Faced with massive public opposition this week and a number of Congressmen abandoning their previous support of the bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart PIPA have both been put on hold.
Both PIPA and SOPA had been expected to have some Congressional action next week, and the PIPA procedural vote for Tuesday has been postponed indefinitely in the face of a number of Senators, including several PIPA co-sponsors, announcing their opposition.
Still and all, Congressional leadership seems to be hoping the storm blows over, and Rep. Lamar Smith (R – TX), the initial sponsor of SOPA, said he still expects the bill to pass ocne there is more time to gain Congressional support.
In the Senate, officials say compromise is now “likely,” despite indications just two days ago that there was very little chance of the sides finding any sort of middle ground. Exactly how there will be compromise with trade groups that insist the bill is already flawless and that public critics are “dangerous” to democracy is not at all clear, and the most likely scenario is the Congress simply waiting out the protests and passing a virtually identical bill under a different name.
Lamar Smith is a prime example of all that's wrong with the GOP. I've had the displeasure of living in his district ages ago. Once I even thought he'd died and disappeared only to find out he been there all along. Like some blood sucking tick burrowed beneath the skin you'll have to burn him out.
This Congress is full of leeches ready to suck the last drop of blood from any living thing.
I believe them when they say they will be back.
Time is money and they have the money.
The land of the free and the home of the brave:
You can murder people defending their homes, but don't you dare piss on them!
You can fondle our balls at the airport, but don't you dare mess with our internet!
Sickening.
At least people get outraged at some things. Nice to know there are limits. Then its just a matter of fighting and educating to move those limits back to where they should be.
Be vary afraid when they start to compromise. Remember, you won't be in the room. It will be one set of rich millionaires getting into a room with another set of rich millionaires. The Constitution is the toilet paper in the Executive Bathroom. Be very afraid when they compromise with themselves.