Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Update — GOP Rises Above the Lowest Depths

Further to House GOP Sinks to New Low, I see via the wonderful Carpetbagger site that, Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has decided to revise his committee's records to remove the multiple inaccurate and slanderous descriptions of Democratic amendments.

(Example: an amendment to exclude bus and taxi drivers from criminal liability for transporting a child across state lines, on the theory that ordinarily they would be unaware of her destination was reported as a bill to “exempted sexual predators from prosecution if they are taxicab drivers, bus drivers, or others in the business of professional transport”.)

The act is gone; the stench lingers.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | 14 Comments

Broadcast Flag Dead

Public Knowledge writes:

Public Knowledge is pleased to announce that The U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit this morning threw out the Federal Communications Commission's order establishing the so-called “broadcast flag.” In a unanimous opinion, the court agreed with our argument that the FCC exceeded its authority in creating this broadcast flag scheme. Judge Harry T. Edwards, writing for the court, said: “In the seven decades of its existence, the FCC has never before asserted such sweeping authority. Indeed, in the past, the FCC has informed Congress that it lacked any such authority. In our view, nothing has changed to give the FCC the authority it now claims.” This was a case that Public Knowledge organized and financed. We're still looking for help to pay for the case, so please take the opportunity, if you haven't, contribute to PK or become a member. It's easy. See here: http://www.publicknowledge.org/membership-drive-200504.

We couldn't have done it without the help of our co-plaintiffs, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, American Association of Law Libraries, Medical Library Association and the Special Libraries Association.

Posted in Administrative Law | Comments Off on Broadcast Flag Dead

David Howarth, MP

It's David Howarth MP – Thank You Cambridge! (Cambridge Liberal Democrats).

4000 majority! That's huge by British standards. David told me he would win when I saw him a few months ago, but every good politician believes that.

In his acceptance speech, David said: “This has been an extraordinary campaign, an extraordinary day, and an extraordinary result. Cambridge has rejected Tony Blair's war, his tuition fees, his council tax, and his 'third way'.”

David Howarth Liberal Democrat 19,152 44% (+18.9% from 2001)

Anne Campbell Labour 14,813 34% (-11.1%)

Ian Lyon Conservative 7,193 16.5% (-6.4%)

Others 2,411 5.5%

TURNOUT 43,847 62% (+1%)

Congratulations! (Now get a better photo on that web page, please).

Posted in UK | 1 Comment

Texas to Require Cheerleaders to Wear Burqas

Texas cheerleaders would have to wear burqas under legislation passed by the Texas House.

Well, not really. But just about: Texas targets 'sexy cheerleading'. And who knows what the Texas Taliban plans next?

Has the Texas legislature nothing better to do? Did they conquer poverty while I wasn't looking?

Posted in Politics: US | 7 Comments

I Suppose It’s Better When They Don’t Pretend

Hullabaloo:

I'm not kidding. The man who wrote Joe McCarthy's strongest supporter's newspaper column is now on the payroll of the corporation of public broadcasting as an ombudsman.

People do change and grow over time, so one's first job after college as a ghostwriter for a notorious anti-semitic pro-McCarthy radio broadcaster maybe shouldn't dog you forever. Trouble is, Digby also quotes from a 1997 interview that doesn't sound at all apologetic.

That was the Red Scare. What will they call this current round of national panic, I wonder?

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | 1 Comment

Google Irony

As I write this, I am waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the Google Web Accelerator Download to actually happen.

It's an interesting idea. What I'd like to know is how often they refresh the cache? How will it know when my blog is updated? (And, will it affect counters? I was hoping to hit a million in a year or two…)

Update: I've saved 2.2 seconds! Whooo! (And given up substantial privacy about my browsing habits. What will Google be doing with my complete http: (but not https) clicktrail?)

Posted in Internet | 2 Comments