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From Division of Labour, FEC Commissioner Brad Smith explains to CNET magazine what the future holds for online politicking if McCain-Feingold stays on course:
CNET: "If Congress doesn't change the law, what kind of activities will the FEC have to target?"
SMITH: "We're talking about any decision by an individual to put a link (to a political candidate) on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass e-mails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet."
CNET: "So if you're using text that the campaign sends you, and you're reproducing it on your blog or forwarding it to a mailing list, you could be in trouble?"
SMITH: "Yes. In fact, the regulations are very specific that reproducing a campaign's material is a reproduction for purpose of triggering the law. That'll count as an expenditure that counts against campaign finance law.
"This is an incredible thicket. If someone else doesn't take action, for instance in Congress, we're running a real possibility of serious Internet regulation. It's going to be bizarre."
