SIVACRACY.NET

I'd agree that the Democrats have a mixed record when it comes to digital rights, even though the party of civil liberties and economic egalitarianism will likely stop the erosion of the Separation of Church and State, the Balance of Powers, and other basic Constitutional provisions. It's unquestionably good news for Network Neutrality, which has had political heavy hitters like Edward Kennedy and Hilary Clinton making public statements on its behalf. And -- of course -- it's great to see oafish neutrality foe Ted Stevens out of power. But Democratic positions on playing videogames, using social networking sites, and file-sharing -- all common digital practices -- can also be surprisingly reactionary. A few additions to McGeveran's excellent round-up: Dingell will surely be better than the porn-obsessed Barton on the House Energy and Commerce Committee; for the Intelligence Committee, Harman may be more of an improvement on face-to-face civil liberties than online ones, because her blanket statements about how terrorists and those who prey on children are using distributed networks may be some cause for continuing concern. She also attended closed-door sessions with Republicans on domestic surveillance, so -- according to Newsweek -- new speaker Pelosi may choose Alcee Hastings, who has a better record on Internet surveillance, instead.

Also worth noting that Leahy is a co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 488 "expressing the sense of Congress that institutions of higher education should adopt policies and educational programs on their campuses to help deter and eliminate illicit copyright infringement occurring on, and encourage educational uses of, their computer systems and networks." When the DMCA is already making it so difficult for institutions of higher education to teach about artworks, films, and other objects of visual culture, this resolution seems to add insult to injury.