According to two members of the House Democrat Caucus, Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have informed them that they will “aggressively pursue” reinstatement of the so-called Fairness Doctrine over the next six months. In January, Democrat presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich announced that he was going to pursue the Fairness Doctrine through his Government Reform subcommittee. That announcement was greeted with silence. But now, Pelosi has moved things to the front burner.
Further evidence that the big threat to free speech is not Ari Fleisher asking people to be responsible in their comments, or people being criticized for their views, but actual government legislation.
Why now? It seems to not be about some noble sounding, if chilling, desire to improve debate:
The decision to press for re-establishment of the Fairness Doctrine now seems to have developed for two reasons. “First, [Democrats] failed on the radio airwaves with Air America, no one wanted to listen,” says a senior adviser to Pelosi. “Conservative radio is a huge threat and political advantage for Republicans and we have had to find a way to limit it. Second, it looks like the Republicans are going to have someone in the presidential race who has access to media in ways our folks don’t want, so we want to make sure the GOP has no advantages going into 2008.”
Who are they worried about?
That last comment appeared to be a veiled reference to former Sen. Fred Thompson, who appears to be gearing up for a presidential run. Over the past year, he has built a following both over the AM airwaves through the ABC Radio network, as well as through almost daily appearances across cable TV on the TV show Law & Order, where he plays a tough-talking district attorney.According to another Democrat leadership aide, Pelosi and her team are focused on several targets in the fight, including Rush Limbaugh and the Salem Radio Network. In fact, Kucinich’s staff has begun investigating Salem, one of the fastest growing radio networks in the country, which features such popular — and highly rated — conservative hosts as Bill Bennett and Michael Medved, and Christian hosts such as Dr. Richard Land.
What do they mean by focused?
“They are identifying senior employees, their political activities and their political giving,” says a Government Reform committee staffer. “Salem is a big target, but the big one is going to be Limbaugh. We know we can’t shut him up, but we want to make life a bit more difficult for him.”
So, the object is to snoop around and find what they can to use the fairness doctrine to sic the government on him. How nice. How open minded, tolerant and respectful of peoples right to speak.
Update: Senator McConnell has released a statement on the impending attempt to bring back the Fairness Doctrine:
Government is not the speech police
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement regarding attempts by Congressional Democrats to revive the misnamed “fairness doctrine”:
Our Founding Fathers understood free speech is fundamental to our nation and sought to protect it with the First Amendment. As a strong supporter of First Amendment freedoms for all Americans, I will continue to work to prevent government limitations on speech.
The latest attempt by House Democrats to revive the misnamed ‘fairness doctrine’ will silence active political voices and limit the free flow of information. Government is not the speech police and I will not support these efforts to restrict free speech.
Political debate is among the most important democratic traditions of our nation and a hallmark of free society. We must continue to preserve the right of all Americans to express their views.
Background
Legislation is being drafted in the House which would require the government to police the airwaves to ensure radio broadcasters are presenting what the government decides are balanced viewpoints. The ‘Fairness Doctrine,’ as it is called, was abolished by the Federal Communications Commission in 1987 because it inhibited debate and the free flow of information.
[tags] free speech, fairness doctrine, Nancy Pelosi, first amendment, Fred Thompson, Steny Hoyer [/tags]
Okay, wait a minute.
Who is this senior advisor and where did the Prowler get this quote?
I have no doubt that the Dems would love to bring back the fairness doctrine especially if it would help them and hurt the Reps. But this quote smells funny. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it’s legit, but the Prowler offers no links on his website.
Do you have any?
Because, come on, doesn’t that quote sound a little too convenient?
Basically, the Prowler says that not an advisor, but a senior advisor, to Pelosi says, “No one wants to listen to us so we want to shut out people on the radio and tv.â€
Whoever this senior advisor is – if true, Pelosi would be wise to sack him or her on the spot.
I mean, who talks to the enemy (Right wing pundits) like that?
Good point, though for some reason people keep doing it. Woodward has made his career getting people to talk to him and say things the enemy chortles over. Take it for what you will. I have heard non political staffers make that argument though.
Also, the prowler himself may not have been who took the quote.
I had similar thoughts as pogue. It just feeds too perfectly into what I already think are their motivations.
That is because it is true. It is always defended in reference to such concerns by its supporters, so that the primary motivation is the same seems unsurprising to me.