FEC to run roughshod over bloggers, part 2

FEC Commissioner Brad Smith, interviewed by Tech Central Station's Nick Shulz.

Here's Smith waxing hysterical on the disturbing trend towards regulating political speech online :

"We are starting to turn the purpose of regulation on its head [...] That is to say that the Washington Post website, well, that's probably exempt. What about Slate, which at one time was owned by Microsoft? Well that's going to be exempt. Why? Because Slate kind of looks and it feels like a newspaper. ['Feels' like a newspaper?- Ed.] It comes off the web rather than delivered by paper to my door, but it just has that look and feel and has that kind of sense to it. [There's that word again. 'Feels' Why does that make me nervous every time I hear it?- Ed.] And then people are going to say, what about maybe a blog such as that run by Glenn Reynolds of InstaPundit or something like that? Well maybe that gets the exemption. But after that it's less clear.

Therefore we are saying if you are a big powerful cooperation, we are going to give you a press exemption for your Internet activity, at least if you are a press operation. And as we work down the line we are not going to give you that exemption. As a result you are going to be stifling the activity of the most grassroots, casual type of political action, rather than that of the big press corporation."

Here's Smith on what to do about it:

" [*chirp chirp*] "

That's right. Nothing. While I could find no fault with the questions asked in this interview, the answers seemed to be lacking something, ummm, important? Like maybe a solution to reversing the current trend of all regulation, all the time? It's not that the Commissioner doesn't understand the dangers of internet regulation, what scares me is the way he proposes nothing that could avert that danger. In fact, a cynic such as myself might even start to think that he's again trying to ingratiate himself to us "little bloggers" in yet another "don't worry about it, we share your concerns" sort of way.

I challenge you to prove me wrong, Mr. Smith. Prove me wrong. I'd love nothing more than to eat the words I've just written.

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