Posted on 01/30/2009 7:28:05 AM PST by Delacon
Does President Barack Obama believe that the greatest threat to progress resides in Rush Limbaugh? Earlier this week while trying to sell his Trillion Dollar Debt Plan to Republican leaders, Obama said, “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.” Thankfully House Republicans listened to the hundreds of constituents calling their offices asking them to vote against the bill and not the guy who thinks he can buy their votes with a couple of cocktail and Super Bowl parties. Now we find out that Obama’s far left allies are upping the ante. The leftist umbrella organization American Untied for Change is pouring money into radio ads in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Nevada. The ads ask listeners, “Will you side with Obama or Rush Limbaugh?”
Clearly the left believe they can get Republicans to sacrifice their principles by demonizing and isolating Rush Limbaugh. So much for that new era of bipartisanship. But what if all of Obama’s old-school politics of division fails to win him any Republican votes? What is the next arrow in his political quiver?
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell previewed what may be the Left’s next line of attack at a speech to the Media Institute in Washington this Wednesday. McDowell warned that when the left comes to silence Rush and other Obama critics, they will not be dumb enough to try and do it under the label Fairness Doctrine: “That’s just Marketing 101: if your brand is controversial, make a new brand.” Multichannel News reports that McDowell even suggested that a stealth version of the doctrine may already be teed up at the FCC in the form of “Localism” rules which empower community advisory boards to help dictate local
No one should be surprised by this development. Last year the brain trust for the Obama Administration, the Center for American Progress released a report entitled: The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio. Here is what they said about already existing legal authority to implement Fairness Doctrine/Localism-type rules:
First, from a regulatory perspective, the Fairness Doctrine was never formally repealed. … the original Communications Act still requires commercial broadcasters “to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of issues of public importance.” … Thus, the public obligations inherent in the Fairness Doctrine are still in existence and operative, at least on paper.
So what new policy recommendations does CAP advise?
The Fairness Doctrine was most effective as part of a regulatory structure that limited license terms to three years, subjected broadcasters to license challenges through comparative hearings, required notice to the local community that licenses were going to expire, and empowered the local community through a process of interviewing a variety of local leaders.
…
We recommend the following steps the FCC should take to ensure local needs are being met:
- Provide a license to radio broadcasters for a term no longer than three years.
- Require radio broadcast licensees to regularly show that they are operating on behalf of the public interest and provide public documentation and viewing of how they are meeting these obligations.
So under the old Fairness Doctrine, free speech on the radio was stifled by an FCC rule that required broadcasters to devote reasonable time to fairly presenting all sides of any controversial issue discussed on the air, with the government deciding the meaning of all the italicized words. Under the CAP Localism rule broadcasters must renew their licenses every three years instead of every eight and when they do so the must “show that they are operating on behalf of the public interest” with public interest being defined as whatever ACORN like community organizers the left can rustle up to help define “community needs.”
Whenever controversial issues come up that President Obama wants to avoid talking about, he calls them “distractions.” And the Fairness Doctrine/Localism Rule issue may be just that. Commissioner McDowell also said, through aides, Obama had signaled to him that he would not re-impose the Fairness Doctrine. If Obama wants to prove his desire to protect the First Amendment is deeper than his desire to silence Rush Limbaugh, then he should go on record and disavow both the Fairness Doctrine and its equally perniciousness cousin, Localism.
what if President Bush came out and ordered we not listen to Keith Olberman?”...
...probably nothing would happen...nobody listening to KO is already the natural state of affairs...
Thanks a pantload. /s Now I have another great site to waste time on!
“President Obama has shown more defiance and hatred toward Rush Limbaugh than he has toward terrorist prisoners who were captured while fighting our soldiers.”
You can say that about the Dems as a group
Love it. Mind if I use it?
home
If this attempt to silence Rush, it will be the final realization that Obama is a Chicago type thug and is a Communists. America will be under one rule, Obama. The insurrection will begin. Not just because of this, but the realization that this machine must be stopped.””
NObama also wants the entire Military to re-take w\their oath/swearing in and he wants them to declare their alligence to THE PRESIDENT, instead of the Constitution...
NObama is moving at lightning speed to become a modern day dictator like Hitler, and he wants complete control.
Go to FR thread # 2174433 and read what I am talking about.
I fear that IF he accomplishes this “new oath to the President”, he will then demand that the military sweep the nation and take guns, ammo, and people into custody.
If the military disobeys him, they would legally be in line for a court martial. Tricky and very slippery slope to even contemplate.
NObama scares the hell out of nme even more than he did on Nov 3.
The ‘worst’ that could happen is Rush goes to XM/Sirius, but I don’t see that happening.”
What does it cost for Sirius radio? Monthly charges? Cost of radio itself?
If there is one true Conservative with the ‘cash on hand’ to tie up the Liberals in charge in the courts FOREVER its Rush.”
With 20 million +++ listeners, even 5 dollars from each of us would be deep pockets to fight Pelosi and Reid.
Rumors here in Nevada have it that Reid will be in the fight of his life come 2010. Pelosi needs to be challenged, also.
In general, they are out of control, and are doing exactly what Rush said they would do——OVER REACH, quickly and strongly.
I think the annointed ONE has under estimated the American people.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/standstrongforrush/
Reverse Petition: Stand Strong FOR Rush Limbaugh
o:The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Stop distorting Rush Limbaugh’s comments about President Obama’s war on prosperity.
I agree with Rush’s assessment that President Obama’s far left liberal vision for America is bad for America, and I too, hope that he fails, because when liberalism fails, America wins.
Can you just see a trial in a Federal Courthouse? (maybe have to move the trial to a big stadium) with witnesses like Ann Coulter slicing and dicing up the Liberals?
Make that a pay per view event, and Rush and his lawyers would have money left over!!!
Bring in “Freaky” Franken and “Out of Touch” Olberman for the other side, and have Ann slice and dice them, also.
Oh, and then give the whole show Grammy’s and Emmy’s, etc.
Tried to get in and vote. Couldn’t get it to load.
Are they blocking those of us linking thru Free Republic??
I just voted again. Didnt have a problem. Btw its now Rush 62% and Obama 35%.
Be aware that the left wishes to use this doctrine and extend it to the Internet as well as cable TV. They can under the authority of the interstate commerce clause in the constitution try to apply all sorts of regulations on speech under the guise of regulating commerce. And if we loose a couple of seats on the supreme court these guys can nominate people to make whatever they want constitutional.
Outstanding! Thanks.
I absolutely agree with you, Delacon. It would be a good thing if Rush remained on AM/FM radio and was added to XM/Sirius, but not if he existed on satellite radio only.
Good point about the 2nd and 3rd string political commentators as well... I'd hate to lose one of our local conservative radio hosts: Jim Vicevich of WTIC 1080, Hartford, Connecticut. He's fantastic!
Wow... fabulous graphic! Keep posting it all over FR. ;-)
Hey, you! Excellent graphic!
Connie? Wow, long time no “see.” Of course, that may say more about my attentiveness than your activity here of late. How the heck are you?
I’ve always had XM, so I can’t answer this.
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