The McCain-Feingold Insurrection

This has been brewing in the blogosphere for a while now.  I haven't commented on it yet, mostly because so many other people have already done a better job than I could have done.  The bottom line is: bureaucrats in Washington seem to think that, as part of campaign-finance "reform," private citizens exercising their First Amendment right to publish political commentary may need to be regulated.

The First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Now, I'm just a simple country law student, and I'm not familiar with our government's modern ways... but it seems to me like the First Amendment says something to the effect of "keep your stinking paws off my keyboard, you damn dirty apes!"

You have probably seen, or at least heard about, the famous Charlton Heston "from my cold dead hands" moment:

Well, bloggers around the world, bloggers from the political far-left to far-right, are rallying around a similar message:

It's actually frighteningly amazing to me how much unity there is among bloggers who, when it comes to just about any other political topic, want to strangle each other.

There is an organized insurrection going on here.  More importantly, there is an on-line petition you can sign here.  Look at the people working together to make the petition: the John Kerry campaign, The Heritage Foundation, Michelle Malkin, The Daily Kos... these are people and groups so far apart politically, you couldn't get them to agree that it's hot outside in Phoenix in July.  Yet here they all are, coming together in opposition to the possibility of regulating blogs as "campaigning."

I'm happy to sign the petition.  You should, too, even if you never post to a blog.  The First Amendment is one of your two greatest freedoms as an American.  I'm sure you know what I think is the other...

And bloggers, after you sign the petition, join the insurrection!

Message to the F.E.C. and Members of Congress, Senators McCain and Feingold especially:

This is my blog and I'll write what I want, so keep your stinking paws off my keyboard, you damn dirty apes!

UPDATES!

Friend and reader Jamie Hoenshel sends in this:

And here is one of a similar theme from Rodger of Curmudgeonly and Skeptical (via SondraK):

Keep spreading the word!

Comments

[andrew]

Nobody involved with campaign finance reform is out to silence you or your blog. This is hype of the most blatantly repugnant type. But you guys who cherish the 2nd Amendment even more than the 1st have been creating this type of hype for 40 yrs. now (ever since the first wave of gun control legislation followed JFK's death). I just wish you'd use your "free speech" privileges a little more constructively...

[Gullyborg]

Andrew: funny, I doubt that the John Kerry campaign or Daily Kos have any such thoughts. I'm sure they'll be surprised to learn from you that they are just being used as Second Amendment shills.

[Brian B]

Nobody involved with campaign finance reform is out to silence you or your blog.

Except, of course, for the FEC. Or did you miss that part?

But you guys who cherish the 2nd Amendment even more than the 1st

Blatant straw man. Ironic that someone who is obviously disdainful of the Second Amendment is accusing *US* of placing higher priority on one Amendment over another. On the other hand, that same person is also dismissing the threat to BOTH in this case, so maybe you just don't give a shit about either? And maybe, just maybe, we recognize just how important each of these Amendments is to defending the other.

[Gullyborg]

Maybe he's just bitter about losing his election last fall.

[-keith in mtn. view]

Without the Second Amendment backing it up, the First is just dishwater and palaver.