Hassan Spreads the Lie Some More

State Senator Maggie Hassan is now spreading the lie about the threat of foreign influence to political speech.  She was quoted in the Union leader this morning saying...

“We're not saying they dosen't have a right to advocate. We're just saying we want to know who’s behind the advocacy. If out-of-state or even foreign companies want spend a lot of money to influence New Hampshire elections, we want the voting public to know who they are,” she said. [emphasis mine]

This is an ignorant abrogation of the truth and a deliberate effort to gag speech by misleading the electorate.   Maggie Hassan just lied to you to get you to back her intimidation order on political speech.

I think we need to make it clear that anyone who repeats the foreign influence lie should be badgered out of office, anyone who actually votes for this bill based on it should be run out of the state.

Need more proof?  Democrat Rep Jim Splaine stood up for free speech so Norelli gagged him.  He's been removed from the committee of conference on this issue.  What, failed to fill out the proper forms first and pay the filing fee?  Norelli's excuse: we're supposed be coming to a compromise.  A compromise?  So Speaker Norelli is on the record in favor of negotiating the gradual surrender of free speech by objecting to speech she finds "inconveninet?" How appropriate.

My thanks to Rep Splaine by the way for speaking out, and his committment to continuing that mission on the floor of the House.  We don't agree on much, but he seems to agree that we need to protect speech at all costs.

This amendment, whatever it's goals--real or imagined--does not err anywhere near the side of freedom. It is a drunk, ham handed bully, from Concord.   It's mere existance would act to intimate people through the added burden of process, fees and the threat of fines.  And that will dissuade people from speaking out against the government.   And anyone who supports it either has to know this and is doing it intentionally, or is simply too stupid to know better and should get the hell out of office.

No matter what your position is on advocacy or political money, if you've any inclination toward this kind of incremental intimidation of our first amendment rights, you should leave New Hampshire, and perhaps America. You do not belong here.

On that note--Fourteen New Hampshire State Senators looked at this and said, yeah, we can live with this.  These are the people we elected to defend the state constitution.   Do any of them have the slightest idea that their responsibility is to err on the side of liberty?  Maybe the people need to remind them.  And while their at it, perhaps they could as why the democrat party, and Senate Majority leaders like Maggie Hassan, are intentionally misleading them with lies about the risk of foreign influence?

 

 

Comments

[Anon]

The only threat of 'foreign' influence is that which is coming from Colorado with funds donated by George Soros, a foreign enemy.

Let 'em do this -- it can only come back to bite them in the ass.

[Steve Mac Donald]

It's amazing that they are taking up this cause now. It's as if they want to hand us another club to beat them with. Of course this could be some amature effort at Obamaesque misdirection but played badly.

The NH State Senate clealry has too many (D)opes in it.