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Fairness Doctrine Watch - Home

After twenty years, Congress may revive the "fairness" doctrine that long strangled free debate and discussion throughout America's media. Help us ensure that they do not suceed (sic)!

Really? Congress is going to look to do this? Stinkin' liberals. Let's dig a bit and see what we can find that's being reported on this topic:


James L. Gattuso on Fairness Doctrine on National Review Online

(A)lmost immediately after liberals regained power in Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio) called for restoring the long-dead Fairness Doctrine. The “idea of uninhibited exchange of ideas in the marketplace” he said, “needs to be looked at in the era of media consolidation”.

That wily Kucinich. He's a major powerbroker, doncha know, so I bet he got all his patchouli-smelling "comrades" onboard the Lefty Express on this one, right?


James L. Gattuso on Fairness Doctrine on National Review Online

(T)he House of Representatives voted 309-115 against allowing the Federal Communications Commission to re-impose the regulation on broadcasters.

[snip]

Kucinich’s call attracted much media attention, and more than a little criticism, but little was actually done to advance the idea legislatively.

Well there's GOT to be 309 Republicans willing to take a stand on this one, right? What now? In the minority? Doesn't matter. The Shamnocrats reached into their bag of tricks and pulled the old "don't try to advance the idea legislatively" trick too. Wily suckers.


FrontPage magazine.com :: The "No Fairness Left" Doctrine by Don Feder

Senator James Inhofe, R-OK, says he overheard Senators Boxer and Clinton talking about the need to "fix" talk radio. (Hillary fixes things the way her alter ego, Tony Soprano, takes care of his problems.) "They said we've got to do something about this. These are nothing but far right extremists. We've got to have balance. There's got to be a legislative fix for this," Inhofe confided.

Well, that's how this all started, right? Except for one little thing...


FOXNews.com - Transcript: Sens. Lott, Feinstein on 'FOX News Sunday' - FOX News Sunday | Chris Wallace

WALLACE: Let me bring in Senator Feinstein.

Oklahoma Senator Inhofe says that he overheard Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton three years ago complaining about talk radio and saying that there should be a legislative fix. Both of them deny it ever happened.

When Fox News is acknowledging the facts, you know you're on shaky ground. Wallace's interview of Feinstein did bring this soundbite, which, in a vacuum, seems to confirm the accusations:


FOXNews.com - Transcript: Sens. Lott, Feinstein on 'FOX News Sunday' - FOX News Sunday | Chris Wallace

WALLACE: So would you revive the fairness doctrine?

FEINSTEIN: Well, I'm looking at it, as a matter of fact, Chris, because I think there ought to be an opportunity to present the other side. And unfortunately, talk radio is overwhelmingly one way.

That being said, the only legislation that was brought to a vote on this was the aforementioned vote that passed by a wide, bipartisan margin, preventing the "Fairness Doctrine" to be reinstated. Here's one Democratic Congressman's take on the issue:


House Passes Amendment Disallowing Funding for Fairness Doctrine - 6/28/2007 3:25:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable

Democrats, led by David Obey (D-Wis.) suggested the amendment was a red herring, a non-issue and that it was being debated, such as it was--no Democrats stood to oppose it--to provide sound bites for conservative talkers and "yap yap TV," who had ginned up the issue. In a Shakespearian mood, Obey said the amendment was "much ado about nothing" and "sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Oh, and there's this:


House Passes Amendment Disallowing Funding for Fairness Doctrine - 6/28/2007 3:25:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable

There is currently no legislation to reinstate the doctrine, which the FCC invalidated as unconstitutional in 1987, but several Democratic senators, including Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Diane Feinstein of California had gone on record supporting at least looking into reinstating it.

Which is clearly a different sort of thing than actively advocating and/or pushing legislation to a vote.

Look, here's the thing... Democrats aren't trying to get this done, and no one has put a bill on the table to force a vote. This SHAMNOVERSY is a clear distraction ginned up by the right in order to accuse the Democrats of something that isn't remotely close to being passable legislation (you think they could get a veto-proof majority on this issue?). Even if you've got the Progressive blogosphere wrongly trumpeting the virtues of this issue, that doesn't make it a real issue at all.

A three-year-old quote, which the quoted Senators deny ever having said, along with the oh-so-powerful legislative agenda of one Dennis Kucinich, and all of a sudden Democrats are Stalinists trying to take free speech away from Sean Hannity?

They don't call these guys the "Right-Wing Noise Machine" for nothing.

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