I don’t quite understand how California Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore who is running for the GOP nomination for United States Senate can say that his soon to be announced Republican opponent, Carly Fiorina, is for regulating free speech and the first amendment on the internet? From the info notes on You Tube:

Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina wants to be a U.S. Senator. At a Web 2.0 conference in October 2009 she called for regulation of speech on the Internet, saying that the Internet cannot continue to be the “Wild Wild West.” Fiorina’s proposal for content restrictions on the Web represents an unconstitutional infringement of our First Amendment rights. California State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, the conservative Republican candidate against Sen. Barbara Boxer, disagrees with Fiorina’s proposed regulation of the Internet. As a U.S. Army officer and a state lawmaker, he has sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America — and that includes the First Amendment.

Remember when Flap carried the Web 2.0 conference interview here.

Here is the video:

Here is a transcript of the statements at issue (i dropped some irrelevant parts of her answer):

Question: How do you think the world wide web/internet should be governed or should it be regulated?

Answer: Well, I do think that we’re coming to the point where we need to acknowledge that the world wide web and the internet cannot be forever a sphere apart from the rest of the world.  The world wide web cannot be forever the Wild Wild West where anything goes.  So, for example, I do think that it’s foolish to take the very complex, very onerous tax system that we have today in the physical world and just layer it onto the online world.  I think we have to do—and by the way I’ve thought this since 2000 when I testified before Congress on this point so this isn’t something new—but I think we need to focus on simplifying our tax system but I think we have to now begin to blend the realities of online and offline—that is what’s happening in the world.  I don’t think that we can permit the exploitation of women and children online that we would clearly indicate or believe is illegal and immoral offline.  So yes, I think it is inevitable that the online world will begin to be more and more regulated and more and more similar to the offline world. 

So, is Chuck DeVore just plain lying about what Carly Fiorina said, since it is clear that she was discussing children’s pornography and the exploitation of women?

Or is DeVore simply being a hypocrite in taking a cheap political shot at Carly Fiorina? I mean DeVore himself has co-authored legislation here in California that regulates conduct on the internet, AB 33, which was chaptered into law in 2005. The legislation regards internet predators:

Existing law provides that it is a crime for an adult stranger to contact or communicate with a minor, 12 years of age or younger, who the adult knew or should have known was 12 years of age or younger, to lure him or her away, as specified, for any purpose. Existing law provides that this crime is punishable by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail, or by both.

This bill would prohibit this conduct when engaged in with a person who is under 14 years of age. This bill would provide that this crime is punishable as an infraction or a misdemeanor, as specified.

Existing law provides that certain property, such as a computer, may be subject to forfeiture if used by a defendant to commit particular offenses, as specified. Existing law further provides the process by which property is forfeited and by which it may be recovered by the owner.

This bill would provide that if the defendant used his or her computer to communicate with the victim in the attempt to lure the victim then that computer is subject to forfeiture.

Moreover, here is some background on the law, AB 33:

According to the author, “The proliferation of the Internet has caused child predators to move from the playground to the World Wide Web in search of unsuspecting children.  Children now encounter ever-increasing dangers and parents, in turn, face a growing challenge to protect their young. 

“Unfortunately, due to greater access to the Internet and a stronger sense of independence, teenagers are the most frequently targeted population for predatory luring.  This bill, therefore, would increase the age of children protected by state law from age 12 to age 14.  Furthermore, this bill would enhance the penalty for child luring in order to further discourage the crime and provide a more appropriate punishment.  The bill also includes provisions that upon conviction would make the defendant’s computer subject to forfeiture.  Removing a known predator’s access to innocent victims is a common-sense approach to preventing further victimization.”

Now, is Chuck DeVore disavowing this regulation of this “Wild Wild West” internet or should internet predators be afforded protected freedom of speech in their attacks on children?

Chuck let me know.

How about this law that you co-authored? Presumably, then you no longer favor it?

Isn’t this, what Carly Fiorina was referring to, Chuck?

I mean, come on now.

Update:

Here is a shortened video clip of exactly what Carly Fiorina said:

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