Lieberman China Can Shut Down The Internet, Why Cant We

Senator Joe Lieberman, co-author of a bill that would give President Obama a kill switch to shut down parts of the Interne...

Senator Joe Lieberman, co-author of a bill that would give President Obama a kill switch to shut down parts of the Internet, attempted to reassure CNN viewers yesterday that concerns about the government regulating free speech on the web were overblown, but he only stoked more alarm by citing China, a country that censors all online dissent against the state, as the model to which American should compare itself. During an appearance on CNNs State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Lieberman characterized concerns that his 197-page Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act (PDF) legislation represents an attempt to hand Obama absolute power over the Internet as total misinformation, adding that people were intentionally peddling misinformation. Lieberman again invoked cybersecurity as the motivation behind the bill and tried to assuage the worries of critics. So I say to my friends on the Internet, relax. Take a look at the bill. And this is something that we need to protect our country, said the Senator. However, Liebermans choice of comparison in justifying the necessity of the bill will only serve to heighten concerns that the government is going after free speech.