Republican Bill would ban anonymous Web comments

Republicans in the state of Kentucky are still feeling the heat from the scalding they received from Kentucky Democratic Blogs and whistleblowers, which helped to bring down a corrupt republican governor.

This is their answer.

Republican Bill would ban anonymous Web comments
March 05, 2008

Kentuckians couldn't post anonymous comments to Web sites anymore under House Bill 775, filed Tuesday by Rep. Tim Couch, R-Hyden.

Couch's bill would require anyone who contributes to a Web site to register their real name, address and e-mail address with that Web site. Their full name then would be used whenever they posted a comment.

Web site operators who violated the disclosure law would be fined $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.

The article speaks for itself. Not surprising, just another insight into how a republican's mind works.

•  Is there any way that could pass?

  I mean, that seems really off the wall, and almost impossible to enforce.

  by filmgeek83 on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:12:06 PM PDT

  •  I really doubt it, but...

    We have a Democratic Global Warming denier who has put forward a bill to declare newspaper editors as lobbyist, effectively locking them out of the capital during legislative sessions. This is punishment for the blistering they give him as a luddite.

    So anything is possible.

    by patriot spear on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:16:16 PM PDT

  •  oh they can pass it then watch the shit hit

    the fan when they find out it was one of their republican weasels doing it  or setting up someone else  any one can register anything under anyone's names   good luck on this bill  

    by testvet6778 on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:16:26 PM PDT

•  Typical

  Why does this not surprise me?

  by BoiseBlue on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:12:35 PM PDT

•  Hahahah

  ...wait, seriously?

  What universe do these people live in?

  by jforman on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:14:23 PM PDT

  •  ours and our nation to? now that is the scary

    part to me

    by testvet6778 on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:17:28 PM PDT

•  There gonna have trouble

  following me through all the tubes with their dump trucks!!! BwAHAHAHAHAHAH

  by demotarian on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:16:38 PM PDT

  •  Dump a load & clog the tubes N/T

    by Wino on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:18:53 PM PDT

•  So much work will have to be done

  to swing the pendulum back to the Constitution and to the people.

  by niteskolar on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:18:44 PM PDT

•  "I hate Kentucky Nazis" (n/t)

  by Mickazoid on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:18:44 PM PDT

•  This is nuts...

  So would it apply to servers within Kentucky?  Users within Kentucky?

  Let me guess:  it doesn't say.

  by sheddhead on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:21:19 PM PDT

  •  The folks

    have no idea how the technology works.  What a bunch of fools....

    by luckylizard on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 06:07:29 PM PDT

•  Who is this Republican Bill?

  I'll kick his scrawny ass!

  by word player on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:22:30 PM PDT

•  Should it pass, I webhost blogs

  out-of-state or out-of-country, your choice.

  Fat chance enforcing a enforcing that Kentucky law in San Francisco or Canada.

  by opendna on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:23:00 PM PDT

  •  maybe bush and mcconnell will enlist

    the help of the NSA and the telecoms. Seems they're kind of equating anonymous web comments with terrorism, no?

    by dougymi on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:27:52 PM PDT

    •  The Great Firewall of American. /nt

      by opendna on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:35:08 PM PDT

•  Haven't they heard of Thomas Paine?

  I guess not.

  by Ernest T Bass on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:26:56 PM PDT

  •  In 2008...

    The US government can neither confirm nor deny that Boston-area blogger Thomas Paine is in custody at Gunatanamo Bay Naval Base on suspicion of treason.

    Starve the corporate beast, buy local!

    by EthrDemon on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:24:32 PM PDT

•  If the bill passes...

  Here's how to fill in those blanks:

  Tim Couch
  PO Box 710
  Hyden KY 41749
  [e-mail]
  Home: [phone]
  Home: [phone] (fax)
  Annex: [phone] Ext. 632

  by SarahG on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:27:14 PM PDT

  •  ouch never let me pizz you off

    by testvet6778 on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:29:21 PM PDT

  •  I already wrote him

    to ask why Kentucky Republican's hate the Founding Fathers, who published anonymously, and by extensions, our freedom.

    Just like al-Qaeda.

    by calipygian on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:36:06 PM PDT

  •  Although

    home numbers cross the line.

    Even if they are already public domain, I wouldn't have repeated them here.

    by calipygian on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:36:46 PM PDT

    •  no they don't.

      pigs deserve what they get.

      by RabidNation on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:20:54 PM PDT

•  asdf

  Why do Kentucky Republicans hate our Founding Fathers?

  Common Sense was a series of pamphlets written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Paine wrote it with editorial feedback from Benjamin Rush, who came up with the title. The document denounced British rule and, through its immense popularity, contributed to stimulating the American Revolution. The second edition was published soon thereafter. A third edition, with an accounting of the worth of the British navy, an expanded appendix, and a response to criticism by the Quakers, was published on February 14, 1776.

  by calipygian on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:28:18 PM PDT

•  While I oppose the proposed law...

  on a civil liberties basis, I believe a case can be made why people SHOULD, not must, SHOULD, use their real names.  I think it would increase the civility on a lot of sites.  I think many people hide behind their anonymity and say things that wouldn't say to someone's face.

  by George Gould on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:54:13 PM PDT

  •  In theory, yes.

    But I've been harassed when using my real name, not because I was uncivil, but for the opposite reason, if you get my drift.

    It was pretty creepy.

    Our local newspaper used to require street addresses for Letters to the Editor. This had a chilling effect on a lot of people who might have posted ideas challenging our generally conservative neighbors.

    I don't know what the solution is, but I value my anonymity.

    by fiddler crabby on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:03:26 PM PDT

    •  I understand that...

      My sig. line says pretty much what I feel about other people's opinion of me.

      Once I had some guy wanting to kick my ass for something I said with which he disagreed apparently, and I told him, "Before you proceed, I want you to know, you're not getting a virgin."  He left.

      by George Gould on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:14:54 PM PDT

•  What a monster!

  He even says he doesn't think it would work, and that it "raises" First Amendment "issues"!

  And he's introducing it anyway.

  So, his view is that violating the Constitution is worth it for a bill which wouldn't work anyway.

  by neroden on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:54:42 PM PDT

•  McIntyre v Ohio Elections Commission

  The Supreme Court's already weighed in.
  http://laws.findlaw.com/...

  Section 3599.09(A)'s prohibition of the distribution of anonymous campaign literature abridges the freedom of speech in violation of the First Amendment. Pp. 7-24.

       (a) The freedom to publish anonymously is protected by the First Amendment, and, as Talley indicates, extends beyond the literary realm to the advocacy of political causes.

  STEVENS, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which O'CONNOR, KENNEDY, SOUTER, GINSBURG, and BREYER, JJ., joined. GINSBURG, J., filed a concurring opinion. THOMAS, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. SCALIA, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which REHNQUIST, C. J., joined.

  by ben masel on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 01:58:24 PM PDT

•  The verbatim response (already!)

  to my e-mail:

  I have mothers of school age children that are extremely concerned about
  posts to blogs about there child. The bill would require registration to
  web blogs and this is not a bad thought.  Thank you for your comments.
  Tim

  It's always about the children.

  by calipygian on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:19:27 PM PDT

  •  Ahh Republican "logic"

    Government doesn't work.
    Families, not the community, are responsible for raising children.

    Therefore:
    Government should make more laws based on protecting children.

    Starve the corporate beast, buy local!

    by EthrDemon on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 02:28:03 PM PDT