John McCain is flat scared of the Internet.
Period.
And for one simple reason.
The power of the Internet to Shape Elections.
McCain's attempt to control the Internet through the hurried introduction of a bill entitled "Stop the Online Exploitation of Our Children Act 2006"-neatly timed at the demise of the dying 109th Congress-is a veiled attempt to lasso the Internet (insert "blogosphere" here) through the fear-based tactic of "protecting the children".
"The Macaca Effect" on political careers-the reporting by bloggers (America's true free press) of insensitive incidents by politicians that spread like wildfire through the Internet and the resulting effect of such incidents-has McCain boogeying (or boogey-manning) the public by professing to save America's Kids from those nasty online friendly strangers.
McCain offered no evidence that children are being victimized by people who post comments on blogs.
Yet the fever pitch remains high in Washington regarding the use of your kids by your government as pawns to pass legislation that would serve to benefit the individual politician.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gave two speeches recently on the topic, including one on Friday in which he said "we must do all that we can to protect our children from these cowardly villains who hide in the shadows of the Internet."
Social networking sites would be forced to take "effective measures" — such as deleting user profiles — to remove any website that is "associated" with a sex offender. Sites may include not only Facebook and MySpace, but also Amazon.com, which permits author profiles and personal lists, and blogs like DailyKos, which allows users to sign up for personal diaries.
Interesting enough, the conservatives are all over McCain about this one.
RedState's "John McCain Censors the Internet" cites the legislation as "pandering" and also indicates:
"...But, as legislation, it's very poorly crafted and shows a certain cluelessness when it comes to the medium he has repeatedly tried to regulate to death. It also dashes the hope expressed by some that McCain would represent a revival of the Goldwater-Gingrich "leave us alone" coalition that could drive a stake through the heart of Big Government Conservatism. As with CFR, as with Kyoto, as with the gun-show loophole, McCain's answer is always to regulate first, and ask questions later -- the essence of Big Government "conservatism."
Touche.
If McCain is so worried about kids, perhaps he should clean up his own backyard, i.e. Mark Foley.
U.S. News & World Report slaps down the recent House Ethics Committee's report exonerating GOP leaders. "The bipartisan report on the Mark Foley scandal was a study in pitiful cowardice."
Something tells me...
A "YouTube" coming attraction featuring John McCain, will soon be in wide release and appearing on computers everywhere.
Popcorn anyone?