Blogs and the first amendment

By: Christina Woldt

Today in The Associated Press an article entertained the idea that blogging might be lobbying. As we all know, political lobbyists try to sway public opinion and are supportive of a certain policy or position. Lobbyists try to sway the public to join their "team". The topic of Blogging came into play when discussing the 1972 and 1992 laws on lobbyists. The article described that under the law,

"Lobbyists must register with the state, and submit regular reports about who pays them, how they spend money, and which issues they’re working on. Groups that don’t fit the traditional definition of “lobbyist” also have to file reports, provided they meet certain spending thresholds while leading public campaigns intended to influence public policy."

For popular bloggers such as David Goldstein and his political blog on Horseass.org is all about swaying the public and speaking out about political issues. Isn't this what the first amendment is all about? Goldstein is merely speaking his opinions, it's just to a larger audience. Isn't it safe to say that we all could be considered lobbyists? As much as we try not to enforce our beliefs on others, we all slip up at one time or another. We all can blog, we all are human beings with a voice, so we all are lobbyists, right?