Posted on 06/25/2007 7:52:14 AM PDT by oblomov
WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., said Sunday she is "looking at" the possibility of reviving the fairness doctrine for U.S. broadcasters. Feinstein, speaking on "Fox News Sunday" with Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said talk radio in particular has presented a one-sided view of immigration reform legislation being considered by the Senate.
U.S. talk radio is dominated by conservative voices.
"This is a very complicated bill," said Feinstein. "Most people don't know what's in this bill. Therefore, to just have one or two things dramatized and taken out of context, such as the word amnesty -- we have a silent amnesty right now, but nobody goes into that. Nobody goes into the flaws of our broken system."
Feinstein said the measure before the Senate "fixes those flaws" but that doesn't get presented on talk radio, which she said "pushes people to ... extreme views without a lot of information."
Asked if she would revive the fairness doctrine, which used to require broadcasters to present competing sides of controversial issues, Feinstein said she was "looking at it."
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
If Senators think they can attack Talk Radio by threatening the livelihoods of the hosts in an attempt to silence the people, then all Talk Radio hosts should retaliate with threatening the security of Senators' jobs by educating the people on their Article V rights to call for a Constitutional Convention to "Restore the Senate" to State control.
Talk Radio hosts in every state should beging talking up the idea that if Senators think they can take away a popular outlet for the people to speak, then the people can rise up and take away the job security of the Senators by returning the Senate to the way it used to be for more years than it's been now.
Don't tell me it's too complicated an idea for the people to grasp. What's more complicated, explaining hard vs. soft money and 501(C)(3) organizations as campaign finance reform, or eliminating 22 of the most expensive elections every two years, and the need for campaign cash that goes with them?
The bottom line is that, in politics, it's making the argument in the first place that counts. Anything can happen after the ball starts rolling. By convincing ourselves that the outcome is impossible and so we don't even try making the argument, we've lost before we started.
Repeal the 17th amendment -- it's the "Fairness Doctrine for Congress!"
-PJ
SNORT. Gee, where have we heard that before...
Our very own House of Lords. I hope the Founding Fathers are spinning.
Then the Fairness Dcoctine should equally applied to every Senator’s web site, campaign materials and mailings. So we the dumb people can get all sides of these very complicated issues
like illegal immigrants streaming across our undefended borders, homesteading unassimiliated in our land, linking up with militant political groups demanding we employ, educate their kids, medically treat them all at will for free, and enfranchise them with voting rights our troops in Iraq are dying to defend-
plus change our Constitution, legal system and way of life to acommodate them.... of course, this is way too complicated for stupid Rush Limbaugh audience chad punchers out here to understand without mandated balancing radio broadcasts by NPR and Air America....
perhaps Ms Feinstein envisions radio loudspeakers on each street corner of San Francisco, ala Pyongyang
The left is not afraid of this at all, because it will be enforced by the left. If you don’t “see” bias, it doesn’t exist, right ?
This would be as bad for the country as the shamnesty bill.
Trent needs a new life....OUTSIDE of politics....say...cheerleading?
I would LOVE that to happen!
Hairdressing ?
Silly me, that should be 33 of the most expensive elections every two years.
-PJ
“I’m sure that Trent Lott was in agreement, at least tacitly.”
More than tacitly. Lott was quoted as saying “we’ve got to do something about talk radio.”
Could not conservatives use this to go after PBS, NPR, network news, etc?
Goodbye NPR!!!!!
Hairdressing ?
Hair spray salesman.
Its long overdue for another Revolution. These people must be eliminated, and we need a fresh start.
Revolution? The Dims know how to press an advantage.
Have you seen the new Sig .45 in July Guns magazine?
Almost makes me want to trade my CZ 97. Almost.
Since the `pubs seem determined to screw the pooch next year, now would be a good time to buy large capacity magazines. I can remember—quite a few years ago, Clinton-era—when they were asking $100 for `high-cap’ Browning Hi-power mags.
I wouldn’t worry much about this...the freedom of speech trumps this hand of cards...without much effort. If this is the best that Feinstein can do...then there isn’t much to worry about.
“Liberals” got around the fairness doctrine by not being overt. Walter Cronkite didn’t go on TV every night and openly endorse the Democrats, or encourage people to write their senators to support a particular bill. If he had done that, CBS would have had to provide equal time for an opposing view.
Instead, Cronkite simply covered everything in a biased manner by using omission and slanting as tactics. For example, if this Kennedy-Bush immigration bill had come up during his years on CBS, we wouldn’t have the slightest idea what’s in the bill because he wouldn’t have told us. And he wouldn’t have told us because he would have known we’d be furious if we knew what was in it. Instead, he’d just go on the air every night and mention that a “bi-partisan plan to overhaul our nation’s immigration laws” is being considered in the senate. Video would then air of two senators, a Democrat & a RINO, talking about how our current system is broken and how their bill will fix everything. Cronkite might, if he was feeling generous, allow a senator opposed to the bill to say a few words, but only heavily edited so that no one at home got any idea of how bad the bill really was. It would just be a generic soundbite, such as, “I’m planning to vote against this because I don’t think it’s in our national interest to pass it.”
This same pattern would be followed by NBC, ABC, Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, etc.
The bill would then sail through congress with ease. That’s what Dianne Feinstein wants to return to.
Oh, Im certain they are!
They should get me on an FCC-free radio station. Plus, be recorded for the internet. They could beep out my profanity if they wish.
They won’t ever hear more colorful language =)
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