This news item is a couple days old, sorry I didn’t catch it earlier.

It’s nice to see that a significant body of Congressmen are recognizing that the internet is GREAT for freedom of speech and diversity of viewpoint.

I’ve said several times that I feel MORE FREEDOM OF SPEECH because of the internet, despite the crackdown on civil liberties under the guise of the war on terror.

And a coalition of blogs and Congressmen are trying to put a stop to the government’s attempt to squelch our freedom of speech by making web logs (blogs) regulatable as if they were political organizations.

The power to regulate is the power to prohibit (old saying). Oppose regulation of web logs.

CNN.com - Lawmakers: Hands off Web logs - Mar 11, 2005: “Lawmakers: Hands off Web logs

Friday, March 11, 2005 Posted: 4:10 PM EST (2110 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Internet bloggers should enjoy traditional press freedoms and not face regulation as political groups, lawmakers and online journalists said Friday.

In separate letters, Democratic lawmakers and Internet commentators urged the Federal Election Commission to make sure that political Web sites that serve as focal points for political discussion, like Wonkette.com and Freerepublic.com, don’t have to comply with campaign-finance rules.

‘Curtailing blogs and other online publications will dampen the impact of new voices in the political process and will do a disservice to the millions of voters who rely on the Web for original, insightful political commentary,’ said the Online Coalition, a group of bloggers and online activists.

Fourteen members of the House of Representatives said blogs foster a welcome diversity of viewpoints.

“This ‘democratization’ of the media is a welcome development in this era of media consolidation and a corresponding lack of diversity of views in traditional media outlets,” said the group, which consists of thirteen Democrats and one Republican.