Risch’s Online Come-To-Jesus Ordeal

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch is having second thoughts re: co-sponsoring online piracy legislation, after the tidal wave of opposition hit Washington, D.C., this week. opinionator Kevin Richert /Statesman tracks Risch’s back-tracking: “I can see Risch’s bind. As an attorney by trade, the idea of protecting intellectual property must carry some basic law-and-order appeal. It’s also a sensitive spot for this newspaper and our parent company, as more of our readership migrates to online platforms — where readership is easy to track, yet harder to monetize. Still, I can’t help but think that Risch’s Internet unsavviness came back to bite him on this one. If you don’t use the Internet — if that behavior isn’t wired into your routine — it’s tough to be sensitive to people who fear that SOPA and PIPA would stop the free flow of information online. I wouldn’t call him Risch 2.0, but the senator has become a bit more plugged in over recent years. He has told Spokane Spokesman-Review blogger D.F. Oliveria that he now reads some blogs — including mine.” More here.

Question: Do you want your elected officials to be tech savvy?