[dukey]

Bill would allow rounding up and imprisoning of non-registered political writers

More here

[mmasters]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')- During an appearance with his wife Barbara on Fox News last November, George Bush senior slammed Internet bloggers for creating an "adversarial and ugly climate."

- The White House's own recently de-classified strategy for "winning the war on terror" targets Internet conspiracy theories as a recruiting ground for terrorists and threatens to "diminish" their influence.

[Micki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he following is a
statement by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of GrassrootsFreedom.com,
regarding legislation currently being considered by Congress to regulate
grassroots communications:
"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.

[gego]

This is the government you support by voting them into power. Now suffer the consequences, all you Democrats and Republicans or others who pulled the levers for them.

[Cobra_Strike]

Oddly, I think this applies to posters on this site as well. As its a grass roots kind of group, often with many more then 500 viewers.

Registration is required, jail time for non-compliance is a great carrot to hold over people heads.

[magician]

too late for america. our populace is too uneducated to understand the ramifications of such legislation. "giving up some liberty makes us safe at night"
"oh my god you have a gun, you shouldent have that, someone could get shot!"
"things are different now" "that freedom was existed i was a little emasculated, synthetic-hormone-plastic eating flag waving twat" "support uneducated undisciplined, obediant fucks who volunteer to get paid to go somewhere else and kill people for american corperate/isreali interests cause working at burger king is a hard life" "america, love it or leave it...........after getting permission from our homland security office" "we're not fascist, it just looks that way" "you know man, freedom. like do you want fries or onion rings with that? or do you want a ford or a chevy or a hummer.......YEAH A HUMMER"

bullocks i say.

[Fergus]

Lets start a grass roots campaign to recall (or impeach?) congress.

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fergus', 'L')ets start a grass roots campaign to recall (or impeach?) congress.

[Jack]

I really can't see what the problem is. Our congress, made up of dedicated, honest, kind-hearted (and self-sacrificing) men and women, all committed to the public good, clearly does not deserve any criticism. No true and loyal American - indeed, no decent person! - could ever lower themselves to speak ill of these good people.

I'm shocked - and, I might add, deeply disappointed - that anyone would even consider speaking against our beloved leaders. My emotional distress is such that I shall surely shed a tear.

See? I told you I knew how to live in a garrison state.

[gego]

Fortunately, if Richard Duncan is correct about complete and total failure of the electric grid, we will not be able to post thoughts of freedom, hence not in danger of being sent to a concentration camp, at least from the present government thugs.

[mmasters]

Can be merged with:

http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic26406.html

[gego]

So do you think the German population under Hitler saw it happening to them with each little turn of the screw?

[mmasters]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gego', 'S')o do you think the German population under Hitler saw it happening to them with each little turn of the screw?

[Ludi]

It seems to refer to paid lobbyists, not grassroots regular joes shooting off their mouths on the internet, for instance.

(19) GRASSROOTS LOBBYING FIRM- The term `grassroots lobbying firm' means a person or entity that--
`(A) is retained by 1 or more clients to engage in paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying on behalf of such clients; and
`(B) receives income of, or spends or agrees to spend, an aggregate of $25,000 or more for such efforts in any quarterly period.'.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c ... 8Sl:e38473:

[Ludi]

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c ... 8Sl:e38473:

[Kingcoal]

I wonder how they define "lobbyist?" I think that this would probably be shot down in a federal court somewhere. I believe it's based on a time tested tactic that the Feds use, it works this way. The term lobbyist is never defined, but all lobbyists must register. Are you a lobbyist? Well, if you are, you better register and quickly. The trick is to get you to willfully declare yourself to be someone who is under federal jurisdiction - a "lobbyist." How do you determine whether you are a lobbyist? Well, "a lobbyist is any person whose duty it is to register as a lobbyist." Latter, when you then get dragged into court for your writings, the registration documents are produced, which are signed "under penalties of perjury," by the way, and your are hung by your own declaration that you were a lobbyist. Sound familiar? It's all perfectly legal. Of course if you don't register, you "cheating."

The government would have to provide something of value in exchange for becoming a registered lobbyist. There needs to be that exchange for it to become constitutionally acceptable. I guess that's what it's really all about; true lobbyists are looking for a favor that somehow gives their position something of tangible value. I can't see it applied to anti-war protesters and such. If it is, then we will no longer be living in the USA anymore.

[RdSnt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', ' ')Not sure there's any place to run and hide this kind of thing happens again.

[Benzin]

Should I sign that petition or not? Might land me a one-way ticket to the Halliburton labor camp...

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Micki', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he following is a
statement by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of GrassrootsFreedom.com,
regarding legislation currently being considered by Congress to regulate
grassroots communications:
"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.