• PIPA support collapses, with 13 new Senators opposed
    84 replies, posted
[img]http://i.imgur.com/4IpWD.jpg[/img] [img]http://static.arstechnica.net/assets/2012/01/pipa-shatter-4f1758d-intro-thumb-640xauto-29524.jpg[/img] Source: [url]http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/pipa-support-collapses-with-13-new-opponents-in-senate.ars[/url] [release]Members of the Senate are rushing for the exits in the wake of the Internet's unprecedented protest of the Protect IP Act (PIPA). At least 13 members of the upper chamber announced their opposition on Wednesday. In a particularly severe blow from Hollywood, at least five of the newly-opposed Senators were previously sponsors of the Protect IP Act. The newly-opposed Senators are skewed strongly to the Republican side of the aisle. An Ars Technica survey of Senators' positions on PIPA turned up only two Democrats, Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who announced their opposition on Wednesday. The other 11 Senators who announced their opposition on Wednesday were all Republicans. These 13 join a handful of others, including Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), who have already announced their opposition. Marco Rubio, a freshman Republican Senator from Florida who some consider to be a rising star, withdrew his sponsorship of the bill, citing "legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government's power to impact the Internet." He urged the Senate to "avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences." Another co-sponsor, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) echoed that sentiment. He [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/RoyBlunt/status/159698867892404224]blamed[/url] Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for "pushing forward w/ a flawed bill that still needs much work." Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), one of the chamber's longest-serving members and another sponsor, described the Protect IP Act as "simply not ready for prime time." The partisan slant of the defections is surprising because copyright has not traditionally been considered a partisan issue. Before Wednesday's protests, PIPA had 16 Republican co-sponsors and 23 Democratic ones. The bill lost a quarter of its Republican sponsors on Wednesday, while we know of only one Democrat, Ben Cardin (D-MD), who dropped his support. Those who dropped their support were most likely bolstered by strong opposition from conservative think tanks and blogs. On Tuesday, the influential Heritage Foundation [url=http://heritageaction.com/2012/01/key-vote-alert-%E2%80%9Cno%E2%80%9D-on-sopa-and-pipa/]announced[/url] that it would include SOPA and PIPA as a key issue on its voter scorecard. And the popular conservative blog redstate.com, whose founder [url=http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/12/22/stopping-sopa/]threatened[/url] to mount primary challengers to SOPA supporters last month, has been [url=http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/01/18/roy-blunt-withdraws-his-name-from-protect-ip/]hailing[/url] [url=http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/01/18/this-is-why-marco-rubio-is-a-hero-on-the-right/]Senators[/url] who come out in opposition. Neither side is close to having a majority. A [url=http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Protect_IP_Act_Senate_whip_count]whip count by OpenCongress[/url] found 35 supporters (including 34 cosponsors), 18 opponents, and 12 more Senators leaning toward opposition. About 35 Senators have not committed to a position, perhaps reluctant to do so for fear of angering either deep-pocketed Hollywood campaign contributors or their constituents back home. Here is the full list of new opponents. An * indicates a former sponsor. • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/RoyBlunt/status/159698998578524160%0A]Roy Blunt (R-MO)[/url] * • [url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/john-boozman/lets-address-the-concerns-over-the-protect-ip-act/269413856459340]John Boozman (R-AR)[/url] * • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/USSenScottBrown/status/159363298331082752%0A]Scott Brown (R-MA)[/url] • [url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/digital-and-mobile/update-six-lawmakers-and-counting-abandoning-1005907152.story%0A]Ben Cardin (D-MD)[/url] * • [url=http://www.facebook.com/Sen.JohnCornyn/posts/10150528388144424%0A]John Cornyn (R-TX)[/url] • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/JimDeMint/status/159622833293635585]Jim DeMint (R-SC)[/url] • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/OrrinHatch/status/159726025184526337%0A]Orrin Hatch (R-UT)[/url] * • [url=http://www.inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=f2998e23-fbaa-5dfd-c98a-9a71c579b2b0]James Inhofe (R-OK)[/url] • [url=http://kirk-press.enews.senate.gov/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=2100082649.679.318&gen=1]Mark Kirk (R-IL)[/url] • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/SenJeffMerkley/status/159680068669550592%0A]Jeff Merkley (D-OR)[/url] • [url=http://ktna.org/2012/01/18/murkowski-will-oppose-pipa-over-concern-for-civil-liberties/]Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)[/url] • [url=https://www.facebook.com/SenatorMarcoRubio/posts/340889625936408%0A]Marco Rubio (R-FL)[/url] * • [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/josie__huang/status/159733526525259778]Olympia Snowe (R-ME)[/url] [B]Update:[/B] David Vitter (R-LA) is now [url=http://www.facebook.com/DavidVitter/posts/10150530337192964]also opposed.[/url] He was previously a co-sponsor of the legislation.[/release]
MPAA cry more.
[quote]"pushing forward w/ a flawed bill that still needs much work."[/quote] How about stop pushing it at all and let it fall down the 85 degree hill you've been pushing it up.
:dance:
SOPA and PIPA aren't evil, just overgeneralized. Piracy is still a serious problem. Wouldn't you like 99c songs again? EDIT: I see the Senators can't use their wikipedia today
Nice mix of democrats and republicans there as well, which is a very good sign.
Glorious news.
For the first time ever, I've been seeing people talk about SOPA on Facebook. This blackout is good.
[img_thumb]http://gcoinc.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/sisyphus.jpg[/img_thumb]
[QUOTE=CheeseMan;34283880][img_thumb]http://gcoinc.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/sisyphus.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] that was a bad song
i'm suspicious of this sudden change of opinion.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34283916]i'm suspicious of this sudden change of opinion.[/QUOTE] negative opinion of SOPA and PIPA have hit facebook, and tens of millions of people are now completely aware not only that it exists, but the ramifications of it, and care (at least in my news feed, and this is fucking australia). the bill/s are dead and these congressmen know it. hopefully you're not implying that self-preservation is suspicious in this day and age? Lamar Smith is the figurehead of this shit and his career is over, these people want out before they get lumped in with him too. and it'll work, let's face it, we won't remember these guys half a year from now, but lamar forever be known as "that SOPA cunt"
Snip
Man I like how so many of those politicians flip flopped cause they saw who was going to win and saw the outcry. Really makes their motives as politicians transparent. I'd rather have a politician who actually stands for their principles rather than someone just there for the money. Them doing it is for the better obviously but it shows their true colours.
[QUOTE=Whalen207;34283849]SOPA and PIPA aren't evil, just overgeneralized. Piracy is still a serious problem. Wouldn't you like 99c songs again? EDIT: I see the Senators can't use their wikipedia today[/QUOTE] I agree, although I doubt they will lower prices due to less piracy. I wouldn't mind legislation that actually stops piracy without impacting the flow and availability of information on the internet. But since that's virtually impossible I can't accept anything they try to write. Piracy is wrong, no matter how hard you try to justify it, but it's much worse to throw innocent people in jail because of flawed legislation. I'd rather corporations lose a few million in profits.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34283916]i'm suspicious of this sudden change of opinion.[/QUOTE] Not at all. Opposition wasn't nearly as huge as the opposition today. Now the bills have no chance of really passing without a huge major conflict.
[QUOTE=Aman VII;34283985]Man I like how so many of those politicians flip flopped cause they saw who was going to win and saw the outcry. Really makes their motives as politicians transparent. I'd rather have a politician who actually stands for their principles rather than someone just there for the money. Them doing it is for the better obviously but it shows their true colours.[/QUOTE] Of course they're there to be elected. They aren't there to be there for one term. They want to please the people who would vote for them. It's not a bad thing.
Everyone, censor your Steam names using this: My name is normally Apple, I changed it to A█████. Join the protest!
[QUOTE=Aman VII;34283985]Man I like how so many of those politicians flip flopped cause they saw who was going to win and saw the outcry. Really makes their motives as politicians transparent. I'd rather have a politician who actually stands for their principles rather than someone just there for the money. Them doing it is for the better obviously but it shows their true colours.[/QUOTE] God forbid representatives represent anyone.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34283916]i'm suspicious of this sudden change of opinion.[/QUOTE] The people have spoken, and for once the representatives have listened
About time Vitter did something fucking right.
And this is why you don't fuck with the internet.
MPAA, you're going to need more propaganda and money, because people aren't buying your shit to such a heavy degree, that even your bribed pawns are running away.
It's still a close win for SOPA in the house, check it here: [url]http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/[/url] [editline]18th January 2012[/editline] Wow, Michelle Bachmann opposes it She finally got something right
FREEEEEEEDOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! [img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGIfmTa7OmM/TangqRe8RxI/AAAAAAAAIBw/s5PklPASMeY/s640/freedom.jpg[/img]
In my opinion (my hopeful opinion, I may add), ever since the SOPA/PIPA scene 'hit' Facebook, it was all over (or at least a major blow had been dealt). You know that study that said that about 4 people separate people on Facebook, even if they're in Siberia or something? (Yeah this isn't entirely accurate, but eh) Well... yeah. It's spreading like wildfire. I've heard of people for it on Facebook, but so many people... Friends will tell friends, kids will tell parents, parents will tell other parents, and etcetera and onwards. I know that a decent bit of the kids on Facebook aren't exactly... well... not intelligent, per-say, just... nevermind, intelligent, but hopefully they will still tell.
[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34284445]It's still a close win for SOPA in the house, check it here: [url]http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/[/url][/QUOTE] There are still [url=http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/states]348 unknown stances[/url] in the House.
[QUOTE=KEITH1437;34284619]There are still [url=http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/states]348 unknown stances[/url] in the House.[/QUOTE] Although I'm usually against lobbying, in this case I actually really wish Google would just pay a bunch of congressmen to vote against it
The support/opposition for the bill is pretty divided now. Even if it does pass, if Obama vetoes it, it's pretty much guaranteed not to pass.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34283916]i'm suspicious of this sudden change of opinion.[/QUOTE] it's almost as though politicians don't actually have views and just pander to their electorate next you'll be telling me Rick Perry was a democrat a decade ago! :v: [editline]19th January 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34284445]It's still a close win for SOPA in the house, check it here: [url]http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/[/url] [editline]18th January 2012[/editline] Wow, Michelle Bachmann opposes it She finally got something right[/QUOTE] Now that she's out of the race she doesn't need to act as crazy
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