Freedom of Speech in the Blogosphere in Jeopardy

It is time to nip this one in the bud. EVERYONE in the blogosphere had better take the bull by the horns and get this message to the CONGRESS. Legislation must be created to exempt in totality any regulation that prevents the freedom of speech on the net. It's the bottom of the ninth and we have one strike against us already in the McCain-Feingold and FEC regulations.
This is a monumental battle that needs to fought by the left and the right collectively. Do not ignore what is happening. The cement around our feet is hardening and we are standing on the edge of the pier. Do you think I'm being an alarmist? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!

read on:

"People should not be alarmed," said Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democratic commissioner. "Given the impact of the Internet," Ms. Weintraub said, "I think we have to take a look at whether there are aspects of that that ought to be subject to the regulations. But again, I don't want this issue to get overblown. Because I really don't think, at the end of the day, this commission is going to do anything that affects what somebody sitting at home, on their home computer, does."
"Weintraub wants people to relax, but that argument won't fly. Having the authority to regulate the speech in the first place is what has us worried, and if Weintraub chooses not to use it, that's fine. However, a precedent has been set that the FEC has that ability to determine whether online pamphleteering equates to campaign contributions -- and notice that she's careful not to eliminate that as a possible end solution."
Ed MorrisseyCaptian's Quarters http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/March 5th 2005

Translation: "We have the power to regulate you if we want to, and we're going to move in on the Net in some way, at some time (no complete exemptions here, buster). But don't worry -- trust us with your sacred liberties -- because we're reasonable people. Besides, most of you don't amount to anything, and we're only going after the big guys."
Winfield MyersDemocracy Project March 5th and 6thhttp://www.democracy-project.com/archives/001308.htmlhttp://www.democracy-project.com/archives/001310.html

Also via Steve, Tom Smith at Right Coast writes:
"I certainly hope all this anxiety of the threat of FEC regulation of the blogosphere is misplaced. But it's not too early to express the opinion that they can stop us from blogging and saying whatever we think, especially about political candidates, when they pry our keyboards from our cold, dead fingers. I mean, really. If some combination of the FEC and the courts really start to say, oh, you can't say that on your blog within 90 days (or whatever) of election day, I think we are really talking about a time for civil disobedience. Think Poland, Lebanon, Tianamen [sic] Square. OK, not Tianamen [sic] Square, but the rest. There are too many of us, and too few of them. Just let them try to squelch this new realm of free speech."

And from antimedia:
http://antimedia.blogspot.com/2005/03/country-needs-you.html

AS LONG AS WE LET THE "FUNGUS" GO UNCHECKED IT WILL SURELY SPREAD TO THE FINGERS ON YOUR KEYBOARD...............ROVIN

Eds throwin' the guantlet down over at Captian's Quarters with John McCain. I always somehow gave John the benefit of the doubt, even with the often "left of center " idiologies, given what the man had been through in his younger days. But this tends to "take the cake" and the last straws on the camel's back. It's time for John two switch partys and run with Hillery (if she'll have him). Say it ain't so Johnny?