FEC Eyes Bloggers' Political Ties

[jefferson_dem]

WASHINGTON -- A week after the Federal Election Commission proposed rules on how the internet should be covered by campaign-finance laws, one thing seems clear: The growing ranks of political bloggers are watching developments closely.

"The real question is where do we go from here," said Mike Krempasky, co-founder of conservative blog RedState.org. "There's not a real understanding of how politics and the internet works at the Federal Election Commission."

Krempasky made those comments Thursday at the U.S. Capitol, where a panel of experts gathered to discuss whether political bloggers deserve FEC oversight in light of their often cushy relationships with political campaigns and groups already regulated by the agency.

<SNIP>

The question now is what exactly constitutes paid advertising on the web. Is a blog or website that supports a candidate actually an ad? What if the blogger takes money from the campaign? What if the blogger is soliciting contributions?

<SNIP>

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,67086,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

[DemBeans]

1. interesting...

They're so worried about bloggers "taking money from the campaign", but the administration can have print and media journalists on the payroll (courtesy of taxpayers) and nothing happens.

[Catchawave]

2. Good point DemBeans and Welcome to DU !

:hi:

[dkofos]

3. Could it be

They are just afraid of the truth coming from the blogosphere.
Truth in the face of the rove propaganda machine.
It must be stopped

[joldnir]

4. A further attack upon the Constitution by the repukes

The attempts at restraints upon blogs is a direct attack upon the 1st Amendment (IE freedom of speech, of the press and the right of the people to peaceably assemble). Naturally, repukes do not want to the truth to EVER be told. Still, it goes deeper than that.

Look at the their reaction toward any judges that stand up to them.

[Vogon_Glory]

5. I Wonder About the REAL Effects...AOL Infested By Paid Posters

I wonder what the effects of FEC oversight would be if it was fairly and impartially enforced. Back when I subscribed to AOL, their message boards were frequently deluged by post after post after post written by right-wing extremists. The majority of those posts were NOT posted by scattered amateur posts posted by "righteous" conservatives to express their support for some candidate or their outrage at some "liberal" policy or "liberal" politician they opposed, rather, they were made by hired hands PAID to inundate message boards to give the impression of a "conservative" majority and to suppress progressive viewpoints either by burying it under right-wing propaganda or to shout down anyone who had the temerity to oppose the reactionaries' political and social agenda.

Much later, at least a few of these hired hacks repented of their conduct and admitted that their postings had been bought and paid for.

I should very much like to find such "paid" posting running afoul of FEC electioneering laws and regulations and such operations shut down and the creeps funding and organizing such antics fined and/or jailed. If such right-wing paid-poster operations run afoul of the law as an unintended consequence of Banana Republican efforts to still progressive voices, so much the better. Free speech is one thing, as is organized letter-writing and e-mailing, but I find massive paid posting campaigns on the far side of ethical and I do wonder if it borders on criminality.