GOP Senator: White House Encroaching on First Amendment

[I AM EL-NINO]

Holy crap! Is this really happening? WTF?????? You have got to be kidding me.
Obama with his Neo-Marxist crap is really drawing the lines in the sand for revolution. Im astonished it is going this far. What the fuck is wrong with this admin. and thier supporters. Total disgrace.


http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/200...amendment.html

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:

A Republican senator is calling for the White House to suspend a new project that asks members of the public to flag “fishy” claims about President Obama’s health care plans, arguing that it raises privacy concerns and will serve to chill free speech.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is sending a letter to the White House today asking the president to “cease this program immediately” -- or to explain how Americans’ privacy will be protected if e-mails are forwarded to the White House as requested.
“I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests,” Cornyn writes
“I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program -- and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.”
Yesterday, White House director of new media Macon Phillips wrote a blog posting urging readers to flag questionable claims about health care proposals.
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”
Cornyn specifically asks whether those who quote the president’s past statements -- such as his 2003 statement that he was a “proponent” of single-payer care -- qualifies as “disinformation.” He also asks what actions the White House would take against those engaging in “fishy” speech.

[Ash]

how is that encroachment of the 1st amendment. It's dumb but I don't think it has anything to do with freedom of speech.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Ash

how is that encroachment of the 1st amendment. It's dumb but I don't think it has anything to do with freedom of speech.

when the whitehouse asks for people to report indiviuals who oppose the whitehouse's proposed legislation it presents a bit of a problem... it suggests that posting one's opposition could land you in trouble thus chilling free speech. Because it is a fundamental right and because this is political speech it is presumptively invalid (I'll spare you the analysis) were it a law - but as it isn't a "law" it may fall into a limbo land. Still, the fact that he's asked for a policy that had it been an act passed by Congress that would immediately fail the test of constitutionality would suggest that it is more than stupid.

what would have been said if Bush asked for the names of people posting about their opposition to the war?

[molecule]

there's a lot of "disinformation" around about the healthcare plan because there is very little information out there about it.

this is a piss poor way of trying to stomp out opposition and disinformation because they either have no fucking clue themselves about what the plan will look like or they know that if people really did read the 1000 page bill, they would never support such as disaster.

[Ash]

it only suggests what you think it MIGHT suggest. Nobody said anything about not being able to talk openly about opposing it.

as for the Bush question, again nobody said anything about not being able to voice your opposition about the war.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Ash

it only suggests what you think it MIGHT suggest. Nobody said anything about not being able to talk openly about opposing it.

as for the Bush question, again nobody said anything about not being able to voice your opposition about the war.

but because free speech is a fundamental right we don't ask whether or not a person has been muzzled... we ask whether the state action chills one's willingness to express that opinion. The former is certainly impermissible and the latter possibly to probably (again - were it a law... but if the executive is asking people to do this blah blah blah)

[matt]

communism! the world is over!

*waits for the white horseman*

[Typofile]

Its marketing 101.

They want to find out more about the opposition. They want to try and understand the misinformation, and more importantly, what people are specifically concerned about.

They aren't suppressing speech, quite the opposite in fact.

This isn't an evil ploy, its an attempt to better understand the public's opinion on the health care debate. I've received no less than 2 or 3 hundred forwarded emails from my grandmother in the past few months that were full of misinformation and outlandish garbage.

Additionally, there is a big difference between TAKING information and asking for it.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by matt

communism! the world is over!

*waits for the white horseman*

the gov't asking people to report their neighbors is eerily reminiscent of communism... the bill is merely socialist

Originally Posted by Typofile

Its marketing 101.

They want to find out more about the opposition. They want to try and understand the misinformation, and more importantly, what people are specifically concerned about.

They aren't suppressing speech, quite the opposite in fact.

This isn't an evil ploy, its an attempt to better understand the public's opinion on the health care debate. I've received no less than 2 or 3 hundred forwarded emails from my grandmother in the past few months that were full of misinformation and outlandish garbage.

Additionally, there is a big difference between TAKING information and asking for it.

Again, ask yourself. If GW was collecting names of people who posted comments opposing the war would you regard that as marketing 101 and encouraging debate or would you be screaming fascism fascism?

I have little doubt that the administration is quite unconcerned about what people really think about this bill.

[I AM EL-NINO]

Originally Posted by PETA

the gov't asking people to report their neighbors is eerily reminiscent of communism... the bill is merely socialist



Again, ask yourself. If GW was collecting names of people who posted comments opposing the war would you regard that as marketing 101 and encouraging debate or would you be screaming fascism fascism?

I have little doubt that the administration is quite unconcerned about what people really think about this bill.

Bingo! How can people not understand this?

[Typofile]

I love how the conservatives paint everything as some evil plot.

I wouldn't give a shit if Bush had my name because I opposed the war. In fact, I would be more worried if he WASN"T concerned about the opposition's input.

[I AM EL-NINO]

Originally Posted by Typofile

I love how the conservatives paint everything as some evil plot.

Isnt this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Maybe you dont remember but I certainly do. Its all relative.

[Typofile]

Originally Posted by I AM EL-NINO

Isnt this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Maybe you dont remember but I certainly do. Its all relative.

Maybe for some. Not for me. GW didn't need to ask for people to forward him emails about my opposition, I sent my emails to the white house directly.

[Typofile]

And by the way, I never thought that GW was involved in evil plots. I simply disagreed.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Typofile

I love how the conservatives paint everything as some evil plot..

who is saying that?

its just a really bad policy idea