The Campaign Spot

Apply the Fairness Doctrine to Cable and Satellite Programming?!?

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-California, is talking about not only bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, but somehow, in some constitutionally dubious way, applying it to forms of communication that do not include public airwaves — i.e., cable and satellite programming.

It is worth remembering, at moments like these, that Obama has said he opposes reinstating the Fairness Doctrine. It is also worth remembering, at moments like these, that all statements from Barack Obama come with an expiration date. All of them.

Think about this. A congresswoman, believing that “there should be equal time for the spoken word,” is going to have the government step in and regulate what can be said on privately owned communication systems, i.e., cable television and satellite radio. And at no point does it cross her mind that this would violate the First Amendment.

Not long ago, Cam spotlighted a case of local lawmakers passing gun ordinances that their own lawyers concluded blatantly violated state law and/or the state and U.S. constitutions. Upon being told that there was no way their proposal would pass a constiutional challenge, the lawmakers shrugged their shoulders and passed it anyway. One councilwoman actually declared, “Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?”

I fear we may have managed to elect a governing class that is constitutionally illiterate.


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