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October 13, 2004
Must . . . Stamp . . . Out . . . Freedom (While Telling People We're Protecting It)
Watch out, fellow Root Strikers!
With political fund raising, campaign advertising and organizing taking place in full swing over the Internet, it may just be a matter of time before the Federal Election Commission joins the action. Well, that time may be now.
A recent federal court ruling says the FEC must extend some of the nation's new campaign finance and spending limits to political activity on the Internet.
Long reluctant to step into online political activity [yeah, right], the agency is considering whether to appeal.
But vice chairwoman Ellen Weintraub said the Internet may prove to be an unavoidable area for the six-member commission, regardless of what happens with the ruling.
"I don't think anybody here wants to impede the free flow of information over the Internet," Weintraub said. "The question then is, where do you draw the line?"
There's far too much free speech going on out there on the Internet. The political class can't have that kind of threat to their existence. Fortunately, I think the Web is far too decentralized and dispersed to be controllable--which doesn't mean they won't try.
Posted by Mike Tennant at October 13, 2004 10:55 AM