But again, to me this sounds like the Right whipping up its base; this time finding a choice specimen of liberal hogwash to launch a crusade. This time I’m in complete agreement with the cause, but I’m suspicious of the motive.

I write my congressional representatives often. When this comes up — IF it comes up — rest assured I’ll be writing them to lobby against it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htD_-A7pDhw&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/14/no-ones-talking-about-the-fairness-doctrine/&feature=player_embedded

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285933,00.html

It was Clinton and Boxer – not Pelosi. Here is what Pelosi had to say:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2008/06/25/pelosi-i-want-bring-back-fairness-doctrine

So. It’s not a closet issue and career killer. Aparently it’s on the table and open for business.

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/22/jeff-bingaman-you-know-what-would-be-sweet-bringing-back-the-fairness-doctrine/

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/010516.php

First, I doubt I have anything that nobody else does: same sources as cited here. Obama is on record as opposing reinstatement of the Doctrine, and Rivera, simply because he was a Commissioner when the Doctrine was active, doesn’t suggest to me that his reappointment signals its return as well.

FWIW, I found this: http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?tag=henry-rivera

Second, and here’s what brings our different perspectives into focus, I agree with Ferfelabat (great name!) that there are a zillion better things to latch onto to get people worked up. But the Right is very good at finding hot-button issues, often of minor or zero signficance whatsoever. to work up their base. I think this is one of them, along with “Hussein,” flag lapel buttons, the de-Christmasing of Christmas, etc. I suspect this is one of them. The frenzied attention by mouthy rightwing media types, the explosion of attention in the blogosphere, the lack of any tangible evidence where it would mean something genuine (I can’t find a single word about this from Rivera himself, for example, and the only word from Obama is in opposition!). Same old same old.

As Ferfelabat accurately stated, If it looks like a duck…..

I could be wrong about this, of course, and to your credit, in the last year people like Pelosi and John Edwards expressed strong support for the Doctrine’s return. I suspect they were doing exactly what the Right is doing now: pandering to their base, not advocating policy.

Like everybody here, I strongly oppose this Doctrine, and agree with Prof Squathole’s position that the way to combat opinions is to offer better ones.

It’s been a pleasure meeting everybody this way, which is a new experience for me, and I hope we can continue.

They don’t have a lot to work people up with right now? Is he high? Bush just stomped the ever loving crap out of the free market, Princess Caroline is turning the Senate into the House of Lords, Obama is appointing far left environmentalists to key positions and talk is ramping up in support of cap and trade which is going to kill the economy, we STILL don’t have a viable battery for a decent electric car, Zimbabwe has reached critical mass, Russia is delivering missiles to Cuba and China can’t arm Venezuela fast enough it seems – is he kidding? The fairness doctrine issue is on the back burner. Everyone is watching it, we all see what is coming – but there’s no point in bitching until the first hearing is convened and the show trials start.

It’s AM for crying out loud. No one else even wants to broadcast on AM because the reception sucks.

It looks like a duck. It’s quacking like a duck. I think it’s definitely a duck.

It won’t happen, says Obama. On June 25, in a savvy political move, his press secretary sent an email to the industry journal Broadcasting & Cable. Deftly deflating the scare, the secretary stated flatly that “Sen. Obama does not support reimposing the Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters.”

That wasn’t the whole story, but it’s typical of what I saw.

What set me off was a longish article in the Miami Hurled yesterday, which I just re-read, and found this:

Many liberal commentators, in fact, say the prospect of a new Fairness Doctrine is purely imaginary, part paranoia and part promotional device. They note that Obama himself says he’s against the policy and that his administration will be too busy trying to deliver on its promises about the economy and the war in Iraq to worry about talk radio.

”I’m not sure that many of these talk-show hosts who are hyping this believe it themselves,” says Steve Rendall, who hosts a radio talk show syndicated by the left-wing media-monitoring group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. “It’s just fear-mongering . . . They don’t have a lot to work people up now, so they rely on fairness, which is pretty thin gruel.”

…which sounds like Beardsley’s exact point. (Maybe Beardsley himself will respond to this when he sobers up.)

Frankly, I don’t care if he’s for it or agin it. It’s wrong, stupid, and sinister, just the sort of crap politicians pull when they want to get away with something while not owning up to their own twisted motives. If accurate, that list of supporting Congresscreeps Ferfe posted is an Honor Roll of Evil.

Squatty, great post but I agree with Ferfe on wht Obama’s stand on this is. I do think her scenario is what’s gonna happen.

Here is what is about to happen – and you can debate me all you want but we’ll know for certain in June. When Commissioner Robert M. McDowell (R-VA) (term expires June 2009) steps down Rivera will appoint a Democrat. H.R.3302 will pass because of the Democratic majority and that will be that. Let the lawsuits begin.

These are the signers of the bill:

Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] – 7/14/2005
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 7/14/2005
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] – 7/14/2005
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] – 7/14/2005
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 7/14/2005
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 7/14/2005
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] – 7/14/2005
Rep Owens, Major R. [NY-11] – 7/14/2005
Rep Sanders, Bernard [VT] – 7/14/2005
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] – 7/22/2005
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] – 7/14/2005
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] – 7/14/2005
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 7/14/2005
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] – 7/14/2005
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] – 7/14/2005
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] – 7/14/2005

People who have spoken out in favor?

Chuck Schumer, DSCC chair, November 4
Jeff Bingaman, October 22nd
Dick Durbin, Majority Whip, July 2007
Robert (Bob) Menéndez NJ Nov 3 2008

Hillary Clinton was caught in a conversation about two years back with Pelosi wishing for it’s return.

I don’t know why Liberals do not listen to talk radio but they apparently do not. In order to find liberal talk radio I have to get it through Sirius. Shows like Rush, Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck command 5 million plus listeners a day. Air America went bankrupt. But for alternative views there are a myriad of sources NPR being one of the easiest to access on any medium.

This law will not apply to tv, internet, or print news – just radio and it is the most evil POS I have ever seen. For once we agree Squat.

I can’t stand talk radio. The hosts are usually pompous airbags, and the callers are ass-licking imbeciles. I don’t doubt that millions of people tune in and hang on their every word…they’re probably too dumb to figure out how to turn the radio off.