Sen. Steve Goss says libel on blogs needs more study.

The Boone Democrat said that he has pulled a bill that would have put civil and criminal penalties on libel published on blogs and other online publications.

Instead, he's asked a Senate committee to substitute a bill that would study the issue to see if future legislation is needed.

The bill drew heated controversy online, especially for its criminal provisions, which Goss said after he filed the bill were unintentional. He added today that bloggers and others pointed out other problems with the wording of the bill.

"I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong," he said.

He said he's still concerned about the speed of online news and gossip and hopes that a future bill will help resolve some of the problem, though he noted that he views the First Amendment as "sacred."

Fittingly, news of the change surfaced first on Watauga Watch, a blog run by Jerry Williamson in Goss' area.

* BlueNC regular Crowbar317 says the bill appears to be designed to remove protection from libel cases for anonymous bloggers and commenters.

* Greensboro News-Record columnist Doug Clark says it would be hard for bloggers to enforce its provisions on anonymous commenters on their own sites.

* WUNC radio reporter Laura Leslie wonders if Sen. Steve Goss is "carrying water" for other legislators, such as Sens. Julia Boseman or R.C. Soles, who have been targeted by blogs.

* Conservative Watauga Watch blog (sarcastically) takes aim at Goss for tackling "paramount public policy concern" of blogging during rough economic time.

* Conservative blogger Jeff Taylor argues that the bill is so broadly written that it could "criminalize virtually all text message traffic;" says N.C. blogs are tame.

The blogosphere has weighed in on Kay Hagan's decision to drop a lawsuit.

The Democratic senator-elect had sued Sen. Elizabeth Dole for a TV ad that criticized her for attending a fundraiser held by an atheist, but dropped the suit this week.

On Talking About Politics, Republican consultant Carter wrenn says a statement by Hagan's spokeswoman that she wanted to end the suit for the good of North Carolina sounds phony.

"Now, why couldn’t Hagan just say, The election's over. I won. So, what’s the point in the lawsuit?" he writes. "The candor would have been refreshing."

Conservative blogger Dan Gearino says the lawsuit was either "stupid or craven."

"If she truly thought Dole's campaign ad went over the line into slander and defamation, and that the court system should be called upon (or would even be willing) to referee political charges and countercharges, she’s a fool who has no business being in Congress," he writes.

Meantime, J.W. Williamson on Watauga Watch was more stoic.

"Apparently, Liddy's losing the election was punishment enough," he writes.