I’m back, having gotten myself and my worldly possessions from southern California to northern Virginia. I also have a backlog of items that I’m never going to cover completely tonight, so some issues are going to wait until Monday. So please, check back Monday. There are things I’d love to cover tonight, but I simply lack the time. Let’s start with Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and | Read More »
According to Darrell Issa, SOPA is officially postponed by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith. Issa broke the news on Twitter, which only underscores how important it is that we protect the Internet from capricious censorship, as was the risk under a SOPA-like regime. On the Senate side, Harry Reid has canceled the vote on PROTECT IP, killing momentum for the proposal in both houses of | Read More »
We celebrated Monday when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor effectively signaled the death of SOPA, the Stopping Online Piracy Act. Cantor said the Internet censorship bill would not see a vote until there was consensus on the matter. As long as Darrell Issa, Justin Amash, and Jason Chaffetz are on the case there will be no consensus on sweeping Internet censorship, so Cantor’s position basically | Read More »
Have some more SOPA. We still need to kill the bill and primary the offenders, after all. The bill by Lamar Smith (with strong support from Chris Dodd) is a real problem. Forbes says it relies on ignorance and fiction not facts, understanding, and reality. WordPress developers have come out against it, too. Arguments continue over unlicensed spectrum. Look, I’m open to the argument that | Read More »
I’m back. I ended up taking an extended Christmas break because well, I liked having a break, plus there wasn’t a whole lot going on anyway. But, back to work! Lamar Smith and Chris Dodd still want to censor the Internet, by pushing the SOPA bill that we need to defeat. Why is it bad? Victims get no due process, ISPs have the burden of | Read More »
Nothing in this post shall be construed to impose a belief that Lamar Smith would round up every American into MPAA-run detention centers if Chris Dodd suggested it would be good for big business. Does that sound like a stupid way to begin a post, and does it suggest that I’m about to say the opposite? Well, that’s how the Manager’s Amendment version of SOPA | Read More »
Wednesday night I put off all Tech at Night topics except for SOPA because the critical mark up votes in Committee were coming up. We weren’t supposed to be able to stop SOPA, but we could at least raise awareness, put up a fight, and prepare for the floor votes. And sure enough, the vote to keep the Internet censorship provisions went in favor of | Read More »
Ordinarily I use Tech at Night to cover a variety of topics that come my way, and I have them in my queue for tonight. But with over 30 items to consider and integrate, most of them on SOPA, I’m shelving the rest for Friday, and discussing just one topic tonight: We must defeat SOPA in the House. It is entirely unacceptable, and I believe | Read More »
Good evening. Care for your latest dose of regulation crushes innovation and competition? If you’re unhappy about the lack of innovation in America for mobile payments like they have in Japan, blame the Dodd-Frank bill. It prevented the wireless industry from getting together and making it happen. But we sure stuck it to the bankers, eh? Our faces are sure spited from cutting off our | Read More »
Retiring Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) gave his farewell speech on the Senate floor yesterday and he reiterated his opposition to filibuster reform. Dodd, as quoted by The Hill, said yesterday: I can understand the temptation to change the rules that make the Senate so unique — and, simultaneously, so frustrating. The Senate was designed to be different, not simply for the sake of variety, but because | Read More »
Financial Services “Reform” passed the Senate yesterday on a 59-39 vote. Now the question is what will happen next? What is the end game for this legislation? What will it look like when it is presented to the President to be signed into law? A conference between the House and Senate is expected in the next month to negotiate the differences between the house passed measure | Read More »
Solicitor General Elena Kagan will be making some house calls for one-on-one courtesy meetings with Senators. I can’t tell you how many times over the past two days I hear conservatives say “yeah, Kagan is bad, but if she is defeated or withdrawn, we will get somebody worse.” As many teams are finding out right now in the NBA and NHL playoffs, never look past | Read More »
The Senate continues debate on S.3217 the “Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010″ (The ObamaBailout bill) and votes on amendments will be fast and furious today. The House is voting on “Cash for Caulkers” later this afternoon. The House will complete some committee work on a campaign finance bill and Attorney General Eric Holder will be testifying to a Senate Appropriations Committee asking for money. Conservatives should watch the | Read More »
It almost makes you wonder if Barney Frank isn’t just dating that dude from Fannie Mae, but Chris Dodd too. Together, they brought us the financial crisis relating to Fannie and Freddie. Now they want to do the same to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They’ll greatly enrich Mrs. Dodd too. Michelle Malkin notes there is placeholder language in the cap and trade bill. In other | Read More »
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