Candidates Starting To Turn SOPA Into A Campaign Issue: Karen Kwiatkowski Goes After Bob Goodlatte

from the don't-mess-with-the-internet dept

Fri, Dec 30th 2011 2:21pm — Mike Masnick

We recently pointed out that it was likely that candidates running against SOPA supporters (especially in the House) would start using SOPA as a campaign issue -- which could draw the attention and support of the netroots community, like the folks at Reddit, who are just itching to support candidates who oppose SOPA supporters. Well, here's one they might want to check out. Karen Kwiatkowski is running against Rep. Bob Goodlatte in Virginia, and is using SOPA as a key campaign talking point, noting accurately that Goodlatte both was in charge of putting SOPA together for much of the year (though, towards the end, Lamar Smith took over) and that he's become Smith's go to guy in ushering the bill through the House. Karen sees this as a big problem:

Bob Goodlatte spent 2011 CO-AUTHORING and INTRODUCING the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). SOPA makes the federal government EVEN BIGGER.

If passed, SOPA will dramatically increase the federal government�s role in our lives, online and offline. It authorizes the Attorney General to block websites accused of copyright infringement from search engines and ISPs. And it allows the Attorney General to �commence action� against them without a court order. SOPA will result in fewer independent websites, blogs, media sources, start-ups and tech industry jobs. And as a result, lower quality.

How will it do this, you ask? Simple. It increases the cost of doing business for U.S. tech firms, payment network providers and advertisers.

In addition to increasing legal and compliance costs for small businesses, it also increases the size and scope of the federal government.

SOPA expands the State Department, Attorney General's Office, Copyright Office and other agencies and creates a new set of bureaucrats. One we have never heard of before is the �intellectual property attache.� IP Attaches will be trained and appointed to regional bureaus, embassies and diplomatic missions throughout the world. And they work with copyright holders at the expense of taxpayers.

With the Reddit community so actively looking for candidates to support, perhaps it's time to check out Karen.

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Filed Under: bob goodlatte, campaign issue, free speech, government, karen kwiatkowski, sopa

47 Comments

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Hephaestus (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 2:29pm

Interesting thought
Why don't we just call up all the opponents of the people support SOPA and ask them to use this as a talking point?
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- MrWilson, 30 Dec 2011 @ 2:52pm
  
  Re: Interesting thought
  Because then the AC would accuse us of making personal attacks against politicians and only corporate lobbyists are allowed to take such political actions.
  
  We wouldn't want to infuriate our local corporate liaison officer/shill, now would we?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:27pm
    
    Re: Re: Interesting thought
    Also, we would be accused of opposing free speech because we are somehow shouting it down.
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  - Hephaestus (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:33pm
    
    Re: Re: Interesting thought
    Of course we would not want to infuriate our local shills, trolls, politicians, and other lacking humanity types. What was I thinking?
    
    I have an idea lets do everything we can to help them remove all constitutional rights, put people in jail forever without a trial, torture people until they confess, shut down their business because they slighted the wrong business interest, and go back to the good old days of church led inquisitions.
    
    That is exactly what I want ...
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    - TtfnJohn (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:39pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Interesting thought
      I hate to disappoint you but most churches are out of the inquisition business. Didn't pay enough and the PR was just terrible.
      
      Can I direct you to the FBI instead, who don't seem to mind low pay and bad PR? ;-)
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      - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2011 @ 6:53am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Interesting thought
        Well yes, but nobody expected the Spanish one.
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        Bryan O'Doyle, 31 Dec 2011 @ 10:27am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Interesting thought
        Among our tools! Torturing the numbers until they confess,
        Suppression of Heretics (anyone we don't like), um...
        Bugger it, let's start over.
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- EricD, 30 Dec 2011 @ 6:30pm
  
  Re: Interesting thought
  According to wikipedia there are two so far: Karen Kwiatkowski and Jack Arnold
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act#Candidates_Running_Against_Incumbent_S OPA_Supporters
  
  Arnold's anti-SOPA page is here: http://www.jackarnoldfortennessee.org/
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- Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 7:02pm
  
  Re: Interesting thought
  Think about it: What is the talking point?
  
  "I want to defeat a bill so that pirates and counterfeiters can stay in business?"
  
  Sorry, it won't float. The SOPA supporters will make the other side look foolish for supporting pirates.
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  - PaulT (profile), 31 Dec 2011 @ 3:06am
    
    Re: Re: Interesting thought
    "I want to defeat a bill so that pirates and counterfeiters can stay in business?"
    
    Of course, if you weren't as intellectually dishonest and morally bankrupt as Lamar Smith himself, you'd recognise that this is nothing like the point being made. But, you knew that. You just can't bear for people you regularly attack under false pretenses to be on the right side of history again.
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anonymous, 30 Dec 2011 @ 2:42pm

although one is a start, there has to be lot more following the same course. it's about time the 'old guard' in Congress were replaced by people who at least know what is going on and what they are talking about. representing the people instead of big corporations that are only self-interested will not be before time!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 2:50pm

It is well-known that politicians usually do what they say they will...
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- Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:29pm
  
  Re:
  I agree, just because they oppose these sorts of rogue bills now doesn't mean they will later on.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:45pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Negative Nellies! I would rather vote for someone that at least claims they are against it right now and take the chance they keep their word then vote for someone who is not only publicly for it, but actually wrote it.
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wheels4me2 (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:37pm

I gave $50 to Karen K
I hope Karen Kwiatkowski wins her campaign. At the very least, it tells the elected corporate shills that they are on notice to the consequences of their lackey laws trying to stifle free speech and the internet.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:40pm

It's unfortunate that Karen Kwiatkowski is opposed to protecting intellectual property and is choosing to align herself with online pirates. We'll have to see how that works out for her.
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- tsavory (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 3:49pm
  
  Re:
  Since all that hate these bills because of the many reasons that have been stated time and time again that have nothing to do with piracy are pirates.
  Why don't you censor yourself off this site here is how then you will not have to talk to any of us pirates again!
  
  It is simple go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc in that location there is a file called hosts right click it click the edit and at the very bottom of that put
  127.0.0.1 techdirt.com
  127.0.0.1 www.techdirt.com
  and save
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  - Justin Olbrantz (Quantam), 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:44pm
    
    Re: Re:
    You have inspired: Anti-Piracy for Dummies
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    - tsavory (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 6:22pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      yes I have succeeded in inspiring someone.
      
      I love that article hope many people work with ICE this way :)
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      - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 9:44pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        So this website is actively trying to hack?
        
        Let's look into the legality of that.
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        Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 2 Jan 2012 @ 12:52am
        
        Re: So this website is actively trying to hack?
        Don�t you just love the smell of facepalm in the morning...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 8:54pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Yup. When you don't agree with someone, tell them to shut up and go away. That's the spirit of free speech hard at work.
    
    Happy New Year, take off your jackboots and take a load off. You must be tired.
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- el_segfaulto (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 4:29pm
  
  Re:
  Laziest...troll...ever! Put some thought and originality into it man! Have some pride in your work. Kids these days have no conception of what it means to troll well, it used to be that you could count on your local troll to compare you to Hitler, or to call you a child.
  
  Tis a sad state of affairs when even the trolls have given up, I suppose the next step is to offshore their shilling to another country.
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- Grae (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 4:48pm
  
  Re:
  It's unfortunate that Bob Goodlatte is opposed to protecting free speech and is choosing to align himself with oppressive dictatorships. We'll have to see how that works out for him.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:17pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Maybe you can also say he kicks puppies. I'm sure everyone will believe that too.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:43pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      They would believe it just as much as the notion that Karen must support online pirates because she doesn't want to grossly expand the federal government.
      
      I heard that Bob Goodlatte is actually Dracula in disguise.
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    - TtfnJohn (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:44pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Question:
      Do you kick puppies and kittens?
      
      Answer:
      I don't think so.
      
      So perhaps you could come up with a better talking point. Then again, with thinking like that I'd rather have you in charge of Goodlatte's campaign. You're just amazing! Twerp.
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    - nasch (profile), 31 Dec 2011 @ 1:23am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Maybe you can also say he kicks puppies.
      
      Did Bob Goodlatte stop kicking puppies?
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    - why not?, 2 Jan 2012 @ 10:05am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      if your freinds in the industry can sue dying kids with luekimia its a fair assesment.
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- TtfnJohn (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:42pm
  
  Re:
  Strikes me she's aligning herself with the US Constitution and Bill of Rights far more than she is with "online pirates"
  
  Now let's see how well THAT works out for her.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2011 @ 7:01am
    
    Re: Re:
    Why don't you butt out of affairs of our country and worry about the sad state of affairs in the 51st state instead?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2011 @ 7:02am
    
    Re: Re:
    Why don't you butt out of affairs of our country and worry about the sad state of affairs in the 51st state instead?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 5:48pm

clearly karen is aligned with satan and hitler. you freeballing freeball ballfree loader ball loaders of satan's cock have gone too far. you and you're pirate king masnick will not succeed in putting a seedbox on the moon and supplying the world with pure unadulterated communism.
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- tsavory (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 6:07pm
  
  Re:
  So proud of this troll he has imagination.
  
  We are now communist space traveling pirates that worship the devil.
  
  Cool concept you should copyright that so I can infringe on it.
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- bjupton (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 7:34pm
  
  Re:
  This is otherwise perfect, but you used "you're" when you meant to say "your".
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bjupton (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 7:44pm

Karen K
The rest of her agenda is "yikes!".

Although, probably just as bad as Goodlatte's.

This is a tough nut to crack. Going to have to sleep on it.
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- Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 8:55pm
  
  Re: Karen K
  It should tell you that, perhaps, her stand on SOPA is also really a "Yikes!". If she is the "leader", then you guys would be better off following a garbage truck to the dump.
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  - bjupton (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 9:59pm
    
    Re: Re: Karen K
    No, reasonable people can disagree. And just because I agree with someone on a position, does not mean that I agree with them on every position.
    
    Really, who thinks like that? That's pure intellectual sloppiness. John Nash was a pretty fucked up dude, but that doesn't make his work any less valid. He still had and created an insight. I don't have to have paranoid schizophrenia to understand what he showed us.
    
    You are either completely insane yourself in that you cannot see this, or you are being paid. I hope you are enjoying the trappings of your success. The rest of us look down upon you for it.
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Michael Barclay (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 7:59pm

I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at some other issues
I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at her positions on some other issues. For example, things like immigration:
http://karenkforcongress.com/issues/immigration

and abortion:
http://karenkforcongress.com/issues/abortion

and the 16th Amendment!
http://karenkforcongress.com/node/40

After seeing all that, I'd rather donate to Darrell Issa.
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- Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2011 @ 9:06pm
  
  Re: I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at some other issues
  Repeal of the 16th Amendment is advocated by several constitutional law scholars for a myriad of reasons, so it is not paricularly surprising that a person of conservative/libertarian bent would agree.
  
  Like you, I did visit her website and look at her position on many of the current "hot button" issues. Frankly, she makes in my view Rush Limbaugh look positively progressive.
  
  While I happen to agree with several of her positions, it does seem that she has staked out a platform that does not align with that of those who are likely to vote in primary and general elections.
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- Dave, 30 Dec 2011 @ 10:47pm
  
  Re: I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at some other issues
  You won't be getting a Liberal Democrat to win that seat anytime soon. This is Virginia, remember? Don't forget that a lot of these "so called" progressives are supporting the SOPA bill as well. I have always traditionally voted Democrat, but I am ready to throw one of my own under the bus as a result of their support of this bill. If this District is going to support another right winger anyway, it might as well be one that is not out to destroy this Internet.
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- Miff (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 10:57pm
  
  Re: I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at some other issues
  It's not like she'd keep those promises.
  
  Hell, she probably won't keep the SOPA one either.
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- Rekrul, 31 Dec 2011 @ 4:34am
  
  Re: I was about to send Kwiatkowski some money until I looked at some other issues
  For example, things like immigration:
  http://karenkforcongress.com/issues/immigration
  
  I agree! We should pass a law that anyone who manages to sneak across the border undetected, automatically becomes a US citizen, fully entitled to all the benefits that entails!!!
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Dave, 30 Dec 2011 @ 10:31pm

I'll donate to her campaign and anybody else who is running against a SOPA supporter
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Violated (profile), 30 Dec 2011 @ 11:54pm

Politics
Oh I can imagine that one.

Politician #1: You are trying to destroy the Internet, raise The Great Firewall of America, harm the fastest growing market for innovation, the solution does not stop the problem... and you smell bad.

Politician #2: You are nothing more than the head of the freetards who rape the Internet, thousands of Hollywood jobs are being lost every day, favourite TV series are at risk, productions are closing, ticket prices increase, we can't compete against free... and I heard from your friends you are a dirty whore.

Now I only wonder what Politician #3 would say to attack both of them? Now, now children and such.
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Kaleb, 31 Dec 2011 @ 8:37am

Im from Karen's district. It's extremely conservative and no democrat or independent would have a chance here. Karen is a Ron Paul republican, if you're liberal at least you know she's honest and she's anti-war pro civil liberties. And she's got a campaign well underway and has a chance.

Byt I suppose the neocon author of SOPA might be better for you.
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Ben (profile), 31 Dec 2011 @ 12:59pm

Bad wording
It authorizes the Attorney General to block websites accused of copyright infringement from search engines and ISPs

This implies the accusations come from search engines and ISPs rather than web sites are blocked from search engines and ISPs.

It makes the good guys look like the bad guys!
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