Five Days Ago, Congress Said No To the Fairness Doctrine. Today, Rush Limbaugh Is All Over the News

[NashVegas]

Does our Democratic majority still think the Fairness Doctrine is a bad idea?

[Drunken Irishman]

1. I think it's awesome he's all over the news.

He's going down in flames and he's bringing the Republican Party with him.

[depakid]

6. It's not just Limbaugh

but the fact that damn near your entire "news" media has become little more than a culture of lies- and a right wing propaganda organ.

Unfortunetly, most Americans are too young- or haven't spent much enough time outside of the states to have clue one what a responsible media- one that values honesty and credibility- and that doesn't spread bile 24/7 actually looks like.

Or such a thing actually exists (or once existed in the states).

[Dr Fate]

2. We WANT Rush all over the news. He is the face of the GOP.

The problem all along is Rush has never been in the news- as famous as he is, few moderates really know what he is all about.

[terisan]

3. It is the Great Distraction Doctine that is paramount in politics-left or right. nt

[Dr Fate]

4. Taking on the Right Wing echo chamber is for mere distraction purposes?

I think not.

All the DEMS who said "these guys are just entertainers- no one pays any attention to them, they have no influence- let's not confront them, they will go away some day..." were wrong.

If we had done something like this years ago, we might have avoided the Clinton impeachment and 2 terms of Bush.

Exposing the far right echo chamber for exactly what it is not a distraction- its a valid strategy to remove obstacles to the Obama agenda and in time, the broader Liberal agenda...

[terisan]

7. It is a distraction from the business at hand. We the people need to be

discussing and watching and improving the legislation before us and improving the implementation of same.

I take citizenship seriously; I am not a blind follower of any office holder and I don't like legislation being passed without it being read and the people having the ability to read and review it. I don't like the Treasury being outsourced to Wall Street and people who kept derivatives from being regulated-like Larry Summers. I don't like political promises being cast aside with crappy excuses. Earmarks bad last year, don't matter this year.


I don't know anyone who has dismissed Limbaugh and others as mere entertainers. They are, in any case, not potent political forces at present, although they will surely grow their audience now-they thrive on attention.

The Clinton impeachment was based upon a special prosecutor law , put in place after Watergate. Clinton erred political when he allowed the assigning of a special prosecutor for Whitewater because the law was not designed to address actions of a president before attaining that office. After the political mess of impeachment Congress did away with the law. Without the Office of the Special Prosecutor, there would have been no impeachment, whether or not show hosts were confronted.

I'd be happy to see the end of a lot of Talk Radio as well as blathering cable political theater but the attacks on Limbaugh I see as beings as asinine and distracting as Sean Hannity's attacks on Obama.

My own opinion is that citizens should be neither spectators nor foot soldiers. I think that people who followed Bush blindly, or who follow Obama unquestioningly or Limbaugh devalue citizenship.

I think you should go ahead and fight for what you believe in. I believe in accountability from those in power in government and I am going to fight for that. I don't particularly care about Obama's opinion of Limbaugh or his possibly using it as a strategy to advance his agenda. I want more information about policy from this administration and from Congress and more opportunity for discussion among citizens.

[Clio the Leo]

5. And we're not stopping until he's the GOP nominee!!!!

Won't it be WONDERFUL!!!!

[Occam Bandage]

8. I think it's great that he's all over the news. The GOP is getting played like fools. nt

[bluethruandthru]

9. The Fairness Doctrine won't do anything....

The problem is consolidation of ownership of media outlets. When there were strict limits on ownership of Radio, TV and Newspapers...we didn't have the problems we have today. Three or four giant corporations should not be allowed to control 80 percent of the mass media in this country.

[libodem]

11. Seems like a job for an anti-trust hero

Where is the free and fair competition when we start having mega-corporations. No wonder our business models seem to be failing. The worst of all possible combinations seem to have merged into a 1984 double-speak military industrial complex real life nightmare scenario.

[bluethruandthru]

12. True.....Where's our "hero"? n/t

[NashVegas]

13. Incorrect

What's happening right now in radio is more stations are carrying syndicated content than ever before. Even if ownership was broken up (which I'd still like to see) that doesn't mean they'll drop syndicated content.

[bluethruandthru]

14. Many stations are carrying syndicated content because

they are told they have to. They're being told that by the conglomerates who own them.

[NashVegas]

16. And Many Will Continue to Do So

Because they do have to. Their own bottom lines will dictate it until the price of owning a radio station goes back to what it was in 1983.

[depakid]

15. Why is it an either or?

My question is- do you want an honest, accountable media or not?

Would people (and "hosts" on the TV) prefer being looked in the face and lied to- (false statements of fact looked right in our eyes and told right to our faces) -would you prefer that that's almost all you can hear or see in rural communities all across America- along with vile name calling and other sorts of vitriol.

Or would you prefer honesty, reason- accountability and full and fair debate- with a bit of politeness and respect (at least from time to time?).

That would be the choice.

[camera obscura]

10. He's all over the news because Obama wants him there. How have you not picked up on that yet?

And yeah, FD is still a bad idea.