You have got to read this! No kidding. In case you missed the link, here it is again: * I’ll be here when you get back. Honest. I’ll wait. You gotta read it.
Back? Good for you. Now, imagine something. You’re talking with an old and trusted friend, someone whose company you enjoy and look forward to just spending good time in good conversation. After a half hour or so of uplifting (or sometimes maddening) discussion of life, love, or the world at large, there is a tap on your back and a grimey left-wing elbow gouges its way between you and your friend. You are informed that your first half-hour is up and that you now have to listen a half-hour of opinion from someone who opposes everything in the entire makeup of your life and that of your trusted friend.
Who? Well, the federal government believes in “fairness,” (ie censorship) and has re-established the Buttinsky Fairness Doctrine. It doesn’t matter that the left elbow opinion can’t breathe on its own–no one cares, you see–the Fairness Doctrine is there to make sure that if no one will to the soapbox-in-the-park then, by God, the soapbox will come to them.
I guess what’s got me up in arms–actually, I’m always armed in one sense or another–is that the usual whiners are involved, as you will have already seen if you followed the above link.
But the killer in illegal legislation like this is what the newly-elected liberal Congress is trying to do to your rights to free speech and to your right to petition the government. Thanks to thomistic.blogspot.com/, whose DumbOx Daily News is a real treat
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This is the legislation and sponsors (talk about crooks and liars!) … “greater transparency in the legislative process” if that isn’t absolute NAZI news-speak, I don’t know what is…
S.1
Title: “A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.”
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (17)
Latest Major Action: 1/10/2007 Senate floor actions. Status: Considered by Senate.
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COSPONSORS(17)ALPHABETICAL
Sen Bennett, Robert F. [UT] - 1/4/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 1/8/2007
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 1/4/2007
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] - 1/4/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 1/4/2007
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] - 1/4/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 1/4/2007
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 1/4/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 1/4/2007
Sen Lott, Trent [MS] - 1/4/2007
Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] - 1/4/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 1/4/2007
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] - 1/4/2007
Sen Salazar, Ken [CO] - 1/9/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 1/4/2007
Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] - 1/4/2007
Sen Webb, Jim [VA] - 1/4/2007
I HAVE NO IDEA how Joe Lieberman, Mitch McConnell and Trent Lott signed on to this, what favors were being collected… If somebody can tell me, I’d be glad to know! This is typical of how LOTT was an incompetent fat LOTTA help when he was running things before!
Even McCain had enough sense not to put his name on this one…
What about democracy? Power to the people? Grass roots populism? The INTERNET Revolution?! … I guess that stuff only applies to ARMIES of tin-foil hat or orange beanie wearing grunge patrols, labor unions, community activist associations and gray panther grannies! Sec. 202 of S.1 EXEMPTS such membership-based groups!
If you ask me, and judging by the press release linked here, McConnell and the other Republicans haven’t read Sec. 220, or are being bull-dozed in exchange for some favor. It smacks of incompetence or corruption! “Tough New Ethics Reform” my foot!!!
AFA describes the impact of S.1, Sec. 220 on conservative organizations like them as follows–you NEED to READ it in full, so here…
“Review of Senate Bill 1 (Section 220)
The grassroots lobbying section of U.S. Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) contains onerous reporting requirements (on a quarterly basis), and civil fines of up to $100,000 for failing to comply. The effect by AFA and other grassroots groups to get you information on any bill before Congress will be profound.
Under Senate Bill 1, AFA would have to report the issues, employees, contractors and dollars spent in what is called “paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying” (that phrase is not defined). This reporting requirement is triggered by two actions: (1) a lobbying “contact” – a personal or written communication with an individual in the executive or legislative branch of the federal government concerning public policy issues, from legislation to nominations; and (2) communications with grassroots (that’s you) that “influence” them to contact the executive or legislative branches (”influence” is not defined, but it apparently doesn’t even have to include a specific “call to action.”) There is no minimum dollar spending requirement that triggers the reporting requirement by AFA for our efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying.
Once AFA identifies a “lobbying contact” that it has had (e.g., We talk with a senator about a Supreme Court nomination), then AFA will have to track all internal expenditures on that issue: AFA Journal articles, printing costs, payments to authors, etc.; AFA Online e-mailing costs; special website creations; broadcast expenses; and issue advertising (creative costs, ad buys, etc.). Cost of trips, speeches, and fundraising letters will have to be allocated to the correct “issue.” (We could be dealing with a half-dozen issues, and we will have to keep tract and expense of every issue we deal with.) The compliance costs alone will be heavy, with the hiring of perhaps as many as 8-10 new employees to track both accounting and legal oversight involved and all the paperwork required.
AFA’s involvement in coalitions or alliances (Arlington Group, judicial confirmation groups; right to life coalitions) will also trigger reporting requirements by those coalitions, and any donations by AFA will have to be reported by that coalition.
All these reports will be available to the public. Because of the timing of the quarterly reports and the fact that spending usually precedes action, it is entirely likely that we will have to report what we are going to do in advance of actually doing it. For example, our opponents may be alerted in advance that we intend to purchase air time for ads targeting a specific issue.
The bill makes exemptions for larger, organized groups who employ paid lobbyists, who don’t dominantly rely on public communication (to people like you) to get their messages out.
The bill defines “grassroots lobbying firms” as any organization that encourages 500 or more members of the general public to contact Congress.
AFA would be forced to file a report to the government on a quarterly basis that contains detailed information about our organization. The required report must include identification of the organization’s expenditures, the issues focused on and the members of Congress and other federal officials who are the subject of the advocacy efforts. A separate report would be required for each policy issue the group is active on.
Basically these new rules were written to isolate pro-family and conservative Christian organizations. Large corporations (which spend millions in lobbying expenses) would be exempt. Communications aimed at an organization’s “members, employees, officers or shareholders” would be exempt. That means that groups such as the AFL-CIO, MoveOn.org, National Education Association and other organized groups would be exempt.” (Dumb Ox emphasis added)
I pass along AFA’s Action Alert, with email button at the end. Use my email button, the little envelope at the bottom of this post, to send this post to your friends and family who care about FREEDOM OF SPEECH and RIGHT TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT!
“Senate Tired of Your E-mails, Phone Calls; Expected to Pass Bill that Will Keep You From Getting Needed Information.”
Dear Dumb Ox and Readers,
Without a doubt, this could be the most important letter I have written you.
The U.S. Senate is poised to pass Senate Bill 1 (Section 220), which would effectively keep AFA and every other pro-family organization in America from providing you information on bills in Congress. Under Senate Bill 1 (Section 220), we would only be able to provide you information on a bill at a high cost and at great danger of being penalized by Congress.
To put it bluntly, members of Congress are tired of getting your e-mails and phone calls, and Senate Bill 1(Section 220) is designed to keep information from you that might inspire you to call or write your senator. …
The new Democratic Senate thinks that if it can keep you from getting informationwhich is what Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) would dothen it will not be getting e-mails and phone calls from you.
Senators favoring this bill are simply tired of hearing from you. That is the bottom line. They dont want to hear from you. They dont want you to be informed. They want to silence you. How? By simply keeping you from receiving information that AFA provides.
I know that language is strong, but Senate Bill 1 (Section 220) will do exactly what I’ve said.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
Take Action
1. Send an e-mail to your two senators now!
2. Call your two senators at 202-224-3121. (Simply ask for one senator. Then call the other one at the same number. Ask your senators to vote against Senate Bill 1 (Section 220).
3. Please forward this to your friends and family. It is vitally important that they know what members of the Senate are trying to do. (Dumb Ox note: use this link to send this post to your family and friends!)
4. Print this information, and share it with members in your Sunday School class and church and urge them to send an e-mail and call.
p.s. Let’s hope this issue starts getting the attention it needs before Harry “the Undertaker” Reid rams this through the Senate!
The First Amendment is the guts of all the others. It isn’t just about free speech, either. Do you know what five rights or freedoms (inalienable rights or freedoms) are contained in the First Amendment? I know you do, but here’s for the guy looking over your shoulder:
1. Freedom of Religion and the Free Exercise thereof
2. Freedom of Speech
3. Freedom of the Press
4. Freedom to Peaceably Assemble
5. Freedom to Petition your stinking government
Now, what parts of the First Amendment does S-1 and Harry Ried (illegally) eviscerate? Think before you answer. You may be amazed.
Answer? All of them!!
Attempts have been made before to castrate blogs and conservative media in general. But this is just a “Congress don’t wanna hear y’all no more” censorship power grab of undefinable magnitude.
Don’t let this slip by. Tuesday, January 16th is likely the magic day. Watch it. Call your senators. Email your senators. Your inalienable rights are again being alienated, and, more and more, you will be silenced.
We’ll talk.
