You can kiss your political freedom of speech good-bye thanks to John McCain
My thanks to Austin Bay for pointing out this article at Real Clear Politics by Ryan Sager.
This is the key quote from the article [bolding mine]:
When Congress comes back into session, roughly 60 days before the November midterms, it will essentially be immune from criticism. That's because Congress -- acting, of course, only in the interest of "clean" politics -- passed a ban on ads that mention federal candidates' names in the window 60 days before the general election, as part of McCain-Feingold in 2002.So all you bloggers in the US do remember, it is ILLEGAL to talk about the Candidate running for Office, but it *might* be OK to talk about the actual OFFICEHOLDER.
So, say the Senate takes up an immigration bill granting full amnesty to all illegal immigrants this fall -- it will be almost impossible for grassroots groups to advertise against it, because they won't be able to run ads during this period naming the people who are sponsoring or voting on the bills. Criticizing them by name during this window is against the law. You can't ask voters to "call Congressman [So-and-So]."
It's almost unbelievable, but it's the system we live under thanks to Sen. John McCain.
My recommendation: 1) use an off-shore blog hosting service, 2) ignore the law, post as you will, and then challenge the constitutionality of freedom of speech when it is not *paid* for by anyone.
As a Citizen you have the RIGHT to freedom of speech, and when you speak for YOURSELF the Congress shall not pass a law to restrict that.
This is a product of the Zero Party State, to ensure that all sitting Congressmen and Senators do *not* have to be answerable to the People.
That is called a Landed Nobility: powerful individuals not answerable to the will of the People and corroding the system of Representation so as to engineer *permanent* sinecured positions of High Office. It doesn't take a conspiracy to get you there, but the confluence of events is not a good one.
3 comments:
I would probably start with Sealand first. China is pretty much near the bottom of the list... I would definitely put the Eastern European allies near the front, especially Poland... the Bahamas look generally friendly... all sorts of tiny Nations able to have that wonderful virtual presence anywhere and no-where...
I'd rather seek to throw off this yoke of stupidity by challenging the constitutionality of it directly. I will not stoop to the petty games of those who wish harm to our great nation. The rights beholden to the citizens of this great land will not be trampled in that way.
ablur - Agreed! And I do not like politicians trying to make politics 'cleaner'. They have no vested interest in doing so...
Vote the bums out... early and often!
Which is why I want the 1:30,000 House. A big nation needs a big House... and at 1:30,000 getting a handful of people mad at you will *cost* you the next election. The answer to Free Speech is MORE Free Speech. And the Answer to Representative Government is MORE Repreresentative Government.
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