{"id":129516,"date":"2016-01-20T09:11:18","date_gmt":"2016-01-20T16:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/20\/mike-pitts-is-a-dolt-freedom-of-the-press-edition.html"},"modified":"2016-02-10T14:53:52","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T21:53:52","slug":"mike-pitts-is-a-dolt-freedom-of-the-press-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/20\/mike-pitts-is-a-dolt-freedom-of-the-press-edition.html","title":{"rendered":"Mike Pitts is a Dolt (Freedom of the Press Edition)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Does anyone else see the irony in an ostensibly conservative politician filing legislation to create a state registry of journalists, to define what the requirements are to be a journalist before one can be hired, and to fine people and organizations who violate state journalistic regulations?<\/p>\n

Would South Carolina Rep. Mike Pitts (R) suggest a similar registry for churches? How about for people who wish to speak about public matters? Those are the other two protected groups in the First Amendment, who, alongside the press, are guaranteed freedom from government interference.<\/p>\n

For that matter, how does Rep. Pitts feel about gun registries? Surely if we need the state tracking journalists, it should be tracking guns, too, right?<\/p>\n

Look, I get the occasional irk at reporters and bloggers and folk asking embarrassing questions about a politician's campaign finances. But the Founding Fathers (you remember them, right, Rep. Pitts?) sort of settled that a few centuries back.<\/p>\n

"To the press alone, chequered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression."
— James Madison<\/p>\n

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.
— Thomas Jefferson<\/p>\n

Dolt.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n
\n
\n<\/a>
\nA South Carolina lawmaker wants to create registry for journalists. Um, no.<\/a><\/span>
\nYet another politician proposing a registry.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

View on Google+<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Does anyone else see the irony in an ostensibly conservative politician filing legislation to create a state registry of journalists, to define what the requirements are to be a journalist before one can be hired, and to fine people and organizations who violate state journalistic regulations? Would South Carolina Rep. Mike Pitts (R) suggest a … Continue reading “Mike Pitts is a Dolt (Freedom of the Press Edition)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[106,350,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plusposts","category-civil-liberties","category-fourth-estate"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45314,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/17\/margies-kitchen-hilda-koegel.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":0},"title":"Margie’s Kitchen: Hilda Koegel…","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 17-Sep-14 2:33pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Margie's Kitchen: Hilda Koegel Pitts Crab Cakes http:\/\/t.co\/JoDcowyJ0s #recipe","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9488,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2006\/06\/27\/respect_is_earn.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":1},"title":"Respect is Earned, Part 2","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 27-Jun-06 1:03pm","format":false,"excerpt":"And, of course, as further evidence that The Daily Show is not only entertaining, but that politicians are buffoons, I submit yesterday's review of the Video Game Hearings on Capitol...","rel":"","context":"In "Fourth Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Fourth Estate","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/fourth-estate"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1816,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/04\/25\/its_because_the.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":2},"title":"It’s because they didn’t say “Just say no, please.”","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 25-Apr-02 4:19pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazingly enough, a new report shows that abstinence-only counseling has no discernible effect in reducing teen sex, pregnancy, or disease. Such counseling programs are prevented from making any mention of...","rel":"","context":"In "Politics & Law"","block_context":{"text":"Politics & Law","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40912,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/29\/someone-has-anger-management-issues.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":3},"title":"Someone has anger management issues","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 29-Jan-14 8:54am","format":false,"excerpt":"So if you ask\u00a0this particular representative a \"cheap shot\" question, you'll be threatened with violence. Got it. Yeah, that's manly leadership for you.UPDATE: Quoth Grimm later on: \"I verbally took the reporter to task and told him off, because I expect a certain level of professionalism and respect, especially when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1793,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/04\/29\/sounds_like_a_r.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":4},"title":"Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me!","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 29-Apr-02 7:38pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I run Ad-Aware, a free program from Lavasoft, which searches for spyware andother commercial \"We're tracking you for your own good (and our profits)\" programs that get snuck onto your...","rel":"","context":"In "Hi-Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Hi-Tech","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/hi-tech"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28740,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/08\/02\/mike-kelly-is-a-dolt-religious-freedom-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":129516,"position":5},"title":"Mike Kelly is a Dolt (Religious Freedom Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 2-Aug-12 1:41pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Okay, this is hard, Mike (R-Penn.), because most of your blather below is fact-free posturing. \u00a0But let's look at your fabulous press release of yesterday. Washington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013Representative Mike Kelly led a GOP Freshman Class press conference today marking day one of the controversial HHS mandate, which will require all non-exempt\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Church & State"","block_context":{"text":"Church & State","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/church-state"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/iwo-jima.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/iwo-jima.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/iwo-jima.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129793,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129516\/revisions\/129793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}