Toots and Sally Ride Again

This is from www.feministing.com:
Congress cracks down on critics.

The Ethics and Lobby reform bill has an amendment that could potentially force bloggers and other forms of grassroots communication to register as a lobbyist to speak.

“In what sounds like a comedy sketch from Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, but isn’t, the U. S. Senate would impose criminal penalties, even jail time, on grassroots causes and citizens who criticize Congress. “Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself. “The bill would require reporting of ‘paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,’ but defines ‘paid’ merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers.

Ann suggested I look to the ACLU about this, but they haven’t written much yet. Does anybody know anything more about this?

And who the hell is getting paid? Congress must just be trying to give me a big lobbying job, not cracking down on my right to free speech.

Posted by Samhita at 01:26 PM | in Blogs , Politics | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)