Dear government: Stop trying to have it both ways on bloggers

What is it, exactly, that some officials in Washington, D.C., have against bloggers? I don't know, but it's requiring them to adopt uncomfortable intellectual poses to justify their prejudice.

Last month, the Federal Trade commission adopted new guidelines governing endorsements and sponsorships. Under the new rules, a blogger who receives freebies -- samples of cosmetic products or consumer electronics, review copies of books or video games, etc. -- from companies that he or she writes about is, in effect, being paid to write about those companies. Failure to disclose those payments constitutes a form of advertising fraud and carries potentially heavy penalties.