Almost one year ago, shortly after the elections I was discussing the Fairness Doctrine with my wife when my visiting daughter inquired as to its content. I also asked if she knew about the plan to force open voting for unionization (Card Check). Never heard of it.
My daughter is a liberal show-biz type who'd never heard about these, although she's suffered from stage decisions imposed by Equity, the actors union. Naturally she never watched or listened to discussions of these proposals on FOXNEWS, but as luck would have it we ran across a rare spot on CNN. She was flabbergasted. Thought it was wrong, but my guess is she's still has her head in the sand when it comes to actual, pertinent news. Same with most younger people.
duxoup
Phoenix, AZ
Arizona Republic
Fairness Doctrine? Our country is split almost evenly 50% conservative and 50% liberal. But there is only one conservative tv station...Fox. Being in the interest of fairness shouldn't Obama's government require MSNBC & CBS to become conservative to make the airways more balanced, more fair???
Instead under Obama 'fair and balanced' means to get rid of the few conservative voices out there. An odd interpretation of fair or balanced.
Antonious
Austin, TX
American-Statesman
Obama administration: dumb, dumber, dumbest...this newest 'call' about sums it up...little boy lost (within his own mind).
proudmary4
Tallahassee, FL
Democrat
I believe there is an internet story to the effect that the WH was arranging a press conference for a czar and FNC would be excluded. Then the broadcast media gathered in conspiricy fashion and told the WH that if FNC was excluded none of the others would show. If this is true there must be a cold chill running up the leg of some media executives. The relationship between the lapdog media and the WH will bear watching in the coming months.
GreyCaravel
Montgomery, AL
Advertiser
You may very well be a whole lot more right on than wrong on this at the rate they are going. The one thing I do think though is if we can stay on track until about December 20 when the Congress Critters head out for the holiday we should be in good shape. 2010 is election year and they are not going to touch any of the hot topics in an election year and take the chance of being placed in the ranks of the unemployed because of stupid votes on unwanted legislation.
Grandpa 2743
Sheridan, MI
More mindless commentary based on nothing.
ReasonsVoice
St. Cloud, MN
Times
When the First Amendment becomes "nothing" ReasonsVoice will be silent -- or else! -ED]
...This piece really hits home for me! My eyes teared-up! I remember listening to [Radio Free Europe] in Hungary when I was a kid with a bunch of us hovering over a small radio trying to decipher the words from the cramming... I am stunned that people here are ridiculing those of us who are trying to warn them!
Beenaroundsome,
Palm Desert, CA
I only have one this to say and it is a quote I read but unfortunately do not remember from whom
"When people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty!"
2AxMax
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
[It was a guy who didn't need anyone to interpret the Constitution for him because he was there when it was written -- Thomas Jefferson. -ED]
Another home run, Ed...Now for jeans. When I was in the USSR in 1973 wearing jeans and adidas you would have thought I was an alien even in Moscow. Guys would slide up to you and try to buy them. I figured they were all KGB or some kinda cop and just kept walking.
deserttrek
Palm Springs, CA
Desert Sun
[The Fashion Police are coming as soon as the Dear Leader appoints an Appropriate Clothing Czar. Wait 'til they spot me! -ED]
Seems that the libs love to defend rights connected to the bedroom, but in all the other rooms of the house, their goal is to control and regulate us.
Bathroom? 1.6 gallon flush, (Flush twice folks). Kitchen? Low fat food, energy saving appliances. Garage? A teeny tiny car that runs on...? A rubber band? Electricity? (without adding new nuke or coal fired electricity generation). The hallway? That is where your thermostat is. Turn it down in the winter...up in the summer. Living room....get rid of the incandescent...replace with mercury laden florescent.
Zippit
St. Cloud, MN
Times
Another load of paranoid garbage, Eddo. No one wants them off the air. Just don't want them masquerading as news.
Klinzboy
Des Moines, IA
Register
[Freedom of speech means NO ONE WANTS THEM TO DO ANYTHING but obey FCC regulations as applicable. Do you think the MSM is fair and balanced and 100% about the news? What about the Huffer, the Kos, MSNBC? -ED]
Let's hope we still live in a place where this won't come true. Thanks Ed good read.
catmandu
Palm Springs, CA
Desert Sun
There is great reason to
fear this government. One cannot pick up a paper
or turn on the news EVERY DAY without some new
affront being reported in the press...
rocco0607
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
Chico, Harpo, Groucho,
Gummo or Zeppo? I cannot keep those Marxists
straight. I am glad that you are seeing the
humor in the desperation and grasping of straws
by the ranting right. To paraphrase - "I could
never join an organization that would have me as
a member" (G.M.)
mostlymalarkey
Wausau, WI
Daily Herald
[I
think the funny Marxists were all about gallows
humor...and that's the only humor we've got left
thanks to the current crop of Marxists. -ED]
What I really
get out of the "obama/fox network" issue is how
our "white liberal" friends suddenly have no
comment. They themselves are "fair and balanced
up to a point. As long as it is for anything
"non conservative". There used to be boundaries.
The fact that they are more than willing to
allow this injustice tells me a great deal. Some
of our fellow Americans are now our enemies is
in fact what they are saying.
nobama4me
Montgomery, AL
Advertiser
It is a sad time when the
President can determine which news outlet is
"real" news and which is not. Every American
should be up in arms about this, but they
continue to be blinded by the glow of the
anointed one.
mightyright
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
When a "Fairness
Doctrine" mandates airing of the opposing
position, the result, in the REAL world, is that
free speech is constrained by the willingness,
the economics, and the availability of program
time to air that opposing view.
There is nothing FAIR about coercing the media
to give legitimacy to positions they hold in
contempt. The end result is that, rather than
submit to that sort of blackmail, the media will
choose to give voice to no opinions--a lack of
leadership and direction that does not
well-serve the public interest.
texascorvette
Des Moines, IA
Register
I say let him go after
Fox. Here Obama, have a little more rope...
rainbowed
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
It is
fair and balanced: Fox has 50% of the viewers
and the rest have the other 50% split among
them. That's what Fox means by fair and balanced
. Right? Of course Obama's war with Fox is
the best thing that's happened to their ratings
since he was elected last year. Go Bama!
andy in la la land
Austin, TX
American-Statesman
It is a sad time when the
President can determine which news outlet is
"real" news and which is not. Every American
should be up in arms about this, but they
continue to be blinded by the glow of the
anointed one."
Should the Comedy Channel be invited to share in
the information network afforded to the real
news players? Faux "News" is the
equivalent of the comedy channel, it is only
missing the punch lines and dancing elephants!
gotriddabush
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
[Does the Comedy Channel
have a credentialed White House correspondent
and the equipment necessary to be in the
pool/feed rotation with the other major
networks? If so, bring 'em on! And if you
were a lefty who pays closer attention you would
know, according to Emanuel and Axlerod, that FOX
is the media arm of the Republican Party -- so
it definitely has dancing elephants.
The punch line is in the previous paragraph. The
joke's on you. -ED]
...I'm serious when I say
it's good to see your blog back on the
Coloradoan site. I often disagree with your
perspectives, but I appreciate that you keep
your discourse relatively civil and you usually
do make an honest effort to string some actual
facts together in a futile attempt to support
your misguided ideology. ;-) Unfortunately, most
right-wingers these days don't even bother doing
that much (or, more likely, they're simply
incapable of it).
PeterFisk
Fort Collins, CO
Coloradoan
[Welcome back and thanks for
the fairness props. OTOH, Arguing With
Idiots is a best-seller. -ED]
...Did you say anything
like this when Ari Fleischer came out and told
the media to watch what it says?
DeltaLitProf
Jackson, MS
Clarion-Ledger
[I didn't catch that
one...perhaps you can link us to the quote in
context? And while you're Googling that, perhaps
you'll stumble upon this one that I'm sure you
neo-koms have forgotten: "The president welcomes
peaceful protests - it is a time-honored
tradition." - Ari Fleischer
Then again, it was easy to miss all of the
presser quotes during the previous
administration. Bush's spokespersons were able
to speak in conversational cadences and string
sentences together with real expression without
stammering and fumfering. -ED]