Since the Obama Regime is compiling an enemies list of American patriots who oppose his health care and other proposals, I've sent the following to his brownshirts.

Please add me to your compiled enemies list. As a patriotic American, I am proud to be added to such a list compiled by a nascent dictator like Barack Obama as he seeks to quash legitimate dissent.

All I've done is exercise my rights under the First Amendment, but if Barry Hussein wants to compile a list of his opponents, I want to be on it -- indeed, I consider it to be a badge of honor to be included on any such compilation by an totalitarian regime. After all, I've found that this site is banned in several foreign countries -- perhaps one day my own president will seek to silence me, too.

Fortunately, my senator has sent the following to the White House in an attempt to stop this totalitarian tactic from being followed by the proto-fascist in the Oval Office.

Dear President Obama,



I write to express my concern about a new White House program to monitor American citizens' speech opposing your health care policies, and to seek your assurances that this program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America's tradition of free speech and public discourse.



Yesterday, in an official White House release entitled "Facts are Stubborn Things," the White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, asserted that there was "a lot of disinformation out there," and encouraged citizens to report "fishy" speech opposing your health care policies to the White House.  Phillips specifically targeted private, unpublished, even casual speech, writing that "rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation."  Phillips wrote "If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."



I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed "fishy" or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests. 



By requesting that citizens send "fishy" emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House.  You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program.  As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.


I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House.  I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program-and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.



So I urge you to cease this program immediately.  At the very least, I request that you detail to Congress and the public the protocols that your White House is following to purge the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech.  And I respectfully request an answer to the following:

• How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech?


• How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for "fishy" speech?


• What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in "fishy" speech?


• Do your own past statements qualify as "disinformation"? For example, is it "disinformation" to note that in 2003 you said:"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan"?

I look forward to your prompt response. 



Sincerely,



JOHN CORNYN



United States Senator

Bravo, Senator Cornyn.

UPDATE: Looks like great minds think alike. It's Operation Go Flag Yourself! Great posts at Brutally Honest, Maggie's Farm, Bookworm Room, The Anchoress, Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 06:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 698 words, total size 6 kb.