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DU Getting Nervous

Apparently, the Democratic Underground is getting nervous. Check the new Terms of Service just posted over the weekend:

4. Broad-brush statements about all or some of the supporters or opponents of any Democratic Primary candidate are forbidden. Don’t paint people as disruptors or cult members.

5. When discussing any Democratic presidential primary candidate, please refer to that person by their real name; do not use any rude, condescending, or otherwise inappropriate alternate names for any Democratic presidential primary candidate. When discussing a broad group of supporters or opponents of any Democratic presidential primary candidate, do not use any rude, condescending, or otherwise inappropriate alternate names for them. Forbidden nicknames include, but are not limited to, the following: “Deaniacs,” “Clarkies,” “Kerry Haters,” etc.

6. Signature lines relating to the Democratic primary must be unambiguously positive. You may not use your signature line to attack any Democrat, either directly or indirectly. You may not use your signature line to compare your candidate to another candidate. You may not try to bypass this rule by posting a “fake” signature line directly into the text of an individual post.

7. You may not post any material from extreme right-wing sources, specifically WorldNetDaily.com, Newsmax.com, FreeRepublic.com, and their ilk. Material from more “mainstream” conservative writers or sources, such as The Washington Times and Fox News, are permitted as long as the post includes a clear warning about the source. (For example: “WARNING: Please note that this article is written by George Will.”)

8. If you make a factual assertion about a candidate that is not generally accepted to be true, you must provide a link to a reputable source to back up your claim. Allegedly “innocent” questions which are actually an underhanded effort to spread rumors are not allowed. If you really need to know the answer to your question, try Google.

This is a totally laughable effort to control political dissent, even from within the party.