Urquhart versus Hatch
p2pnet.net News- Expect to see a new name added to the list of entertainment cartel consultants if Steve Urquhart makes it in Utah. Because if gets through, Hollywood enthusiast senator Orrin ‘Terminator’ Hatch will be looking for a job.
RIAA or MPAA go-fer, maybe?
Urquhart is running against Hatch as GOP candidate in 2006, says The Register. And guess what?
Although his “stance on new media and the internet are not yet entirely clear,” as the story puts it, Utah’s former state chief information officer Phil Windley, “is asking all internet users to spread the word and donate to Urquhart’s cause”.
On his blog, Windley says, “It’s no secret to most techies that Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is no friend to the Internet.
“Some have described him, tongue-in-cheek, as the Senator from Disney – not because he’s Mickey Mouse, but because he seems to represent Anaheim’s interests much more keenly than he does Utah’s.”
Tongue-in-cheek? Heh
So what’ll it take to get Hatch out and Urquhart to where he wants to go?
“Probably on the order of $750,000 to $1,000,000” and “I’d suggest that you donate what you spend on your Internet connection in a year,” says Windley.
“Think of it as ‘Internet Insurance’.”
Err …. Internet insurance?
But don’t worry. “This is a guy who can not only say ‘Technorati’ but he knows what it is!” – says Windley
Oh. That’s OK then.
And Urquhart been blogging since last November. So that’ll be the place to go to find specific reasons for donating what you spend on your Internet connection in a year. Right?
Below are the headlines on his blog:
Abortion and Stem Cell Research
Black Gold, Texas Tea
Pioneer Day
Off and Running
And …
…United States Senate …
… which leads to his campaign web site where, he says, he’ll “directly address national security and immigration issues” and will “work to secure the philosophical underpinnings of the pro-life movement”.
Um ………………..
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
The Register – Hollywood sock-puppet senator faces tech insurgency, July 28, 2005
July 29th, 2005 at 8:38 pm
That is the only way I’d vote for him or donate to his campaign. The fact that he is running under the Republican-Democrat ticket raises alarm bells with me.
July 29th, 2005 at 8:45 pm
I would also like more details about Steve Urquhart’s principles and positions about the internet. However, I have to think anybody is better than the Senator who wants to destroy your computers.
Also, Orrin is deeply entrenched. A fresh face would open up opportunities for everyone else in the future. So even if Urquhart isn’t your man, he isn’t Orrin, and that is a big step closer to a sane politician for Utah.
July 30th, 2005 at 12:15 am
I think I’ll give my cash to the democratic candidate, rather than “evil-lite” over here.
July 30th, 2005 at 12:18 am
Please tell me that Urquhart doesn’t have a song or two in the music business that can be used to funnel funds to the senator.
The state the senator Hatch is from should be imbarressed for the national exposure he has given them in how to run a red light district while being in office. Prostitution is supposed to be illegal…
July 30th, 2005 at 6:20 am
I’d say he’s better than hatch on any day of the week.
It’s not a good choice, but it’s better than another term for that sell out.
He may not be a friend, he may be an unknown quantity even, but it’s rather hard to be any more in their back pockets than hatch. Look, the worst that would happen is we get another hatch… of course if you keep the original hatch in place.. we KNOW we get the worst this new guy could be.
I say run with it… donate to him.
July 30th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
i wonder who posted this? hehe
September 10th, 2005 at 9:01 pm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/09/urquhart_file-share_hatch/
Here’s a link to a Register interview with Urquhart. Here’s a quote:
Urquhart is sharply critical of both Hatch and the Induce Act, and the defense they use of protecting copyright. “I think the threat of potential copyright suits by Hollywood and the recording industry makes it difficult for new businesses to compete. Small businesses simply won’t bother to enter the fray or will fold at the first threat of a suit – even when what they are doing is legal,” Urquhart said.
I read through Urquhart’s blog after reading this article. Not much in his blog about file sharing / copyright stuff. He’s going to need to be a bit more vocal on this subject before I’d donate.
However, I truly believe that if Hatch can be defeated by someone who is clearly getting a lot of support from the P2P community, it would send a very powerful message to congress.