Harry Reid Says He's Concerned PIPA Will Break The Internet, But We Must Move Forward With It, Because Of 'Jobs'

from the say-what-now? dept

Mon, Jan 16th 2012 8:41am — Mike Masnick

In a short appearance on Meet the Press on Sunday, Senate leader Harry Reid continued to insist that the Senate intended to move forward with PIPA, despite the widespread concerns, despite the White House's statement against the bill, and despite multiple Senators -- including bill co-sponsors -- asking him to hold off putting the bill to a vote.

What's stunning is how misleading Senator Reid is being here. First, he claims that the bill is about "jobs," despite a total lack of evidence that that's true. In fact, as has been noted plenty of times here, the part of the economy that is creating jobs -- the startup/tech sector -- is the one who gets burdened by this bill. David Gregory then responds by pointing out that people keep pointing out to him online that this bill isn't really about jobs, and will harm the internet. Reid then tries to pretend that this is a new revelation. He notes that it was "reported out of the committee unanimously" back in May. That's true, but that was back before most people understood the bill, or the internet had spoken out. Even then, many of us were quite clear in speaking out about why this bill was a problem. But Harry Reid pretends that it's "just in the last few weeks" that anyone has raised concerns." That's flat out ridiculous.

Next he claims that he's working with Senator Feinstein on this, since she's "in the middle" of the issue, representing both Northern and Southern California, where the issue is loudest. This would be the same Senator Feinstein who is so tone deaf to what's happening in her own state, that just weeks ago she insisted that she didn't know the tech industry was upset about the bill.

But the really stunning part? After these bizarre claims, he says, of those who have complained about the bill:

"I think they're right. I think it could create some problems. That's why I've spoken Senator Leahy, the Chairman of the Committee. I've written a letter to the ranking member Senator Grassley, saying that some issues have come up. I think this needs to be a winner for everyone -- not just for the content people.... so we need to work on this."

But then he still insists that they're going forward with the bill! He notes that he's expecting a "manager's amendment" from Leahy -- but Leahy has already said that the manager's amendment is just going to delay the implementation of the DNS issues. If Senator Reid really wants to make sure the bill is a "winner for everyone" then shouldn't we take some time to make sure that everyone's happy? It's doubly concerning that he appears to think these issues "just came up" in the past few weeks. That shows that he's totally and completely out of touch on the many months that people were speaking out against the problems of this bill. If anything that's even more reason to delay things, since Reid himself is admitting he's totally ignorant of the many, many, many problems that people have been discussing for months now.

It's such a politician's response: he pretends that he's in agreement with the concerns of everyone... but then immediately admits he's ignoring those concerns and pushing forward with a bad bill, which he clearly never understood, and which it appears he just found out there was criticism around, despite the fact it's been going on for months. Everything in this statement points to reasons not to vote on the bill on the 24th, and yet he wants to move forward with it. It's just stunning.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: concerns, harry reid, interent, jobs, pipa, protect ip, senate, sopa

62 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

The eejit (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:46am

The way to deal with politicians is the same as the way to deal with zombies: bash them on the head repeatedly until they stop moving.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:50am

he just proves, over and over, what a fucking moron he is.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
:Lobo Santo (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:50am

Re: Zombies, you say?
Isn't there a major politican (*cough* Cheney *cough*) who has no pulse--technically making him undead?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
PaulT (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:55am

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
A Guy (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:58am

SOPA and PIPA are about jobs. If these laws are not passed, some of these politicians may not have high paid, comfy, jobs from campaign contributors to fall back on after getting thrown out of office.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 8:59am

'Majority Leader Eric Cantor has promised him that he will not bring the bill (SOPA) to the floor unless there's real consensus on the bill'.

so, Rep. Issa 'decided that postponing the scheduled hearing on DNS blocking with technical experts is the best course of action'.

now all that's happening is that Reid is gonna do his damnedest to still get PIPA in, despite him owning up to problems with it and lead the way to SOPA as soon as possible afterward!

double win for the supporters here. Issa has been stopped and the money is still doing the talking!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
kenichi tanaka, 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:03am

This just proves that the Democrats are just as corrupt as the Republicans. Democrats are still taking the "let's pass it now and fix it later" approach to passing bills.

Talk about irresponsible.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
TechnoMage (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:11am

huh?
I'm sorry, but I don't read that quote the same way as you apparently do, he is saying there is problems and that they need to work on it so as to not only have the content producers be the winners...

How is that wrong at all? Both republicans and democrats have come out against the expression(read Internet) killing parts of this bill. People (Reid in this case) saying that we need to work on this bill to not have it be only the content producers who are winners... that is what we should ALL be hoping for.

I think this reaction is a bit too much knee-jerk.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Gwiz (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:13am

It's such a politician's response: he pretends that he's in agreement with the concerns of everyone... but then immediately admits he's ignoring those concerns and pushing forward with a bad bill,...

This is a politician's response for sure. I have something similar before:

"Omelettes are not made without breaking eggs" - Maximilien Francois Robespierre

The problem here is that SOPA/PIPA are not just breaking a few eggs, they are breaking the frying pan and the stove also.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DogBreath, 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:14am

More of the same from a clueless congress
Reid then tries to pretend that this is a new revelation. He notes that it was "reported out of the committee unanimously" back in May.

Yea, that is the way they get themselves pay raises too, and no one has ever complained about congressional pay raises... at least to his knowledge (or lack thereof).

Next he claims that he's working with Senator Feinstein on this, since she's "in the middle" of the issue, representing both Northern and Southern California, where the issue is loudest. This would be the same Senator Feinstein who is so tone deaf to what's happening in her own state, that just weeks ago she insisted that she didn't know the tech industry was upset about the bill.

More like she "didn't care" that the tech industry was upset, not unless it costs her the next election.

But the really stunning part? After these bizarre claims, he says, of those who have complained about the bill:

"I think they're right. I think it could create some problems. That's why I've spoken Senator Leahy, the Chairman of the Committee. I've written a letter to the ranking member Senator Grassley, saying that some issues have come up. I think this needs to be a winner for everyone -- not just for the content people.... so we need to work on this."

Aren't "I think this needs to be a winner for everyone -- not just for the content people.... so we need to work on this." just code words for "If you want us to stick our political necks out for you (MPAA/RIAA/etc) you had better start sending in more and bigger bribes... er, "larger political campaign contributions", to us right away.

That shows that he's totally and completely out of touch on the many months that people were speaking out against the problems of this bill.

Isn't it funny how they are almost always out of touch with reality, but never out of touch with your wallet or purse (or their own)?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
TechnoMage (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:18am

Re: huh?
Now I think it is entirely possible that he might be working too hard to get this passed (with amendments to help fix the issues in the bill), but the quotes you use as the most damning evidence... just aren't that damning...

I expect better from you Mike.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Gwiz (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:18am

Re:
err... should be: I have heard something before:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ninja (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:31am

Re:
"It's difficult to get a politician to understand something when some1 is paying him not to understand it."

Fixed.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
letherial (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:32am

Re: Re: Zombies, you say?
well Cheney is the last boss, he is the evil of the evil. You need a special sword, it needs to be blessed by certain atheist that knows the ritual; and we need to sacrifice 10 pheasants...and one lawyer. This must be done with the exact shotgun that Cheney used in his famous hunt the lawyer day.

It still wont 'kill him' but it will debilitate him for a little bit.

Within 24 hours, we must launch him towards the sun...then and only then will our world be safe again.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ninja (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:39am

MAFIAA/Senate/Congress will be hirihg soon...
I wonder, if I go Pro-PIPA/SOPA will I get a job at the senate/congress/MAFIAA that pays me shitloads so I can buy the original content?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Shel10 (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:40am

Was this a discussion about drugs?
Mr. Reid must be on drugs. Did he say "we need to pass this bill in order to know what's in it?" That's what Nancy Pelosi said when asked to explain the "Affordable Health Care Act".

Is this really about Jobs? "This will break the Internet,... We must move forward... because of jobs"!!!! That's proof enough that he is on drugs.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
leavingthedemsoverthis, 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:41am

What a fucking moron. Yes PIPA is about "jobs", all those high paying tech jobs that will be lost here in the US because of Reid and Leahy and their insistence on doing the bidding of the MPAA.

It's sickening.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
musterion (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:49am

Excuses
Ahh, the latest excuse for passing lousy legislation--Jobs. It used to be: "It's for the children"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Mike Masnick (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:50am

Re: huh?
I'm sorry, but I don't read that quote the same way as you apparently do, he is saying there is problems and that they need to work on it so as to not only have the content producers be the winners...

If he's going to make major changes to the bill, then we shouldn't have a VOTE SCHEDULED BEFORE anyone's seen those changes.

If he wants to make all the stakeholders happy, shouldn't the PROCESS BE OPEN?

None of that is true. Instead, he's claiming that just before the vote, he's asking Leahy -- the author of the original bill -- to put forth a managers amendment.

There will be NO discussion. NO hearings. NO input from everyone else.

I didn't misread the quote at all.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
TtfnJohn (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:53am

Reid has been in politics long enough that he's mastered double speak so here he's trying his hand at triple speech. His answer to the question, boiled down to essentials, really seems to be "yes, I want PIPA to go ahead in public but I won't cry all that long if it's defeated or vetoed." He's been paid already so what does he care?

But he is going to sound like he cares about SOMETHING even if that something has little or nothing to do with the question. He's just hoping no one will notice after the verbiage has leaked out,
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 9:57am

Re:
Alternatively, it is about costing jobs in one sector to temporarily assuage the self-inflicted wounds of another.

The attacks on Google and other tech entities, all legitimate American companies that employ hundreds of thousands, if not several millions, of people, by not only the entertainment industry but the government itself, are grotesque and verge on traitorous. This is government acting against its own citizens.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Aaron *Head* Moss (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:02am

Re: Excuses
Next it will be "For the Children's jobs!"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Aaron *Head* Moss (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:04am

Re:
You sound as if you're just figuring this out.

I've been saying this for YEARS!

Doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican. Both sides are equally corrupt and retarded.

The best thing we could do is elimanate ALL politicians.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
gorehound (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:07am

Both of these Parties are so corrupt neither one represents the Nation.Hopefully they will all receive a real wake up call in the next few years.Take away people's freedom and maybe just maybe that will wake up the mass consumers whose children are all growing up around Computers,Cell Phones,IPADS,etc.
I hate this Government.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Vincent Clement (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:25am

Re:
I thought the Tea Party was the wake up call.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Aaron *Head* Moss (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:33am

All about Jobs?!???
I don't see how SOPA or PIPA will help.

Neither one will bring Steve back...

/too soon?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Zos (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:33am

he probably just means jobs for lawyers.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Spaceman Spiff (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:39am

The honest politician as an oxymoron.
Quote Senator Reid, ".... so we need to work on this." Actually, these corrupt morons in the House and Senate need to work on correcting their lack of ethics, and return their bribery proceeds and other ill-gotten gains (insider trading in the stock market, for example) to the American people. Then, we need to throw the bums into prison for the next 100 years or so!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Incoherent One (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:43am

Re: Re:
The Tea Party started with the right ideas, but turned into the WRONG ideas.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:44am

Response to: A Guy on Jan 16th, 2012 @ 8:58am
It is about jobs. Think of all the new tech jobs that will be created to fix all the brokenness of the internet as well as the telephone operator jobs because it is no longer safe to order online.
Well played Senator.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Incoherent One (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:45am

Re: All about Jobs?!???
I for one (while working on a Mac) would love to see Apple fall a few notches. Someone needs to smack that Board of Directors around so they realize how evil they are becoming.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:52am

Re: Re:
LOL. Google doesn't employ hundreds of thousands, and tech doesn't employ millions of Americans. They employ lots of servers tho...

And even if they did, so what? These are people that steal from others to help their own bottom line. Yeah, that sounds like a good way for a country to allow its economy to function...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:55am

Re:
what high paying tech jobs are those?

seriously, you're crackin me up...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Martin, 16 Jan 2012 @ 10:58am

Politicians = dumb
Marxists always talk about jobs jobs jobs. Their logic is equivalent to destroying a machine that's operated by one person so that 100 hundred people can be employed to do what the machine was previously doing. Senator Orrin Hatch co-Authored PIPA, look how much he hates the Internet. http://www.dethronehatch.com/orrin-hatch-is-no-friend-of-the-internet/
He's support destroying one's computer without due process for violating copyright lol. He's also making tens of thousands of dollars for trying to push SOPA (which he co-sponsored) and PIPA.
http://blog.experts-exchange.com/ee-tech-news/sopa-update-blackouts-pacs-and-a-little-bit-of- irony/
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jay (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:03am

Re: Re: huh?
Mike, an honest question. Reid is the same man that put the entirety of the Patriot Act into a bill that was going to pass the Senate anyway. What stops him from doing the same thing for PIPA?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jay (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:04am

Re: Re: All about Jobs?!???
Someone needs to smack that Board of Directors around so they realize how evil they are becoming.

Becoming?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
hrwaller (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:11am

Re: Re: Zombies, you say?
Hopefully someone will pull the plug on his pump making him technically dead.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ZeeBat (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:14am

Re: Re: Re:
"LOL." inverted rubber boinker tool shot

and you sound like a fucking tool.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MrWilson, 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:15am

Re: Re: Re:
He said, "Google and other tech entities... employ hundreds of thousands, if not several millions, of people..."

And he's correct by some estimations:

"This brings the overall employment number for the industry to 4.068 million."

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222384/U.S._tech_employment_nears_its_all_time_ high_

"These are people that steal from others to help their own bottom line."

[Citation needed] Please indicate where the software engineers who work for Google on Gmail are stealing from others. Please indicate where the people who design Adobe products are stealing from others. Please indicate where network administrators are stealing from others.

It's cute, if completely demonstrative of your disingenuousness, that you pretend Google is the entire tech industry and that the entirety of Google's profits are illegitimate and based only on piracy.

You sound like my grandmother when she expresses her belief that Google is the internet.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:15am

Re:
Ron Wyden, a Democrat, has promised to filibuster this bill
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MrWilson, 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:19am

Re: Response to: A Guy on Jan 16th, 2012 @ 8:58am
You mean all the foreign jobs that will be created when US companies offshore their tech support and telephone operations because the US has become unfriendly towards the tech industry.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DogBreath, 16 Jan 2012 @ 11:22am

Re: The honest politician as an oxymoron.
I think "Life + 70 years after death" ought to be the minimum sentence. Hey if it's good enough for copyright, it ought to be good enough for lying and thieving politicians.

It can be called the "Sonny Bono - Life after Death Act"
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Chris-Mouse (profile), 16 Jan 2012 @ 12:16pm

Re:
It's about jobs all right. The high paying jobs that the politicians and their staff will be getting with the *AA after this bill passes.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 12:35pm

Flashbacks to Y2K?
I guess he thinks that if he fucks up the internet enough, there will be a ton of tech jobs needed to not only perform the breaking of the internet, but to invent the next wave of technology needed to replace it?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 12:41pm

Re: Re:
Corrupt yes. Retarded no. Not only are they both corrupt, but they work together to be corrupt. Do a little research on how redistricting works to see a great example of this in action. Dems and Reps draw up the lines to water down the effect of Independent voters so that both sides get to stay in power without having to campaign as hard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 12:45pm

Re: huh?
The problem is that a) this whole bill needs to be thrown out and not pushed though with a few tweaks to save face with the public who has already said they don't want it, and b) there are much bigger problems facing this country right now and this has been a total waste of time and attention.

All of this is totally pointless if we don't find a way to solve our energy problems. You can kiss all of the tech jobs good by if we can afford to power the machines in the first place.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 2:08pm

I would love to see someone try and explain how making a granted monopoly stronger helps create more jobs.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
anonymous, 16 Jan 2012 @ 2:18pm

it sure is about time that all these senators and congressmen got voted out of office! not simply because of all the 'campaign contributions' they get from certain industries, nor because the very people they were voted in by to represent are not being represented (even listened to!) but because they are too damn old and too damn incapable of understanding today's technology, let alone that of the future!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Hugh Mann, 16 Jan 2012 @ 4:05pm

This asshole is living proof the whole election system is an illusion.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MrInterpid, 16 Jan 2012 @ 5:57pm

Just another reason to know that Harry Reid has run around far to long with his "marble bag" open.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2012 @ 7:16pm

same tactic that he used to pass healthcare.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Loki, 16 Jan 2012 @ 7:26pm

Enron
WorldCom
Freddie Mac
Fannie Mae
Bear Sterns

Given how well their policies concerning business and finance have been used in those industries, I can't wait to see how successful the internet will become under their stewardship.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Loki, 16 Jan 2012 @ 7:42pm

Re: Re: Re:
These are people that steal from others to help their own bottom line.

As opposed to the people who use extortion and blackmail of others to help their own bottom line? Yeah, that sounds like a good way for a country to allow its economy to function...

I can provide just as many "facts"/arguments (if not substantially more) as you can to prove our respective points.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Karl, 17 Jan 2012 @ 8:08am

STUPID!!!!! That's typical for congress! They believe it's better to pass a bad bill than none at all!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Karl, 17 Jan 2012 @ 8:09am

STUPID!!!!! That's typical for congress! They believe it's better to pass a bad bill than none at all!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
demented, 17 Jan 2012 @ 9:30am

Re: Re:
Yeah, and Darrell Issa has been fighting right alongside him.

They're the exception that proves the rule...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DH's Love Child (profile), 17 Jan 2012 @ 2:21pm

Re: Re:
Um, the jobs lost by the companies who won't be able to stay in business because of the onerous compliance demands of this asinine bill.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
UncleRat, 17 Jan 2012 @ 10:35pm

Reid!
Apparently, the "Satan" of big business has bought his vote and he's having problems with the commitment. "Here's a problem and here's another, but they don't mean anything."
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Austin, 18 Jan 2012 @ 9:46am

Re:
That is exactly right. Every1 should be aggreing with you
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Austin, 18 Jan 2012 @ 9:48am

Re: Re: Re: All about Jobs?!???
No they already are evil
[ link to this | view in thread ]
kimbers, 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:53pm

PIPA
Hey the guy was voted back in cause most Americans don't pay attention to much of anything when it comes to the "work" of the government. One day we will all wake up in an America that is no longer free and will only have ourselves to blame
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jennifer Helmick, 8 Feb 2012 @ 8:48am

ELLIE SUCKS
i hate my english assignment. gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

so is ellie jayo.
[ link to this | view in thread ]