Durbin: Only Government-Approved Journalists Should Enjoy First Amendment Protections

[Valin]

Ricochet:

Jim Lakely

5/28/13

 

Its sometimes dangerous to take a snippet of a politicians Sunday talk show bloviations and extrapolate them into a ruling philosophy. I dont think thats the case with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and his comments on Fox News Sunday this week. Its clear that he really means what he said about First Amendment protections for subjects of the federal government.

 

While talking about a potential media shield law for journalists, Durbin said this [emphasis mine]:

 

]quote]What is a journalist today in 2013? We know its someone that works for Fox or AP, but does it include a blogger? Does it include someone who is tweeting? Are these people journalists and entitled to constitutional protection? We need to ask 21st century questions about a provision that was written over 200 years ago.

 

As a former credentialed journalist and now a mere blogger, I watched that quote live on Sunday and was shocked by the statement as should everyone who has a computer keyboard. The First Amendment states this:

 

 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

 

Note that the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights explicitly protects the freedom of speech, with a secondary nod to the press. The First Amendment does not define what a free press means, because it doesnt have to do so beyond the standard definition the people publishing their coverage of the government.

 

In other words, the press is just one avenue in which the people can express their right to free speech........(Snip)

[Pepper]

@Valin, there's a reason Durbin is called Dick by everyone except his Mother.

[Geee]

Human Events:

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) appeared on Fox News Sunday to say he has no regrets about pushing the IRS to perform one of those very special conservatives-only audits upon Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS group. He didn’t single them out because they’re political enemies, you see. He just chose them for a bureaucratic beatdown because he thought they’d make a good example to all the other nonprofit organizations, liberal and conservative alike:

Turning to the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups, [Fox News host Chris] Wallace asked Sen. Durbin about a letter he sent to the agency in 2010. In it, he singled out one organization seeking tax-exempt status – Karl Rove’s Crossroad’s GPS. “Why single out Crossroads when you didn’t mention a single liberal group, and there were a bunch that were applying for tax-exempt status at exactly that point,” Wallace asked.

Sen. Durbin readily admitted that he did it because Crossroads was “boasting” about how much money they raised to beat Democrats. According to the law, he went on to say, these groups had to “exclusively” be engaged in social welfare and not campaigning. “I knew that if they went into investigate this group, every other group would be put on notice.”

[Valin]

Human Evvents

 

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) appeared on Fox News Sunday to say he has no regrets about pushing the IRS to perform one of those very special conservatives-only audits upon Karl Roves Crossroads GPS group. He didnt single them out because theyre political enemies, you see. He just chose them for a bureaucratic beatdown because he thought theyd make a good example to all the other nonprofit organizations, liberal and conservative alike:

 

Riiiight!

[Draggingtree]

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