Obama Plans To Silence Critics - Regulate Free Speach

[Bill Call]

Concerned about growing criticism of his ineffectual economic policies the Obama administration plans to use White House lawyers to threaten and intimidate those who oppose him:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Update-o ... Influence/

The partial quote:

"First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.

Second, we will focus the restriction on oral communications to target the scenario where concerns about merit-based decision-making are greatest –after competitive grant applications are submitted and before awards are made. Once such applications are on file, the competition should be strictly on the merits. To that end, comments (unless initiated by an agency official) must be in writing and will be posted on the Internet for every American to see."

[Jim DeVito]

Or you could use the real title of the blog post...

"Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence"

But if you do that it is not really news worthy as it has been stated time and time again there will be "New Limits on Special Interest Influence"...

[Bill Call]

Or you could use the real title of the blog post...

"Update on Recovery Act Lobbying Rules: New Limits on Special Interest Influence"

But if you do that it is not really news worthy as it has been stated time and time again there will be "New Limits on Special Interest Influence"...

Who is a special interest?

Labor Unions? Small business owners? Stockholders? Bondholders? Employees? Employers? Local governments? State governments?

When the government takes on the responsibility to control all aspects of the economy it becomes necessary for everyone to attempt to pressure the State to make sure it is the other guy who loses his shirt. Then we are no longer citizens with the right to petion our government but special interests who must be regulated and controlled. Welcome to the Obamanation.

[Jim DeVito]

Welcome to the Obamanation.

You are right Bill... Life Sucks. I am packing the panel wagon for Canada. You want me to swing buy and pick you up on the way out?

[Brian Pedaci]

Hm. So they're not silencing critics at all, only asking that all communications to government officials in regards to decisions where Recovery Act funds will go should be in writing, not orally delivered, and subsequently posted on the internet for all to see.

I'm not seeing where the suppression of free speech is involved here. They're making more transparent the process of influence-peddling. I'd think that a government-spending hawk like yourself would applaud these kinds of initiatives.

[Bill Call]

Hm. So they're not silencing critics at all, only asking that all communications to government officials in regards to decisions where Recovery Act funds will go should be in writing, not orally delivered, and subsequently posted on the internet for all to see.

The Bill of Rights contains this:

"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.."

Here is what Obama intends to do:

"First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. "

Where does the Constitution give Obama the right to regulate how people communicate with government, who can speak out against government policy and that orally communicating that dissatisfaction is a violation of law?

Who is a special interest? Are you? Am I? And if so do we lose our rights guaranteed under the Constitution?

Obama pretends to be a constitutional scholar but he doesn't understand the document or its spirit. I'm not troubled by the efforts of elected officials to undermine the Constitution but I am troubled by the willingness of otherwise intelligent people to pretend it doesn't matter.

[Brian Pedaci]

Where does the Constitution give Obama the right to regulate how people communicate with government, who can speak out against government policy and that orally communicating that dissatisfaction is a violation of law?

This does not impinge your right to petition the government in the least, as long as you're functionally literate enough to write a letter or email. It does not limit your ability to comment publicly about the government or silence critics. At all. A restriction in the means of communication is not a restriction in the content of that communication.

Let me ask you this - in what scenario can you imagine a 'verbal communication' with a government official in regards to Recovery Act funds that would be materially changed by having to submit it in writing rather than via a phone call, an office meeting or a three-martini lunch? What right have you personally exactly lost here?

I'm keenly aware and concerned with issues of Constitutionally-protected freedoms. I think it's a real struggle to see how, even on the slipperiest of slopes, this constitutes some kind of real, actual threat to anyone. The goal of this regulation (I find myself repeating myself as it doesn't seem to be sinking in) is to make all communications to those decisionmakers as transparent as possible, to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of back-room deals. Now, I happen to find this idealistic and naive to a fault, but I respect the sentiment.

Bill, I think you and the type of commentators and pundits you pay attention to have been so convinced from the very beginning, with absolutely no evidence, that this administration is out to quash all civic rights and set up some kind of monarchy that you're seeing boogymen in everything. It's as patently ridiculous as the left-wing fear that Bush would cancel the elections and set up martial law. It just doesn't hold up to basic logic.