Lessig Not Running. :(

More details to follow later. But check it out below. I haven't had a chance to watch it myself but will do as soon as I get a chance.

http://lessig.org/blog/2008/02/on_why_i_am_not_running.html

YAFG: I donated $23 to Draft Lessig

So there are already a few Facebook groups in the Draft Lessig Movement.

The original Draft Lessig For Congress (now with over 4000 members!).

Then the 1000 Strong to Draft Lessig (which is nowhere near a 1000 people, get moving people).

But this morning I came across a great new one -- I donated $23 to Draft Lessig.

A lot of people (ok it was two, so sue me) have asked what more they can do to support the campaign and this group has the right idea, give something to the Draft Lessig movement on ActBlue. Picking a number can be hard (the federal limit gives you up to 2300 different choices without even going out of whole dollar amounts after all) and I think that the $23 number is a great target that everyone can shoot for.

Also, I have to give a special shout out to Yoav for starting the group since we go back to our time at Duke together (although he isn't Republican -- but hey, not everyone can be perfect).

And yes, I did feel a little bit dirty the first time that I gave money to Lessig on ActBlue, but my fellow elephants can rest assured that if Prof Lessig doesn't use the money to run for congress all of the funds will go to Change Congress -- not to Nancy Pelosi or Howard Dean!

The Man From Mars

Sure you could go read the Draft Lessig story at the New York Times.

But we are still Republicans here, so why not check out the piece in The Journal.

The money quote from Jonathan Zittrain in the Journal: “I think he would be the man from Mars in a good way,” “I come from Silicon Valley, and I am here to change your ways.”

Also, more bonus WSJ coverage (without that silly registration) over at the WSJ Law Blog.

Lessig wants to build a "creative commons in Congress"

Ars has a great post about Lessig, including (most importantly) a little bit about what a Lessig platform would look like!

The highlights:

• He wants to ban legislative earmarks
• [H]e will swear off contributions from lobbyists or political action committees
• [H]opes to encourage more robust public financing of campaigns
• a free-trade, pro-market liberal
  

With the "netroots" movement seeking to draft him for Congress, prominent cyberlawyer Lawrence Lessig talks to Ars Technica about why he might run—and what a Lessig platform would look like.

read more | digg story

The Lessig 08 Video

I'll be putting some more up on this blog in the coming days where I hope to convince you that one can be both republican and a supporter of Larry Lessig (and that that is a good thing!).

However, in the mean time you should see what Lessig himself has to say. Pay particularly close attention to the part where he talks about how this sort of change has to be a BIPARTISAN effort.