tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316486182743991911.post1881445645076229543..comments2023-09-21T09:05:02.605-04:00Comments on Viral History: Stop the gag order. Lobbyists are protected by the First Amendment.Ken Ackermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16348967274722508119noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316486182743991911.post-87895953960849354682010-01-18T18:06:27.044-05:002010-01-18T18:06:27.044-05:00I'm the kind of hombre who enjoys to seek unpr...I'm the kind of hombre who enjoys to seek unprecedented things. Currently I am manufacturing my personal solar panels. I am making it all by myself without the aid of my staff. I am utilizing the net as the only way to acheive that. I encountered a very amazing website which explains how to build solar panels and so on. The internet site explains all the steps required to solar panel construction.<br /><br />I'm not exactly sure about how correct the info given there iz. If some people over here who had experience with these works can have a look and give your feedback in the site it would be awesome and I would really value it, cauze I extremely love [URL=http://solar-panel-construction.com]solar panel construction[/URL].<br /><br />Tnx for reading this. U guys rock.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316486182743991911.post-87703332663712473042009-03-26T13:56:00.000-04:002009-03-26T13:56:00.000-04:00Ken, I love this post! First of all, let me clari...Ken, I love this post! First of all, let me clarify by saying I am NOT a lobbyist, nor do I play one on tv, (however I am married to one, so maybe that counts?)<BR/><BR/>It amazes me to hear the public criticize 'special interest' groups. When I hear it, I usually ask them what they do for a living. Do you have a job? Do you or someone in your family have an illness? Do you have a passion? Do you like to live, eat, breathe? Then guess what - ALL of that, in a nutshell, is a special interest. <BR/><BR/>You think Congress/Senate doesn't get anything done NOW? Then I ask them to imagine if every doctor, nurse, realtor, farmer, retail owner, or tax paying citizen called their Congressman/Senator to voice a concern. They're usually very silent for a moment or two, and then it's like a light bulb comes on. <BR/><BR/>Without lobbyists, they have absolutely no voice. And that is very dangerous.<BR/><BR/>Hillbilly DebutanteKathie Truitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04112414357583203795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316486182743991911.post-61429990895447416012009-03-24T16:23:00.000-04:002009-03-24T16:23:00.000-04:00This should read "Lobbyists are protected by ...This should read "Lobbyists are protected by the First Amendment -- just like every other citizen." <BR/><BR/>Yes, I'm a registered lobbyist as well. http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/lobbyist.php?lname=Durkin%2C+David+L&id=Y00000232320&year=2008 <BR/><BR/>I have two points I wish to add to Ken's otherwise trenchant post. First, everyone should realize that big corporations and other entities that can send their own officials in to talk about what they want out of the Stimulus Package. These people very well may need not register because they are lobbying on their own behalf and can therefore walk right past the gag order. If you don't have the resources, sophistication, or wherewithal to do this type of work yourself, you are now disadvantaged as to those -- like the CEO of a large automobile company or the President of an autoworkers' union -- who do.<BR/><BR/>Second, and more troubling, is that the gag rule appears to be unconstitutional. While our First Amendment rights are subject to reasonable "time, place, and manner" restrictions (as the Senior Lecturer on constitutional law from the University of Chicago School of Law should recall from his teaching days), it is arguably unreasonable to impose the gag order (a time, place, and manner restriction) on some, but not all, persons who are petitioning the government for the redress of grievances based upon their status as a registered lobbyist. I would hope that a group of groups which employ lobbyists and lobbyists themselves will rise up and challenge this affront to our ability to ensure that the Administration has the best available information presented to it.David L. Durkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02875903026643159154noreply@blogger.com