Jamie Raskin just schooled Republicans on the First Amendment

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Twitter is a private company and the First Amendment only applies to state actors. The hearing today was a joke and I am glad that we had a constitutional law professor on this panel.

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https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/jamie-raskin-twitter-republicans-hunter-biden-rcna69730

Jamie Raskin taught constitutional law for decades, and on Wednesday the Maryland Democrat took House Republicans to school on the First Amendment.

The lesson came during a House Oversight Committee hearing at which Republicans tried to harness their obsessions with Hunter Biden’s laptop and "Big Tech" into something resembling a coherent complaint. As NBC News reported Wednesday:

The witnesses were called before the committee to answer questions about the platform's [Twitter's] handling of New York Post reporting in 2020 about the alleged contents of a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, in which the social media company controversially blocked users from tweeting and direct-messaging about it.

Raskin blasted the Republican-led effort as a “trivial pursuit,” pointing out that under the First Amendment, which applies to government action, private companies can curate content however they want.

“Twitter is a private media company,” the panel’s top Democrat apparently needed to remind his GOP counterparts.

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[Samrob]

1. Maybe there should be a "fitness for duty" test for ALL Congress critters? Start with Constitution?

[thecrow]

4. You took the words right out of my mouth

I will add to that…
the Constitution should be known to all candidates
before they become actual candidates!

Now, who is gonna test them?

[thecrow]

5. P.S.

Why is Jamie Raskin wearing a bandana?

[central scrutinizer]

6. He lost his hair due to chemotherapy

But the Repugs tried to make him stop wearing it so now he will probably wear one forever as a fuck you statement

[thecrow]

8. You took the words right out of my mouth

I will add to that…
the Constitution should be known to all candidates
before they become actual candidates!

Now, who is gonna test them?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Raskin's closing statement: "Twitter is a private 1st amendment protected media entity .

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Prof. Rasken is correct as to Constitutional Law and the requirement of a state actor

The requirement of a state actor is fundamental part of the First Amendment. The fact that TFG supporters and others do not like the speech from a private company does not give the govt the right to regulate such speech.

This cartoon does a decent job on the state actor requirement under the First Amendment
PSA on First Amendment



In addition to Congressman Raskin, I also trust Prof. Tribe on this issue

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