Comments on: Licensing Bloggers http://www.ryansager.com/blog/index.php/2005/10/14/licensing-bloggers/ What's your M.O.? Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: The Captain http://www.ryansager.com/blog/index.php/2005/10/14/licensing-bloggers/#comment-612 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:16:56 +0000 http://www.ryansager.com/blog/index.php/2005/10/14/licensing-bloggers/#comment-612 Isn't there a stunning hypocrisy in Democrats and their allies in saying they don't want McCain-Feingold to regulate blogs? In essence, what they say is that they are all for regulating speech -- but not their own speech. And why don't they want the internet regulated? its because it allows their allies (read: liberal Democrats and their special interest groups who are a step ahead in the online world) to have an exemption that other groups cannot. It's the same reason why Democrats love campaign finance reform (limit soft money, which Republicans raise more of) but balk when campaign finance reform hurts them (ie, why paycheck protection to help union workers get their dues taken from them to financially support candidates (almost universally Democrats), even while rank-and-file members vote 40% Republican). As someone who opposes McCain-Feingold, I support extending it to the Internet -- if only to teach the Democrats a lesson. You guys want to regulate free speech? Fine, but that means your free speech will be regulated too. How do you like 'dem apples? Plus, to say that the exemption for the New York Times applies to DailyKos or RedState is absurd. What if I form an organization (Democrats Suck) via a website, run a blog (DemocratsSuck.com), but then use the blog to publish a newsletter and mail it to people in a state to tell them to read my blog where I say that Democrsats Suck. And in that newsletter, I strongly attack some Democrats for Sucking. And then, what if that same organization uses the money they raised online to run TV ads promoting my website (Go Visit Democrats Suck.com where you find out why John Kerry is a French Toadie who Sucks)? At what point did I cross the line from being a website/journalism exemption to being a political agent. God, all campaign finance reform sucks. Isn’t there a stunning hypocrisy in Democrats and their allies in saying they don’t want McCain-Feingold to regulate blogs? In essence, what they say is that they are all for regulating speech — but not their own speech. And why don’t they want the internet regulated? its because it allows their allies (read: liberal Democrats and their special interest groups who are a step ahead in the online world) to have an exemption that other groups cannot.

It’s the same reason why Democrats love campaign finance reform (limit soft money, which Republicans raise more of) but balk when campaign finance reform hurts them (ie, why paycheck protection to help union workers get their dues taken from them to financially support candidates (almost universally Democrats), even while rank-and-file members vote 40% Republican).

As someone who opposes McCain-Feingold, I support extending it to the Internet — if only to teach the Democrats a lesson. You guys want to regulate free speech? Fine, but that means your free speech will be regulated too. How do you like ‘dem apples?

Plus, to say that the exemption for the New York Times applies to DailyKos or RedState is absurd. What if I form an organization (Democrats Suck) via a website, run a blog (DemocratsSuck.com), but then use the blog to publish a newsletter and mail it to people in a state to tell them to read my blog where I say that Democrsats Suck. And in that newsletter, I strongly attack some Democrats for Sucking. And then, what if that same organization uses the money they raised online to run TV ads promoting my website (Go Visit Democrats Suck.com where you find out why John Kerry is a French Toadie who Sucks)? At what point did I cross the line from being a website/journalism exemption to being a political agent.

God, all campaign finance reform sucks.

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