So long, freedom of speech; it was nice while it lasted
I am writing with an update on the President’s March 20, 2009 Memorandum on Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds. Section 3 of the Memorandum required all oral communications between federally registered lobbyists and government officials concerning Recovery Act policy to be disclosed on the Internet; barred registered lobbyists from having oral communications with government officials about specific Recovery Act projects or applications and instead required those communications to be in writing; and also required those written communications to be posted on the Internet…
Following OMB’s review, the Administration has decided to make a number of changes to the rules that we think make them even tougher on special interests and more focused on merits-based decision making.
First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.
I am definitely going to have to rethink this blog’s policy of no-holds-barred, robust speech; looks like even as mild and inoffensive a commentator as Captain Ed’s already had to do just that:
Silencing dissent and criticism is “necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program”? Gee, what “unique circumstances” might those be? Perhaps the fact that it costs more than the Moon shot, and has yet to halt the economic skid. Maybe it’s the fact that most of the stimulus package doesn’t actually stimulate anything except doctrinaire liberal dreams and the pens that check off the items from the Democratic wish list.
Remember when the Left took to the streets to declare dissent “patriotic” during wartime? I didn’t have a problem with dissent then, but apparently the Left has a curious definition of “patriotism”. Now, suddenly, the federal government can silence their critics at will, not to protect critical national-security programs or keep from undermining a war effort, but to protect a Democratic president intent on seizing control of private industry across a wide swath of the nation. Suddenly, that kind of dissent threatens America.
Can the Obama administration get away with this? I doubt it; I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. After all, if that were true, then I’ d be one of the first peo
Don’t worry, folks; I am assured by the People’s Ombudsman at the Ministry of Truth that Ed’s just fine, and will be taking a nice, long vacation in a plush Federal resort area to reconsider his seditious impudence.
Update! Comment Of The Day, from frothing hatemonger Techie: “I hope he fails.”
Hey, at this point, it’s laugh or cry, folks.
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