Senator Amy Klobuchar’s “10 Strikes Bill” is dangerously close to turning most Americans into criminals. The Bill would classify streaming content 10 times or more as a felony, punishable with up to five years in prison. So, a teenager who uploads 10 or more videos of him or herself lip-syncing is committing a felony. So is anyone who uploads a video of  themselves doing karaoke, ten times or more. And parties that include background music. And videos of public performances. We need to stop this madness! http://bit.ly/ikg2ZZ

David Segal, Demand Progress’ Campaign Director, explains that the Bill “has the potential for innumerable unintended consequences that would stifle innovation and personal expression on the Internet.” Again, our lawmakers have shown a drastic lack of understanding of the fundamentals of the Internet.

The Bill claims to target only companies that profit from video streaming, and that it will not be used to prosecute individuals and families– but there is no wording protecting them beyond the label “profitable.” The Bill has already passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We must act before it sneaks its way into our laws!

Join thousands of Demand Progress members in fighting to prevent this travesty: http://bit.ly/ikg2ZZ

This week, a bill could pass that would alter Internet freedom forever. The 10 Strikes Bill, put forth by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MI), classifies streaming copyright infringing music or movies over the Internet a felony, and after 10 strikes, you could face jail time. Sign our petition to stop this madness:

http://bit.ly/ikg2ZZ

Techdirt asserts that you could face five years in jail for simply embedding a youtube video, and that the laws apply to children who put videos of themselves lip syncing to popular songs on youtube.

Once again, the government shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the Internet and Internet freedom. Instead of writing a set of laws that would be quickly evaded, we should be working towards a new set of standards to protect Intellectual Property while accommodating the freedom of information the Internet provides. The force behind the bill, the Motion Picture Association of America, acts solely in Hollywood’s interest.

Protect your own interests and sign our petition to keep the Internet free!

http://bit.ly/ikg2ZZ

Even though Senator Dianne Feinstein never went to law school, somehow or other she managed to get a seat on the Judiciary Committee. The disasters of the Bush Administration in no small part were facilitated by her lack of understanding why Article I has primacy in the relationship to Article II. But let’s look at the Bill of Rights, numerically.

1st Amendment: Peaceful assembly seems to be OK with her, unless it is at a rave. Petition of redress is OK, but with onerous reporting requirements. As for the right to free speech, not cool if it involves a flag (she was the “main Democratic sponsor”).

2nd Amendment: Today, she is screaming in bold font against the 2nd Amendment. Not surprising, as she once famously told 60 minutes following the Brady Bill vote, “If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in — I would have done it.”

3rd Amendment: To her credit, as far as I know she seems OK on the quartering of troops, but that may just be because it hasn’t come up. If it did come up, there would probably need to be thousands of calls to her office as she vacillated on the issue since it centers on privacy rights.

4th Amendment: Just yesterday, she caved on the part about, “right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” And she’s been a cheerleader for the Patriot Act.

5th & 6th Amendments: Due process and right to a fair trial have not been her strong suit, either. On her support of the Graham-Levin Amendment, the ACLU writes, “by stripping detainees at Guantanamo Bay of the ability to file habeas petitions and other claims in federal court, it unconstitutionally removed the system of checks and balances for persons seeking protection against the government’s use of torture and abuse and other denials of due process.”

7th Amendment: She doesn’t seem to have a problem with findings of fact to be decided by a jury.

8th Amendment: She totally shot to hell any credibility on “cruel and unusaul” during her disgraceful caving on Michael Mukasey

9th Amendment: If she refuses to support the rights that are specifically enumerated, not so much one to trust on all the rest. Which is how she ended up on the wrong side of history by attacking Mayor Gavin Newsom for supporting Marriage Equality.

10th Amendment: If she agrees with state’s rights, she supports them. If not, she doesn’t.

I’m sure I’m missing a number of additional references. Yet my question isn’t so much why it is so difficult to keep track of all her attacks on civil liberties, but why she is on the Judiciary Committee.

Tommorow is the day! We need to show our support for the only candidate supporting our Democracy: Dennis Kucinich.  

From the Kucinich Campaign:

On December 15th, 1791, our founders made history when this fledgling nation adopted the Bill of Rights – that sacred, powerful, and visionary statement that establishes our freedoms and guarantees our protections. Now, we have a chance to make history again and turn this Saturday, December 15th, into another turning point for this nation.  (Click here for a special message) Our grassroots supporters – the heart, soul, and lifeblood of this campaign – have launched an inspiring effort to raise millions of dollars on one day, December 15th, to show the nation and the world that we can’t be bullied, we won’t be bossed, and our voices will be heard throughout this campaign!.    A special message and a powerful video (click here) from video blogger and Kucinich supporter Davis Fleetwood:

With the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary fast approaching, December 15th is shaping up as a turning point for the Kucinich campaign. William Scott Hunter, a Kucinich supporter, started the ball rolling for a December 15th Dennis Kucinich “money bomb” with the potential to electrify the entire Presidential campaign. “Our goal is ambitious,” says Hunter, the organizer of www.December152007.com, “but it has to be in order to have the impact Kucinich deserves. In America, candidates are considered ‘electable’ or ‘unelectable’ based on their bank accounts. It’s pretty hard to argue that a guy who can raise $10,000,000 in one day is unelectable.”

And let us not forget what Kucinich’s leadership has been:

The only Democratic Candidate to oppose the War and the subsequent Occupation

The only Democratic Candidate to show the judgement and Constitutional integrity to vote against the Patriot Act

One of only six House members to vote against the Homegrow Terrorism Act

The only Democratic Candidate who is taking the threats to our Democracy seriously and actually holding this Administration accountable through Impeachment

The only Presidential Candidate offering a truly universal, not-for-profit health care system

The only Democratic Candidate who will cancel U.S. involvement in job killing, deficit building, human expoliting, environmental raping trade agreements, NAFTA/WTO

Really it goes on. We have seen this leadership. Kucinich has been the heart and soul of this party; the only Democrat willing to stand up for the party’s principles, rather than play party politics; the only one willing to put the Constitution and all Americans ahead of politics.

We need to support Dennis because he is speaking for us. And we need to support him now before it is too late. Please follow this link and make your $100 contribution tommorow, December 15th! Support Dennis Kucinich!