That would appear to be the case.

Now the DNC is striking back by pointing out that similar email collection is done on the Web sites of Senators and members of Congress, including … John Cornyn.

Over on Cornyn’s Senate Web site, for instance, you find that people who want to contact the Senator are asked to submit personal info, such as their names, addresses and emails, which are all required.

Now, some will point out a difference: Cornyn is raising a red flag about people possibly forwarding the White House the emails of others, whereas those writing in to the Senate Web sites volunteer their own info.

But the DNC argues this is a meaningless distinction. Following Cornyn’s logic about the White House, the DNC says, shouldn’t those who write in to Cornyn’s Web site to criticize the Senator ask what his office will do with their personal info? Isn’t it also fair to ask Cornyn to “purge” the email addresses of such critics, too?

Uh….no. Cornyn’s website makes no bones about the fact that it’s collecting your personal information. You’re actually filling out a form in which you consent for the office of the senator to maintain your name, email address, phone number, and address. And that’s the case for all members of the Senate and House: You’re filling out a form in which you willing provide your own data.

The White House was running a snitch line under the mask of an email address to forward “fishy” claims from across the internet and your inbox. It wasn’t asking you to submit your own information to the White House. It was asking you to forward emails and information you received from other people, giving them other people’s information. People who hadn’t given their consent to  have their information shared with the Obama Administration.

Cornyn’s office has already responded to the DNC’s pathetic spin:

“Apparently this Administration doesn’t know the difference between someone submitting their own personal information to a Member of Congress’ website and the White House asking citizens to spy on their neighbor’s and report any “fishy” behavior and emails. In making this false accusation against 535 Members of Congress, the DNC confirmed that which we already knew; the White House was in fact collecting citizen’s personal data at flag@whitehouse.gov. Now that they have admitted it, it would be nice if they would just answer Sen. Cornyn’s question and explain how are they purging this information from their system. It shouldn’t have to be this difficult.”

We’re not talking about a minor differences between the systems: We’re talking about the difference between you consenting to give your information to the government while contacting your senator, and someone forwarding your information to the government without your permission because you dared to spread “fishy” information about ObamaCare.

What the Democratic National Committee has, perhaps unintentionally, done is confirm the real purpose of the White House Snitch Line: To collect personal information of dissenters. Brilliant job.

Via Hot Air.