Florida's fascistic book- banning and COVID- spreading Gov. Ron "Bootsie / Meatball Ron" DeSantis is eager to limit First Amendment rights of news organization by making it easier in Florida to sue them for defamation. Ostensibly aimed at progressive and moderate press critics of his increasingly authoritarian regime, Florida's Il Duce and his radical legislature are proposing sweeping changes in the state's defamation laws. Given Fox "News" serious trouble with the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit, and the way the far right media ecosystem plays fast and loose with the truth and conspiracies, their proposal is more likely to boomerang on his media allies, as some have noted:
"The legislation, fashioned to punish media outlets over their coverage of conservatives, would turn the state into a battleground over the future of the First Amendment.
But in doing so, DeSantis has sparked warnings from the right that his attempts to target the mainstream media will result in headaches for conservative outlets as well. Among the most vulnerable, opponents have said, could be the media organizations that have done the most to promote DeSantis amid his ascent in the GOP.
'I understand the emotion behind this bill, but you cannot legislate on emotion and this bill is a sword that will cut both ways,' said Trey Radel, a former Republican colleague of DeSantis in the US House who hosts a weeknight radio show on a Florida Fox News affiliate. 'This bill has the potential to stifle, if not shut down, center right media and conservative talk radio.'” (our emphasis)
DeSantis is so preoccupied with creating culture war issues in his run up to a campaign for the Republican / Seditionist / Shooters Party nomination he's starting to step on his own shoelaces, much to our approval. If he and his legislative cohort unintentionally bring down their allies on the right via their defamation laws, we're all for that.
(photo: D'oh! Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
