[...] No, I’m not surprised at all that LaHood thinks Birkett is the perfect man for the job of lieutenant governor. Birket had no qualms about sending an innocent man to death row, and LaHood thinks its apporpriate to send bloggers to jail if they don’t comply with McCain Feilgold campaign laws. [...]
[...] It’s all so clear now. That’s why the senior LaHood refused to vote for the bill that would protect bloggers from having to prove they aren’t getting money from political campaigns. The whole family suffers from a genetic dispostion toward telling people what they do and do not have a right to say and print. [...]