Un-fairness Doctrine

It looks like Steny Hoyer can join my shit-list for supporting proposals to re-instate the so-called 'Fairness Doctrine' at some point. Plus, he's pretty much said that Rep. Mike Pence's bill to ban it permanently won't make it to the House floor this year for a vote.

I really don't know what to say. My opinion of the Democratic Leadership keeps sinking lower and lower beyond the point of what I could have considered something resembling 'a bottom.' This is politically motivated censorship, plain and simple. They say this:

“There is a real concern about the monopoly of information and the skewering of information that the American public gets,” said Hoyer. “First, is to the monopoly.

“Obviously, if one group, or a large group, controls information and only allows one perspective to be presented, that’s not good for democracy. That is not good for the American public. That is, of course, what the Fairness Doctrine is directed at, and it can have great merit. But there are obviously complications involved in that as well,” he said.

But what they really mean is that they'd like Conservative talk radio to shut the hell up. Ah, so this is what the left does to compensate for its own shortcomings? 'Air America' fails spectacularly so they seek a legislative remedy? For a start, I'm not sure how you can really enforce this or even if its constitutional. People have a right to say what they want and if they own any given publication (say this blog, for instance) then they shouldn't be forced to provide equal airtime for people who disagree with them. (And I'm not going too, Fairness Doctrine or no. It's very simple people: if you don't like a radio station, newspaper or a blog: start your own. The internet is a wonderful tool for that.)

Interestingly enough though: Mike Pence pointed out that when an amendment to an appropriations bill included a temporary ban on the Fairness Doctrine, 113 Democrats backed him. Now none will.

Either it's an election year and they're playing politics to deny the GOP a victory (though protecting the First Amendment is good for everyone. Surely liberals and lefty's won't like NPR being forced to admit conservative points of view?) Or they really want to reinstate this crap. And if so, boo on them! Bad Congress! No cookie!

Plus, I don't see how it's enforceable. They say it's mainly aimed at talk radio, but conservatives aren't stupid. They'll go for NPR, for PBS, for liberal blogs. The Fairness Doctrine to me is headed for the legislative rubbish bin (hopefully) or the business end of a lawsuit (which it shouldn't survive.)