

Obama administration joins the ranks of SOPA skeptics - Slimy
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/obama-administration-joins-the-ranks-of-sopa-skeptics.ars

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chaostheory
They haven't joined the skeptics ranks. They're just playing kabuki.

"[The Whitehouse] will not support legislation that reduces freedom of
expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic,
innovative global Internet."

The problem with politics is that every point in this one sentence can have a
particular meaning. For example, the Whitehouse may feel that PIPA doesn't
reduce the freedom of expression or increase cybersecurity risk; so unless
they say "we don't like SOPA/PIPA" what they wrote isn't a stance, but yet
another PR statement that spouts rainbows and unicorns while saying nothing
during election year.

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sehugg
Yes, this statement just means "any legislation we pass will be assumed not to
do these things, and even if it does we will issue a signing statement that
says it doesn't."

I'm curious to see how this proposed conference call would go. "There's no way
to eliminate piracy without outlawing computation." "Oh really? We'll take
that under advisement. Thanks."

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danboarder
Unfortunately this may create momentum _for_ SOPA as a partisan issue among
those who are for anything the Obama administration is against.

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burgerbrain
If that's skepticism, then James Randi believes in the easter bunny.

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seancron
Their full response to the petition is here:

[https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition-
tool/response/combating...](https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition-
tool/response/combating-online-piracy-while-protecting-open-and-innovative-
internet)

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pasbesoin
Anything with Espinel as the lead author does not inspire my confidence. There
was a flurry of reporting around the time of her confirmation, but for a brief
example:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Espinel#Career>

P.S. Notice how this is just, finally, happening a few days before the
proposed "blackout" date. I believe one common phrase for this is "getting
ahead of the story". (Thanks again, "West Wing".)

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mds
Are any of the other candidates on record re: SOPA?

