DownsizeDC.org Needs Technical Help ("CAPCHA"s)!

[bushwacker]

Fellow Free Staters:

DownsizeDC.org needs technical help:

URL: http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/2006/jul/26/congress_wants_to_silence_you

Congress wants to silence you


Today's Downsizer-Dispatch . . .

I have an emergency to tell you about today. It's more garbage from Congress and it affects the future of DownsizeDC.org. I hope you'll read this message closely.

Congress is trying to stifle you -- again! Frankly, I'm getting sick of this nonsense.

First, they passed prohibitive campaign laws -- restricting how much money challengers can raise. They insured themselves an even bigger advantage when they hamstrung the political parties with McCain-Feingold -- because they knew that party funds helped challengers over the top in tight races against incumbents. They even clamped down on third parties with ballot access laws and exclusion from debates.

It's all disgusting. Right now, as a result of these laws, the electoral option is virtually moot. The system keeps electing people beholden to special interests because they're the only entities properly organized to navigate that system. The system was created for them.

Then, with the cover of the Abramoff scandal, John McCain and his pals went to work to place restrictions and onerous reporting requirements on grassroots organizations -- like DownsizeDC.org. That battle is currently underway. The Senate passed a bill with the offending restrictions. But the House passed a bill without them. They're headed for a conference committee to resolve the differences. Obviously, we prefer the House version.

We'll survive and thrive even if the worst happens, but it's still disgusting. The lack of options at the ballot box has driven us to the tactic of grassroots pressure. And now, these incumbents are trying to close that option too!

But it gets worse...

128 members of the House and two members of the Senate have decided to jam communications vented through grassroots groups like DownsizeDC.org. They're using something called a CAPTCHA, a special code you have to type in before you an communicate with them. I don't want to bore you with the technical details, but I do want to make clear what Congress is doing.

Does anyone know how to get around this problem in a smooth, user-friendly way? Is there any kind of AI that's viable? If you know, please e-mail Mr. Babka. This is very critical. Thanks!