Posted on 10/03/2007 1:33:55 AM PDT by Arnold Zephel
House Republicans are threatening to launch a discharge petition on legislation that would ensure the future prosperity of conservative radio talk-show hosts but is expected to face opposition from Democratic leaders. On Monday evening, Republicans filed a rule with the House Rules Committee laying the groundwork for a petition that would force action on protecting radio from government regulation later this fall.
The move comes at a time when Democrats have launched a coordinated attack on conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, accusing him of disparaging American troops critical of the Iraq war as “phony soldiers.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has said broadcasters should be required to give listeners both sides of political issues so voters can make informed decisions.
Conservatives fear that forcing stations to make equal time for liberal talk radio would cut into profits so severely that radio executives would choose to scale back on conservative programming to avoid rising costs and interference from the government.
Republicans’ concern has grown as Democrats have waged a battle against Limbaugh in recent days. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sent a letter to the chief executive of Clear Channel Communications, Mark Mays, calling on him to denounce Limbaugh’s remarks.
“If anyone ever doubted that there is enmity between Democrats and American talk radio, they need look no further than the personal attacks leveled on Rush Limbaugh on the floor of the Senate,” said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the sponsor of legislation shielding broadcasters from government interference. “I thought it astonishing that members of the U.S. Senate would engage in repeated and distorted personal attacks on a private citizen. It gives evidence of a level of frustration with conservative talk radio that is very troubling to anyone who cherishes the medium.”
Pence, a former professional talk radio host, and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), a radio station owner, on Monday sent letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) demanding a vote on the Broadcaster Freedom Act.
In their letters, Pence and Walden cited broad support for their bill as well as a vote on an appropriations amendment earlier this year showing that many Democrats are wary of angering politically influential radio personalities such as Limbaugh. The Republican lawmakers gave Democratic leaders a deadline of the end of next week.
“Over 200 of our colleagues have joined us as co-sponsors of this important measure,” Pence and Walden wrote.
“Considering the significance associated with protecting free speech, we respectfully request that you schedule floor action on H.R. 2905 by Friday, October 12, 2007. While we may not always agree with those who are on the airwaves, as members of Congress and freedom-loving Americans, we should never back down from an opportunity to defend their rights or speak their piece.”
Under House rules, members of the minority party can force House leaders to schedule a vote on controversial legislation by obtaining 218 signatures on a discharge petition.
Democrats from conservative-leaning districts, such as Brad Ellsworth (Ind.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.), where conservative radio personalities enjoy higher visibility among voters, may face pressure at home to sign such a petition. Doing so would anger Democratic leaders because it would allow Republicans to seize control of the House agenda. At least 17 Democrats must sign a discharge petition to force a vote on the legislation.
“I don’t think freedom is a partisan issue,” said Pence, who emphasized his efforts to build bipartisan support for the legislation.
The Broadcaster Freedom Act would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from setting rules and policies reinstating the so-called Fairness Doctrine.
The doctrine, which the FCC abandoned in 1985, required broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial political issues. FCC regulators called for broadcasters to “make reasonable judgments in good faith” on how to present multiple viewpoints on controversial issues.”
Conservatives fear that forcing stations to make equal time for liberal talk radio would cut into profits so severely that radio executives would choose to scale back on conservative programming to avoid rising costs and government interference.
In addition to Durbin, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has said in recent months that she plans to review the legal aspects of reviving the Fairness Doctrine. Aides to Dingell, who chairs the House committee with primary jurisdiction over the FCC, have studied the issue as well, Democratic sources said.
Every Republican in the House has sponsored Pence and Walden’s bill. Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.), a former newspaper publisher, is the only Democrat to sign on so far.
The bill’s sponsors believe they could pressure more Democrats to sign on to a discharge petition, especially as Election Day nears.
At the end of June, 309 House lawmakers voted for an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill prohibiting the FCC from using federal funds to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine.
Republicans say Congress must consider the Broadcaster Freedom Act now because the amendment the House passed several months ago has not yet become law. The Senate has yet to consider the Financial Services spending bill.
Even if the Senate acts and the amendment concerning the Fairness Doctrine becomes law, the prohibition on the FCC using federal funds to ensure ideological balance in broadcasting would expire at the end of next September. The Broadcast Fairness Act would prohibit the resurrection of the doctrine any time in the future.
As Mark Levin would say "Little" Dick Durbin is a Stalinist. He disguises assault on Free Speech rights with the perfect storm of Marxist rhetoric.
Query Dick: Will you apply the same standard to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The LA Times, etc, etc, etc, etc,.......etc.......etc
Has even one Republican Senator gotten on the floor to defend Rush Limbaugh and expose the lies the Democrats are telling about Rush’s “phony soldiers” comment. That Rush was speaking about one particular indisputably phony soldier named Jesse MacBeth
This is just so scary and disgusting. Hey Dick, how about letting station OWNERS decide what to have on their stations based on the amount of revenue it brings in? No, that would be too much to ask for you you sniveling little communist puss bag. It's not up to you or any of your tyrannical buddies to determine whether or not the content on a privately owned radio stationed is fair or not. You don't like it then don't listen, but HOW DARE YOU try to dictate to me what is acceptable or unacceptable for me to hear on my radio.
I know I shouldn't be surprised by anything a communist (I from now on will refuse to call them democrats) does but this is outrageous! I am so disgusted not only at people like him, but at every single voter who puts people like him into positions of power.
Don’t expect any good from Republican senators. They are a sorry lot.
Yep I sure don’t want the likes of Dick Durbin, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, et. al. telling me what the issues are and then rationing air time for the opposition to speak.
These Democrats are absolutists on certain issues, such as abortion. Well, I’m absolutist on freedom of speech. Let Hillary screech and cackle all she wants as she tells us her view of the issues of the day. Then, let Rush and anyone else have their say. Any restrictions on our freedom of speech is a form of censorship.
Let’s make it clear what Democrats are doing in one word: CENSORSHIP!
Let’s add one more: STALINISM!
I imagine at some point a limit will be reached and the old standby of firing squads and hangings will have to be employed to rein the enemy at home in.
Not only that, but it is a huge step towards tyranny. If something like this were to go down then it would be a step towards having them force us to hear their viewpoints. Then comes the issue of forcing the views on the air to be “balanced”. Well obviously they will want to be the final arbiters on that, and it should be abundantly clear to anyone paying attention that “fairness” on the airwaves will pretty quickly become a matter of communist viewpoints being balanced by socialist ones. Anyone who agrees to such a law would be better suited to living in Cuba than in the US.
It really pains me to say it but that’s what it seems like these dictators are pushing for.
I propose to democrats something much better: The rights to switch channel and rights to turn your radio off
WOW! That proves that such equal time for broadcasting voice of the other is totally meaningless!
Once the first nuke goes off stateside all bets are off and scum like reid and durbin had better watch what they say very carefully.
First they took the Airwaves—Then they burned the books—then there were ethnic symbols painted on businesses!!!!!!!!!SOUND FAMILIAR? THIS MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!!!!!
%100 on the mark my friend.
Why can’t someone in the senate stand up and say what you just said? Is there no one on our side with balls anymore. They pussyfoot around issues instead of laying it on the line to the Dems.
EXACTLY!!
We have seen this all before and it doesn’t lead anywhere good.
“Query Dick: Will you apply the same standard to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The LA Times, etc, etc, etc, etc,.......etc.......etc”
Oh, he’ll gladly apply the same standard...the way all the MSM do already. Just ask them, they’ll prove they show both sides of the issue by trotting out their few conservative talking heads and having them debate the issue (4 loud libs to one cowed conservative).
Senator Warner did... and he called Rush a GREAT PATRIOT and a GREAT FRIEND to the Military. He said that he doubted the story that the evilcrats were pushing.
LLS
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