Here is a roundup of blogosphere coverage of the FEC Advisory Opinion related to the Fired Up Network of Blogs:

• DailyKos
• Atrios
• Online Journalism Review
• National Journal's Beltway Blogroll 
• MyDD
• Bob Bauer

By a unanimous vote, the FEC today issued Advisory Opinion 2005-16 which concludes that the Fired Up! Network of blogs qualifies for the "press exception" to federal campaign finance law.   The Commission adopted the draft opinion without revision.

The AO states in relevant part:

Fired Up qualifies as a press entity.  Its websites are both available to the general public and are the online equivalent of a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication as described in the Act and Commission regulations.

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The FEC General Counsel's office has issued a draft Advisory Opinion in response to Fired Up!, LLC's request.

Here is the draft AO.  The General Counsel has requested that this matter be placed on the Commission agenda for November 17.  Comments will be accepted by the Commission until Noon Eastern on November 16.  The comment procedure is outlined on the first page of the above pdf.

Here's a link to previous discussion of this matter on Fired Up!  Here's a link to Allison Hayward's reaction to the Draft AO, and here's a link to Bob Baur's discussion of it.

It is unlikely that I will ever again cite a piece from National Review for any purpose other than to make fun of it, but today, I actually encourage you to go read this piece on regulation of the internet by Allison R. Hayward.

Also check out AdamB's piece on Daily Kos on the same topic.

Check out this column from Ryan Sagar in today's NY Post regarding the potential regulation of the blogosphere.  Here's an alternate link for those without a NY Post password.

Sagar references the Fired Up, LLC AOR currently pending before the FEC.

The FEC Advisory Opinion Request filed by Fired Up!, LLC is starting to generate some discussion.

Last week, three groups--Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and the Center for Responsive Politics filed joint comments suggesting that the FEC should not affirm that Fired Up! qualifies for the media exemption under campaign finance law.

Brian Svoboda, an attorney with Perkins Coie, and counsel to Fired Up! posted a reply that has been excerpted at SkepticsEye.com.  SkepticsEye is maintained by a former staffer to a Republican FEC commissioner.

The FEC has now formally accepted Fired Up!'s request for an advisory opinion and has assigned it a number-- AOR 2005-16.  This now opens a ten day window for public comments.  Here is the link to the full AOR plus supplemental info on the FEC website.

I urge fellow bloggers to communicate with the FEC regarding their views on the regulation of blogs and bloggers.  Comments should be addressed to Federal Election Commission, Office of General Counsel, 999 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20463

Fired Up! LLC, which operates FiredUpAmerica.com, and other Internet news sites, today submitted a request for an advisory opinion from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) seeking affirmation that its national network of progressive blogs falls within the press exemption of federal campaign finance law.  (Click here for a .pdf copy of the request for an advisory opinion)
 
“People are relying more and more on the Internet as a source for news and information about important issues and events of the day.  The Fired Up! network is pleased to be one of a large variety of sources for that news and information,” said Roy Temple, spokesman for Fired Up!.