Good News for Political Bloggers

FEC Rules Exempt Blogs From Internet Political Limits

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 28, 2006; Page A03

In a unanimous vote yesterday, the Federal Election Commission left unregulated almost all political activity on the Internet except for paid political advertisements. Campaigns buying such ads will have to use money raised under the limits of current federal campaign law.

Perhaps most important, the commission effectively granted media exemptions to bloggers and other activists using the Web to allow them to praise and criticize politicians, just as newspapers can, without fear of federal interference.

The rules "totally exempt individuals who engage in political activity on the Internet from the restrictions of the campaign finance laws. The exemption for individual Internet activity in the final rules is categorical and unqualified," said FEC Chairman Michael E. Toner. The regulation "protects Internet activities by individuals in all forms, including e-mailing, linking, blogging, or hosting a Web site," he said.

The 6 to 0 vote was widely expected after the FEC released the proposed rules last week. That followed months of discussions and widespread concern -- which turned out to be unfounded -- among many political activists that the commission would impose significant restrictions on Internet campaign activity. The vote drew praise from most ideological quarters, as well as from several watchdog groups.

Conservative blogger Mike Krempasky wrote: "This is a tremendous win for speech." Liberal blogger Duncan Black, writing under the pseudonym Artios, said: "This could have been an utter disaster, but it appears to have all worked out in the end."

This is a victory for America...and for me! It is only reasonable that bloggers should have the protection accorded those in the MSM. Most of us write better and do better research than reporters in the corporate media.

If a hack operation like the New York Lies...err...Times, with all the errors and misinformation they spew can be protected, then surely bloggers rate the same protections.

Full Story: EQUAL PROTECTION Under the Law

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