SIVACRACY.NET

Sometimes, it all comes together.

First, the scandal:

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) used to chair the NM Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Problem was, her husband was being invesigated about accusations that he had been sexually involved with a minor. Yep.

So, one of the first things she did as head of the department was remove his file. Now everyone in NM is finding out about it. A blog called Democracy for New Mexico posted on YouTube a news clip of Wilson discussing it.

Next problem: The TV station invoked the "notice and takedown" provisions of the DMCA to kill the video clip.

Of course, any one of my students would be able to tell you at length why posting a news clip of a public official who is under scrutiny and up for re-election would be fair use. Duh.

But the DMCA, of course, has no respect for fair use. Neither does YouTube, apparently. The clip came down.

Here is what Democracy for New Mexico said about the case:

UPDATE 10.20.06: In the past couple of days KOAT successfully convinced YouTube to remove the video linked above due to copyright issues. For those who didn't get a chance to view the video when it was available (for weeks if not months), read this unofficial transcript provided by someone who watched it carefully.
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Reminiscent of the still-unfolding scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley -- and what many, even on the right, see as a Republican cover-up -- is an earlier scandal involving Republican Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) and her husband, Jay Hone. The video above shows a KOAT-TV7 (Albuquerque) news story prompted by one of Wilson's first actions when she was appointed to head the NM Department of Children, Youth and Families. Wilson served as Department Secretary from 1995-1998. On her third day in office, she removed a sensitive department case file, which had been opened on her husband, from the agency's central records repository in Albuquerque. Although Wilson initially denied doing so, she later changed her story and admitted removing the file. In other words, she lied. ...