Blogs Are As Much “Press” As Everyone Else

The FEC has issued an advisory opinion in the case of a Missouri Donk-oriented blogsite called “Fired Up!”. If you read the opinion, there is a thorough description of “Fired Up!”‘s activity – which matched most of the sorts of comments, postings, etc. that are done by just about any politically or semi-political blogsite.

To cut to the chase on their decision:

QUESTION PRESENTED: Is Fired Up eligible for the press exception?
LEGAL ANALYSIS: The Commission concludes that, in light of the facts presented, Fired Up’s disbursements for news stories, commentary, and editorials on its websites are encompassed by the press exception, and therefore do not constitute “expenditures” or “contributions” under the Act and Commission regulations.

Of course there’s more legalese – but the upshot is that the FEC has made a sensible decision that in fact the 1st Amendment is still in effect, and whether you are standing on a soap box in Lafayuette Square, or on the electronic soapbox of the internet, your political speech is protected!

Will wonders never cease! Now, to get rid of the root problem that caused the whole issue to come up in the first place: the legal abortion infamously known as “McCain-Feingold”.

McCain-Feingold delenda est!