GOP Candidates Roundly Condemn SOPA During Debate

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by James Crugnale | 9:50 pm, January 19th, 2012

» 26 comments

During CNN’s South Carolina debate, moderator John King asked the GOP candidates to weigh in on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Bill being discussed in Congress. All of them expressed disapproval.

“You’re asking a conservative about the economic interests of Hollywood?” Gingrich replied. “I’m weighing it. I’m not rushing in. I’m trying to think through all of the many fond left-wing people who are so eager to protect. On the other hand, you have virtually everybody who’s technologically advanced including Google and YouTube and Facebook and all the folks who say this is going to totally mess up the Internet and the bill in its current form is written badly and leads to a range of censorship that is totally unacceptable. Well, I favor freedom! And I think that if you — if we have a patent office, we have copyrighted law. If a company finds it has genuinely been infringed upon, it has the right to sue — but the idea we’re going to preemptively have the government start censoring the Internet on behalf of giant corporations, economic interests, strikes me as exactly the wrong thing to do.”

Mitt Romney agreed with the former Speaker of the House’s position. “The truth of the matter is that the law as written is far too intrusive, far too expensive, far too threatening to freedom of speech and movement of information across the Internet,” Romney observed. “It would have a potentially depressing impact on one of the fastest growing industries in America, which is the Internet. At the same time, we care very deeply about intellectual content going across the Internet. If we can find a way to very narrowly go after those people who are pirating, we’ll do that. A very broad law which gives the government the power to start stepping into the Internet and saying who can pass what to whom, I think that’s a mistake. I’d say no, I’m standing for freedom.”

Ron Paul pointed out that he was the first Republican to sign on with a host of Democrats to oppose SOPA. “This bill is not going to pass,” Paul said. “But watch out for the next one! I am pleased that the attitude is sort of mellowed up here, because the Republicans unfortunately have been on the wrong side of this issue. This is a good example on why it’s good to have somebody that can look at civil liberties and work with coalitions and bring people together. Freedom and the constitution bring factions together. I think this is a good example.”

Rick Santorum also said he didn’t support the bill but made it clear he was a staunch defender of intellectual property. “The Internet is not a free zone where anybody can do anything they want,” Santorum opined.

Watch the Republican contenders roundly condemn SOPA below via CNN:

CNN, GOP debate, John King, newt gingrich, SOPA, South Carolina Debate, Stop Online Piracy Act

Anonymous

Crowd goes wild for meaningless cliche. Crowd goes wild for empty anti-Obama statement. Crowd goes wild for pro-capitalism comment. Crowd goes wild for “I love America!” Crowd goes wild for candidate’s mouth moving. Crowd goes wild for crowd going wild.
AMP2020

Ron Paul owned them all on this one.

“Watch out for the next one” SO TRUE!

Is Ron Paul the most honest person in America? lol
Mo Fokker

I think Ron Paul and Rick Santorum answered the question consistently with their past positions.. Newt, as expected, answered the question like a douchebag, and Mitt Romeny gave a calculated answer based on what was most favorable politically.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-culture-Reasoned-America/100001284363960 Politics-culture Reasoned Amer

Boy between this and abandoning Israel, has Hollywood $$$ dried up for the Marxist in the White House?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-culture-Reasoned-America/100001284363960 Politics-culture Reasoned Amer

Did Newt put John King on suicide watch?

LMAO!

ABC-DNC “NEWS”BIATCH-SLAPPED BY THE SPEAKER!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQWUTBF2KSSVOXCR4PSN66L2PM James

other then Ron Paul I wonder if had not have been for the internet black out. Would they be saying something else ?
Duke Chesnut

#SOPA Written by Lamar Alexander & Chris Dodd, CO-sponsored by Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, DNC Chair. By the party of middle-class values. When this bill passes, the penalties for illegally downloading a Michael Jackson song would be 5 years in prison, 1 year more than the man serving time for killing Jackson. Who the hell writes laws like these? The Demon-crats.
Anonymous

As President, I’m sure they would all veto SOPA *rolls eyes*.

They dont call him “Dr. No” for nothing.

Ron Paul, INCORRUPTIBLE.
Anonymous

Lamar’s a Democrat? He claims he’s the author. Hope someone tells his Texas constituents.

How did Dodd write Sopa when he’s been out of the Senate since 2010 midterms?
Anonymous

VP Marco Rubio has suspended his campaign, suckers….
Duke Chesnut

Lamar Alexander(R) is from Tennessee, who crosses the aisle on many subjects, he votes for gun control and many libertarian ideals. Chris Dodd may not be in office anymore, but as a lobbyist he certainly is active, in writing bills for pet industries.
http://profile.yahoo.com/NTL3E4RLSV5G7GCZII4GAGMSOQ James

Despite being ‘intellectually bankrupt’ the GOP candidates support intellectual property rights.
Hout Bosques

Sure – other than the billion he’s already got.
Hout Bosques

Actually, I should be more serious. The true answer is: no, it won’t. The “Hollywood” behind SOPA & PIPA is the companies that own copyrights, indeed often just a piece of copyright – not the writers, not the actors, not the directors, not the producer, not ANY of the creative people. The creative people learned a long time ago not to get bamboozled into setting for pure percentages of net proceeds. James Garner was the one who made the biggest stink over that bull shit & did everyone else a huge favor by showing what a bunch of grifters those movie library copyright owners really are.
Hout Bosques

SOPA was written by Chris Dodd in his capacity as MMPC president, not as an elected politician; he’s been out of the Senate for over a year now, peddling his influence pretty much on the Newt model. Plus, it’s Lamar SMITH you should have named, not Lamar Alexander; Alexander is a Senator, Smith is a House rep, & SOPA is a HOUSE bill, not a Senate bill. The Senate equivalent is PIPA, & fair enough, Alexander is a co-sponsor.

Put another way – where did you get the idea that Speaker Boehner lets ANY Dem bills come up for debate or vote? Again, SOPA is a HOUSE bill, which means the only way it got on the order table was through the House MAJORITY – Boehner & Cantor in particular.

As I understand, PIPA was a bipartisan effort co-sponsored by a number of Ds & Rs – several of whom have abandoned their sponsorship of it. And I say “was” because Senate Majority Leader Reid took the bill entirely off the order table late Wednesday, so PIPA now sleeps with the fishes.

Time to sharpen your “research” Duke Misspelling.
Hout Bosques

Plus, again: SOPA is a HOUSE bill, not a Senate bill – the Senate counterpart was – emphasis on “was” – PIPA.

I still think there’s ongoing confusion between the Lamars here, Alexander of the Senate & Smith of the House.
Anonymous

So glad Newt as asked the question first. I was going to say I support SOPA before I saw the audience’s reaction.
Hout Bosques

Uh … linky for the threat, please. Because even if he said it – & I haven’t seen that – he can’t enforce it. His association doesn’t have the authority over the creative ‘workers’ in Hollywood. Moreover, Obama isn’t affected by any such threat; if I were looking for someone who might be affected by this, I’d be looking at Al Franken.
Hout Bosques

Actually, the White House told the press last week that President Obama intended to veto SOPA if it came to him in the form it was before this kerfuffle.

So I guess you’ll be saying, Barack Obama, INCORRUPTIBLE now.
Hout Bosques

Look, there’s definitely going to be SOME sort of bill that gets sent to the White House. Ron Wyden has been criticizing the SOPA & PIPA bills from the get go, & now has introduced his own draft bill that’s been pre-approved among a lot of the big Internet players, including Google & Wikipedia in particular. The main problem was the draconian “self-help” remedies that SOPA envisioned being granted copyright owners alleging unfair use, because the way it was drawn, even one of us posting a link here to a Youtube video could create huge problems for Mediaite. An independent standard plus a pre-litigation warning was ALWAYS the battleground for this.
Duke Chesnut

News for Chris Dodd: Hollywood Reporter;NPAA Chief’ ‘Hurt by…”
More news from MediaBistro: 22 related stories:: last 5 hours..
No the assoc. can’t enforce it , but if actors want to work again, best not get in pissing war with Dodd.
Anonymous

In case you missed it, the US and New Zealand governments were able to take down the MegaUpload pirate sites without using SOPA or PIPA. So, why do we need those bills again?
Derek 852

A quick google search for santorum will reveal where he gets his unique perspective on this issue
http://newsbusters.org/ AliveStiIIKickin

And do you support Agenda 21?
Welcome to your cubicle
Anonymous

The same way Obama said he’s veto the NDAA?

In all likelihood he will sign some slightly watered down version or it will be tabled until after the election.

Theres only one person who would never sign this Bill:

“Dr. No”, Ron Paul.
Anonymous

When Obama came out with his statement against SOPA, Murdoch was pretty condemning said statement and the man himself.

Now that all the GOP candidates have done the same thing, when will Murdoch come out and condemn them, too? … I certainly won’t hold my breath waiting…