Via Polipundit:
Here’s the roll call on that House Bill to exclude blogs and e-mails and such from regulation by the FEC under McCain-Feingold:
179 (77%) = Republicans in favor of excluding the Internet from FEC regulation.
46 (23%) = Democrats in favor thereof.
Totals: 225-182-26, in favor.
This effort to exclude blogs from the FEC’s domain failed, however, because a 2/3 majority was required to pass that particular bill under the chosen procedural framework.
From the Associated Press: House Defeats Bill on Political Blogs
The vote in effect clears the way for the FEC to move ahead with court-mandated rule-making to govern political speech and campaign spending on the Internet.
Disappointing, but not over yet.
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
UPDATE (from GPW): Over at Malcontent, Robbie sees this as a strike against free speech.
This will ultimately resolved by an “activist” judge!
—- ultimately BE resolved —-
Actually, the reason this issue came up is partly because of an activist judge. In 2002, the FEC exempted the Internet by a 4-2 vote, but U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overturned that decision in 2003, ruling that “The commission’s exclusion of Internet communications from the coordinated communications regulation severely undermines” the campaign finance law’s purposes.
Three Republican commissioners wanted to appeal the Internet-related sections. But because they couldn’t get the three Democrats to go along with them. That’s why the issue is before Congress.
My bad, the judge’s ruling came down in 2004.
The bill excluded all communication on the internet. This means large media agencies, advertising, everything.
Despite what Conservative blogs(And some liberal blogs) are saying, you will NOT get sued, fined or anything else for linking to a politician’s site or posting that you agree with them or why, or why you disagree. UNLESS, you are being paid by the campaign, and to get around that? You have to say this is an advertisement paid for by … blah blah blah. That’s it. If you’re doing it on your own time and they aren’t paying for it, then there’s ABSOLUTELY no threat.
This is not a strike against free speech in anyway, it is a strike against paid speech, and then, you just have to say you’re getting paid, and where the money is from, and the campaign has to report where the money is going.
THATS IT. If you can explain to me how this is a strike against free speech I’ll give you a few points on the IQ-o-meter, otherwise, you need to quit believing everything you read. (And yes, Liberal blogs are also disappointed, not understanding what this actually does! So you’re not alone)