Does Todd Platts Hate Free Speech?

Yesterday, my representative -- Todd Platts of Pennsylvania's 19th District -- shamefully voted against a motion to suspend the rules and adopt the Online Freedom of Speech Act. Who could possibly want to prevent people like little old me from writing about politics, candidates and elections on a blog? Powerline has a guess (and an epiphany):

What is happening here is that certain people--the editorial board of the New York Times, the Democrats on the Federal Election Commission--are trying to put sites like this one out of business. Frankly, I haven't followed the progress of the Online Freedom of Speech Act closely because I thought the idea that the FEC would try to shut down political discussion on the web was ridiculous. It appears that we have to take the threat to our First Amendment rights more seriously.

The Washington Times has a different, though equally skeptical, take on the motiviations of those who would squeelch citizens' political speech. Contrary to what politicians automatically suspect (and reflexively fear), the success of the blogosphere has precious little to do with big money.

I'd suggest you find your way over to the right side of history on this issue, Rep. Platts, when the bill comes up under regular order. What part of "Congress shall make no law" are you having trouble with?

PatriotBlog has background on the Online Freedom of Speech Act and Rep. Mark Kennedy, its House champion.