Bill Clinton joins those wanting to bring back the fairness doctrine

Bill Clinton has joined the ranks of Democrats who have publicly voiced their support of the Fairness Doctrine.  This policy is designed to give equal representation on the airwaves to progressive and conservative ideology.  Now if you buy that I have some ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell you. (if I may steal a line from a legend)

It is interesting that liberals call this the Fairness Doctrine, but it does not apply to television media, only the radiowaves.  Interesting since TV is dominated by liberal shows (to include mainstream media) and radio is dominated by conservative shows.

Of course, Clinton is not in office anymore; his entire staff, yes, but not himself.  So who will push this legislation.  You have Pelosi, Kerry, and Rep. Anna Eshoo who all think it is a great idea, but you also have Sen Debbie Stabenow.  She recently said the following, ironically, on a radio show.

“I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else – I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.”

She does have a motive.  Her husband is an ex vice president of Air America, a national syndicated liberal radio station.  It failed miserably.  There just was no market for liberal ideology on the radio.  Because there is obviously no natural market, liberals in government need some type of regulations to control this media.  To either push conservative shows off the air or force stations to carry progressive shows even though they create little revenue.

Ms. Stabenow also let something else very important slip out. “whether its called the fairness doctrine, whether its called something else”.  As many conservatives have noted, to include Bush’s FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, the fairness doctrine will probably surface in another form.

And I am sure it will happen in the design of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank headed by Obama’s transition chief John Podesta.  They did a paper called “The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio,” and in it they mentioned several ways to swing the balance back in their favor.  They note that minority owned radio stations are more likely to play progressive radio shows. The report then recommends legislating local and national caps on ownership of commercial radio stations and if these radio stations do not comply, charge them penalties that could then be used to air progressive shows.

Here is a link to CAP’s 2007 paper The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio

So how does Obama feel about this legislation.  Well, during the campaign he says he is against the re-introduction of the Fairness Doctrine, but in the same sentence his press secretary says the following.

“Sen. Obama supports media-ownership caps, network neutrality, public broadcasting, as well as increasing minority ownership of broadcasting and print outlets.”

That sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it.  This combined with Obama’s all out attack on Rush Limbaugh makes it pretty clear that the Democrats are trying to affect conservative radio.  Since their attempt to drive a wedge in between conservative talk show hosts and the American public had very little effect, I imagine we will see further efforts in the near future with different tactics of course.

As I have said many times, the hypocrisy in politics is endless.  Liberals who claim to fight for freedom of speech also try to enact legislation that silences dissent.

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