AIM: Congressional Liberals Bare Plan to Muzzle Conservative Speech

U.S. Newswire on Yahoo ^ | 1/15/07 | AIM

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Less than two weeks after Democrats took control of both houses of Congress, Accuracy in Media has exposed a plan by congressional liberals to use the federal government to silence conservative voices in the media.

Reporting from a so-called National Conference on Media Reform, organized by "progressive" activists, AIM editor Cliff Kincaid has revealed, in an exclusive report now available on the AIM web site (http://www.aim.org), that liberals in the House and Senate intend to push legislation giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the authority to monitor and restrict what conservatives in the media say and how they say it.

Kincaid quotes Democratic Rep. Maurice Hinchey (news, bio, voting record) (D-N.Y.) as saying that he wants to put an end to the influence of conservative media personalities he finds to be "neo-fascist" and "neo-con." Their legislative vehicle is revival of a "fairness doctrine" giving FCC bureaucrats the ability to grant liberal activists "equal access" to conservative programs on radio and television. Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist, told the conference he would push such a measure in the Senate.

Kincaid calls the approach "authoritarian" and a threat to freedom of speech in the U.S.

In his Special Report on the conference, which featured Bill Moyers and Jesse Jackson and Hollywood celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Kincaid said that the event "turned out to be an effort to push the Democratic Party further to the left and get more 'progressive' voices in the media, while proposing to use the power of the federal government to silence conservatives."

At the same time, Kincaid noted that one conference speaker, freshman Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), pledged to protect or even increase taxpayer funding for public broadcasting that he admits is on the "left hand side of the dial."

Kincaid documents funding for the organizers of the conference from George Soros, who has made billions of dollars from secretive financial transactions, and notes evidence that participants were so far to the left that Senator Hillary Clinton was considered by them to be "too conservative." Kincaid also documents the active involvement in the conference by members of the Revolutionary Communist Party.

Accuracy in Media (AIM), founded in 1969, is America's oldest media watchdog organization. For more information, please visit http://www.aim.org.

SOURCE Accuracy in Media

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

It takes all kinds to make up a community, we draw on each other's strengths and positive attributes. All sides of the conservative curve have input.

IMO, it is best to allow other points of view in order to understand what the group as a whole wants and needs. The World is changing around us daily. We can't live in the past or isolate ourselves from the future.

We have to make our ideology appealing to the majority of the population and we won't do that by being cynical or anti-social.

Reagan was the best teacher we have ever had in this respect, and hopefully others will follow his example and learn to treat others with respect and regard to their philosophy. Through communication and statesmanship, is where the most hearts and minds are won.

[Dead Corpse]

We have to make our ideology appealing to the majority of the population and we won't do that by being cynical or anti-social.

We won't do that by compromising on our ideals either. We need people who can change the packaging, not the gift. Lately, we've had people running the GOP that are all packaging, no gift.

That needs to change.

[Pharmboy]

I did not know that. They always have been for free speech...as long as the speech in question recites their talking points. And, they have the cojones to call OUR side of the aisle fascistic.

[JSteff]

Sorry, delayed double clutch... multitasking.

[Dog Gone]

LOL, that was a LONG time between clutch moves!

[Lunatic Fringe]

Agreed. This will never pass the Congress, or the President's desk.. and even if it did, the Supreme Court will say "no way".

[RightOnline]

You're right, my friend. Ain't gonna happen. Period.

[longtermmemmory]

(sarcasm on)

but zee democrat party only vants peezeful coexistance. Perhaps a compromize could be reached. Ze only vish a bit of ze airtime.

(sarcasm off)

[Dog Gone]

Hey, ROL, good to see you again. We haven't been on the same thread for quite awhile. I'm glad we're still thinking alike.

[longtermmemmory]

FreeRepublic is next.

[JerseyJohn61]

What this country needs is a good 10 million person
conservative march on Washington. So, what's everyone
doing for their Summer vacation and is there enough
room in the D.C. mall for us all??....JJ61

[supercat]

The arrogant belief that this country wants even harder right Presidential candidates is seriously misguided.

I think the country wants a leader with vision and principles. If Democrats wnat to ban all guns and a RINO only wants to ban some but can't really articulate why some guns are more ban-worthy than others, an uninformed voter will perceive that the only reason the RINO is holding back progress is that he's in the pocket of the evil gun lobby.

By contrast, if a candidate took the position that the success of 39 states' CCW programs shows clearly that citizen armament is an asset to the country, even people who might otherwise be anti-gun would be more likely to rethink that position. They may or may not decide they agree with it, but in any case they'd be more likely to judge the candidate as having genuine beliefs rather than merely being a foot-dragger.

[Hendrix]

This is the left's MO. Look at college campuses, which are supposed to be the model for free speech and thinking. The left on the college campuses do anything necessary to stop any conservative speech. They will shout you down, get violent, steal posters, etc. There is nothing new here, but if they have their way, the left will regulate and stop all free speech in the name of campaign finance reform, fairness, and whatever other nonsense they can call it.

[3_wheeler]

Sean Hannity has been warning about this for months.

[KoRn]

God help us when they get the presidency, along with their control of the legislative branch. The only protection for conservative freedom of speech will be the legal industry, which is unreliable for conservatives at best.

[Vinnie]

I recall Rush talking about this years ago when there was a push for it.

Remember him saying he wouldn't be shut up.
He would start a 'pirate radio station' offshore.

I don't know what his possible actions would be now however.

[Prov3456]

That's Senate Bill 1. Call your senators and ask them to vote to remove Section 220. (The bill is actually about lobbying reform, but Section 220 tramples free speech.)

[olde north church]

This is the left's MO. Look at college campuses, which are supposed to be the model for free speech and thinking. The left on the college campuses do anything necessary to stop any conservative speech. They will shout you down, get violent, steal posters, etc. There is nothing new here, but if they have their way, the left will regulate and stop all free speech in the name of campaign finance reform, fairness, and whatever other nonsense they can call it.

The problem is we aren't violent back. If you're a wimp, say "But we don't do things like that." Well, neither did the Jews, Gypsies, Catholics, Esperanto speakers, et al; they all went up in smoke.

[Logophile]

It would have to overcome a Republican filibuster and a Bush veto and then get 2/3rds of Congress to override.

You are making me nervous. Do the Republicans know how to filibuster? (The President knows how to veto—he has done it before, I believe.)

[reg45]

If Democrats wnat to ban all guns

The reason that the 'Rats want to ban all guns is that they know that if there is a second American Revolution, they will be the redcoats.