Don't ever let it be said again that Democrats are for free and unfettered speech and are the ones against censorship. What Senate Democrats did with the Coleman amendment and other attempts to permanently destroy the Fairness Doctrine shows once and for all that they only care about free exercise of THEIR SPEECH, not anyone elses. Senate Democrats on Friday blocked an amendment that would have prevented the return of the Fairness Doctrine, a federal rule requiring broadcasters to air opposing views on issues.
Although no legislation has been offered to bring back the regulation, which was scrapped in 1987, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and other Republicans have been mounting a pre-emptive attack in recent weeks. They argue that a return to the old rule would give the government too much power in regulating content. The House recently passed an amendment banning the rule's return.
When Coleman, R-Minn., tried to bring up his amendment Friday to a defense authorization bill, Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the Armed Services Committee, objected. Levin's office said he objected because the amendment belonged in the Commerce Committee's jurisdiction, and because it would have taken up time while the Senate was trying to debate Iraq.
The subtext of the debate over the Fairness Doctrine is talk radio's perceived dominance by conservative voices.
Now, on pure principle, I would agree with Levin, if not for the fact that we see attached to defense bills pork beyond belief and other non-germaine riders. Therefore, Levin's point is moot. But wait, there's more.
In a telephone interview, Coleman said his motivation was to preserve the First Amendment. But he added: "I do have a strong objection to folks wanting to cut off talk radio because it's conservative. Let the people be able to make the choice."
Thune agreed.
"Having the bureaucrats dictate the content of the airwaves isn't much different from what we are seeing in places like Iran and Russia where they are rolling back freedom of the press," he said.
Republicans have seized on a comment made last month by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who said "it's time to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine." Durbin's spokesman, Joe Shoemaker, said that Durbin was expressing support for the concept but has no plans to introduce legislation.
"There is no big conspiracy here, there's no secret plan, there's no nothing," he said.
Oh really? Then why are you and the chicken hearted blue blood Republicans caught time and again talking about how you are going to handle talk radio? Liberals don't get it. They are not entertaining, they are not insightful. They are boring. For exhibit A, see (dead)Air America. However, liberal talkers are joining the chorus with bogus bull:
Durbin and Coleman briefly debated the idea on the Senate floor Friday, with Durbin asking Coleman if he believed it serves the interests of an educated electorate if people could hear both sides of the story.
"Absolutely," Coleman responded. "But I believe - strongly believe - that the government should not be in the position of deciding and dictating, 'now here is the other side.'" He said with the proliferation of communication options such as the Internet, Americans have plenty of opportunity to get the other side.
"The airwaves belong to the American people," Durbin said. "Those who profit from them do by permission of the people through their government." He said that broadcasters should provide both points of view on an issue.
Ed Schultz, a North Dakota-based liberal-leaning talk show host who has more than 3 million listeners on more than 100 stations, also said the airwaves belong to the public.
He said the Republicans' efforts are overreactions, and said he is traveling to Washington next week to talk to talk to Democrats about the issue.
"The issue is liberal talkers haven't even been given a market opportunity in many markets across the country," he said.
He is frustrated because his show is not airing in such major markets as Boston and Philadelphia, where he says certain companies are keeping progressive shows out.
"I'm just open to hearing these conservative companies explain their thought process," he said.
First, the airwaves belong to the people, not the government. The people are making a profit using their talent, not government help. The arrogance of Dick "the turban" Durbin and the Left is ridiculous, but not surprising, since they are leftist socialist communist fascists. They want to dictate everything you do, from what you cook with, to what you can do for work, to what you can drive, to what you can listen to. It is a shame that there appears a majority in Congress that wants to turn the Land of the Free into a Soviet Gulag.
You see, Durbin and Co. don't understand the free market. It decides what works and does not. Coke Classic works, New Coke did not. It was not determined by government action or by a Coke or Pepsi conspiracy, the consumer decided New Coke sucked. That is what Mr. Shultz does not get either. He talks about how liberal talkers have not been given the same access. Bullsnot! We had ClearChannel in Cincy create a whole new station by removing a beloved talk radio station and moving it down the dial for the "revolution" in talk radio. Jerry Springer was on the new progressive station and it had all these liberal talkers, including, I belive, Mr. Shultz. Guess what? It didn't last 5 months. Now, 1360 has become a second sports station of espn programming. The free market has decided that liberal talkers are not entertaining. Nuff said. And as for opportunity, how much George Soros money do you need? How many radio stations do you have to buy or harass to get on, only to have them go nearly bankrupt because of the crappy liberal programming? Shultz doesn't get it.
If liberals get their way, we will no longer have choice, but we will have to listen to NPR like boring programming 24/7, 365. Ed Shultz is whining not because he hasn't been allowed to compete--he has competed and lost, and he doesn't like it. Therefore, government should subsidize him by forcing people to listen to him. It is funny, really. The only choice Dems believe in is the choice to murder unborn babies.
