Posted on 11/21/2002 5:51:06 AM PST by Nogbad
THEY’RE AFTER TALK RADIO … THIS IS JUST A WARNING SHOT
Tom Daschle started slamming talk radio yesterday, especially The Godfather, and nobody out there seemed to understand just what was going on.
Daschle knows that talk radio in America is. I’ll admit that I haven’t seen the numbers, but I would guess that more people in this country listen to talk radio on a daily basis than watch any of the network newscasts. This, of course, doesn’t make Democrats or liberals happy. Liberals, you see, cannot survive in talk radio. You simply can’t sit behind a microphone for hours a day spouting a plunder-based philosophy completely lacking in logic and truth without becoming a totally discredited laughing stock.
Now … here are some of the things that Daschle had to say about talk radio yesterday. First, he said that Democrats need to find an equivalent to the conservative talk radio that the GOP uses to push its ideas. “If we’re going to break through as Democrats we have to have the same edge as Republicans do.”
That edge? Talk radio. And just how do Democrats go about getting that edge? We’ll get to that in a minute.
Daschle then said, “What happens when Rush Limbaugh attacks those of us in public life is that people aren’t satisfied just to listen, they want to act. They get emotionally invested. And so the threats to those of us in public life go up dramatically.”
So … let’s review. Conservative talk radio represents a threat to politicians and their families. In fact, the threat of talk radio can be compared to that of Islamic fundamentalists! And, in view of all this, the Democrats simply must have the same edge as Republicans do in the talk radio arena.
Secondly, Talk radio, as presently constituted, represents a threat to the safety of politicians. How much of a threat? Well, maybe a good way to put that point across would be to figure out a way to connect talk radio with terrorism. Daschle tried to do just that when he said “We see it in foreign countries and we think well my God, how can this religious fundamentalism become so violent. Well it’s that same shrill rhetoric, that same shrill power that motivates. Pretty soon it’s a foment that becomes physical in addition to just verbal. And that’s happening in this country.”
As I said, nobody seems to get it. The panel on Special Report with Brit Hume certainly didn’t. So, let me tell you what’s going on here.
The Democrats have just been blown out in another election. Today, just as in 1994, they are blaming their poor showing on the Americans who were motivated by talk radio. Without that talk radio edge conservatives would simply be unable to keep the liberal Democrats at bay.
Remember, now, that Democrats truly believe that they rule by divine right. It is they who believe in big government, not the Republicans, and since the Republicans don’t really believe in government it should be the Democrats who are running the show. That’s the way it ought to be, and if its not that way, something is terribly wrong. Anything that interferes with the Divine Right of Democrats to rule must be dealt with, firmly and permanently.
Democrats know that they can’t aspire to the same level of national influence in talk radio that is enjoyed by Republicans like Limbaugh and Hannity and libertarians like Larry Elder and that bald guy from Atlanta. So – the only way they can enjoy the same “edge,” as Daschle put it, is to bring talk radio down to a level that Democrats would deem to be equitable. How do you do this? Two ways; both, of course, involving the police power of government.
First --- a return of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” This is a regulation that requires broadcast stations to present equal time to proponents of both sides of a political issue. They wouldn’t force this requirement on newspapers or magazines, but broadcasting is fair game. The implementation of this doctrine would mean that every station that carries fifteen hours of Limbaugh a week would have to find some bed wetter to carry forth for an equivalent 15 hours. The problem here is that if such a creature existed --- if there was a liberal that listeners could enjoy, let alone stomach, for 15 hours a week without burning their radios, that liberal would already be on the air! The solution? Under the Fairness Doctrine the stations would just have to either get rid of Limbaugh or watch listeners go away --- and that would be just fine with the left.
The sad reality, for Democrats, is while the Republicans are in control of the congress there is going to be no resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine. This means that the Democrats are going to have to come up with another plan to stifle Limbaugh et al. Well, that plan is already formulated, and the tool is in place. That tool is the Campaign Finance Reform Act (CFRI). What you heard Daschle doing yesterday was him setting the stage for an attempt in the courts, using the campaign finance reform act, to shut down talk radio before the next presidential election.
Here’s what the Democrats will do. The CFRI has a provision in it that outlaws the use of soft money to run radio and television ads for any particular candidate or political party during the last 60 days leading up to Election Day. The Democrats will claim that the Rush Limbaugh Show, and other shows like his, are nothing less than paid political advertisements for the Republican Party or for a specific Republican candidate or issue, paid for by the businesses and corporations who advertise on these shows. The Democrats will ask the courts to rule that these evil talk show hosts are subject to the terms of the CFRI and that the hosts should not be permitted to express their opinions or preferences for or against any particular candidates or parties in the last two months before we head to the polls.
Remember, Democrats love government. Democrats believe that America is great because of government. Democrats will be all-to-willing to use that government to quiet their radio critics in the crucial days leading to the next election. Free speech? Don’t give them that free speech nonsense. They’ll throw “fairness” right back in your face, and to a Democrat is just isn’t fair that so many people seem to be interested in what conservatives and libertarians have to say, and so few are interested in listening to leftist blathering.
Boy .. do I have one huge “I told you so” coming in about 14 months.
The combined effect of talk radio and the Internet is a new force in politics. Whatever one thinks of Jesse Ventura, Governor of Michigan, he was the first person to use this combination to win major office in the United States. There will be more and more savvy candidates (on the conservative side) who realize the power of this combination, and use it to win offices.
I dedicated several sections of my newest (and shortest) book to precisely this subject. Click the second link below for "Restore Trust."
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Below the Radar -- The Other Republican Victory" (first column run on UPI)
The consolidated case (all 11 claims were rolled into one case) is still before the special, three-judge trial court. Final pre-trial briefs have been filed. It will hear the case and decide it by about the end of February.
Then, in accord with the law's own requirements, the case goes directly to the Supreme Court. That's where I get involved. The Supreme Court will "accelerate the case on its docket" (also as required by the law) and decide the case by the end of June. I've already put myself on the line on this: If we (meaning all the lawyers opposing this law) cannot get it declared unconstitutional, I will resign my 26-year membership in the Bar of the US Supreme Court.
I feel that strongly about the issue. I also feel that strongly about our abililty to use the First Amendment as a weapon to strike down CFR.
Does that answer your questions?
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Below the Radar -- The Other Republican Victory" (first column run on UPI)
Other than keeping terrorists from killing us, this is the most important issue we are facing today. Thank you SO much for your hard work on this.
Right now, I am following the case. When the Supreme Court gets it, I will file one of the briefs against the law. I expect that we (meaning all the lawyers against the law) will succeed in getting it declared unconstitutional.
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Below the Radar -- The Other Republican Victory" (first column run on UPI)
Right now, I am following the case. When the Supreme Court gets it, I will file one of the briefs against the law. I expect that we (meaning all the lawyers against the law) will succeed in getting it declared unconstitutional.
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Below the Radar -- The Other Republican Victory" (first column run on UPI)
In the next few months, the Bush administration is going to push through Congress a lot of new appointments to the federal courts of appeal. Maybe there will be some Clintonista district court judges who will rule the way the RATs want on this issue of the interpretation of the CFR law, but the federal courts of appeal will never affirm such a ruling -- by the time a case gets to one of those courts of appeal, there will be several new Bush appointments on them.
And that's ignoring the likelihood that much of the CFR law, including this part of it, is likely to be struck down as unconstitutional.
Calvin Coolidge was a professional politician who believed in small government. So was William Howard Taft. So was Grover Cleveland. So were most ante-bellum Democrat presidents (e.g., Buchanan, Pierce, Van Buren).
How do you explain people like them?
Dasshole is missing the point, if anyone is trying to promote hate & violence, it's CAIR.
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