Steve, they don't want to stop it, they want it to happen. Then when you go on Rachel's show they can insist that some wingnut blogger has to be on the show with you.

They want to impose themselves on that evil Liberal Media, and blame progressives for it happening.

Yep, I'm a paranoid.

I'd say as long as they have their knickers in a twist over a bogeyman, we should call them up and yell BOO! every now and then. Keep their bogeyman alive, and keep them busy running around in circles making asses out of themselves instead of doing anything more harmful.

Morons.

It seems to me more a cry for relevance and egomania.

As tempting as it is, the nation has much bigger problems to worry about then the muzzling raging stupidity Billbo and Asszit Rush.

I take this as a sign that they think raging about something the Dems really do want to pass might not help them much. Socializing medicine, ending the wars, a jobs program to help the economy, environmental initiatives, Supreme Court justices who will protect abortion rights--all these just might not have the "oogedy boogedy" scary quality they once had. So they pretend we want to cancel their radio shows, grab up all their guns and eliminate Christmas.

Of course, when it turns out there will be no legislation on the topic, the wing nuts will then claim "victory" by mobilizing the troops, making the evil liberals too afraid to muzzle them... Victory again!

This entire campaign is simply an attempt -- successful so far -- to distract the media from Republican efforts to:

- Expand the interpretation of the Second Amendment to allow the purchase of handguns from vending machines.

- To make performing an abortion a capital crime and to require a mandatory life sentence for women who obtain an abortion.

- To pass a Constitutional amendment repealing Loving v. Virginia.

when the next two years go by, and there's no activity at all on the fairness doctrine

That said, as one emailer told me yesterday, when the next two years go by, and there's no activity at all on the fairness doctrine, conservative activists will take credit for having stop this dreaded effort to squelch free speech before it could become law.

That's the only explanation I can think of for this nonsense--even though they'll never be able to point to any real legislation. And the rest of the country still won't care, as they'll be talking about what actually happened with regard to the economy, healthcare, and energy. Real legislation that actually helped them, as opposed to imaginary boogymen.

It's the kitchen sink thing. These no talent ass clowns have no real amunition to fight with, so they throw everything including the kitchen sink in the hope that they will do some damage. Sadly it's all they have left. Their movement is dying and they are desperate. Not so much about beliefs (I don't think they really have any), but about keeping their jobs. I think they see the writing on the wall. Over time their followers are abandoning them, which means they will eventually be taken off the air.

It's not peculiar to the fairness doctrine at all. Conservatives accuse Democrats of wanting to take away the right to own guns. They accuse Democrats of wanting to outlaw the Bible. They accuse Democrats of wanting to take away the right to choose your doctor. Bill O'Reilly believes that Democrats want to ban the saying of "Merry Christmas".

Bill O'Reilly believes that Democrats want to ban the saying of "Merry Christmas".

And of wanting to make the Yuletide gay.

These are what they call "talking points." And you know very well that this is the standard, lock-step tactic the right wing has been employing for about a decade - bitch loud and long enough about something until it become an "issue" whether it really is one or not.

I think Daryl is close on this one. This isn't even about taking credit for something that doesn't happen, this is about the fevered dreams of right-wing talkers who are imagining what they would do if the shoe were on the other foot. They're hysterical because they know that the first thing they would do if the roles were reversed - if liberals had a talk radio monopoly that they were using to keep the die-hard base riled up - they'd shut the whole thing down hard. They're looking for the boogeyman behind every corner because they're SURE that he's there waiting to get 'em if they don't stop him.

Remember that modern day American "conservatives" suffer from a severe case of Wingnut Projection Syndrome - if they're accusing someone of doing something, you can be damn sure that they're either doing it themselves or would do it themselves if the shoe were on the other foot.

Far-Righters really don't have anything else to talk about. Their agenda, which has been largely implemented over the past 8 years, is why this country is in such an absolute sh*thole of a mess.

Besides, their number one love is to get worked up into a lather.

Looking at it a little harder, I think we should understand what this is; they know they're hosed, they know they just got their "conservative" asses handed to them by the American people. The smarter ones see how the circular firing squad is going to work out for them, so they're trying to get the firing squad to turn around and fire outward, even if they're just firing into the night air. If they can just put a stop to the inward-directed fire it'll give them time to find some common ground to stand on.

This is an attempt to stop the civil war in the GOP.

Nate Silver did a great piece yesterday on the skills needed to be a radio talk show host. Short version: It's more about thinking fast rather than thinking through things. They don't have much time to consider what's important.

What NonyNony said.

Projection.

It's guilt on their part pure and simple. They know they've got a lock on the media, particularly, radio. It's so blatant they figure someone's going to come after them eventually on it.

Well, let me be the first to say it. BRING BACK THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. [Glances down to see how many conservatives and their fellow travelers have swooned to the floor.]

the fairness doctrine campaign is about direct mail fundraising - the same with the Christ in Christmas campaign. when there's no villain, you have to create your own.

Yesterday someone posted a comment that I think needs to be disseminated a bit more. The media is liberal. Right? The fairness doctrine means that therefore more conservatives must be allowed. Right? Therefore the fairness doctrine would be doing them a favor. Right?

These pendejos know that the media is lockstep with the conservative agenda and not at all liberal with two or maybe three exceptions, so a fairness doctrine would work against them in reality. They can't have it both ways. Either the fairness doctrine works in their favor or the media is not liberal. Keep pointing this out to them.

They're giving themselves a chance to achieve something: stop something the Democrats aren't trying to achieve!

And they're the first in line to mock efforts to build self-esteem.

this was mentioned on the Huffington Post and I made the same comment there...

Right wing talk radio and media aren't really interested in ideology. They're sellin a product, and like P.T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute." They need to keep and maintain an audience of regular listeners and watchers to keep those advertising dollars flowing.

Its a formula they all follow to a t. Its based on imagined victimization, fear, bitterness, bigotry and a lack of original thinking. Its always a state of high hysteria. Today its this, tomorrow will be that.

When have you ever heard Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, O'Reilly, any of them truly defend thier ideology? They throw bombs and when questioned or challenged they immediately throw an hysterical tantrum claiming personal attack. Its all about them. Its a flim-flam, a racket. Pay attention to the commercials you hear on talk radio (even the big national shows). Its alot of snake oil and hucksters, get righ quick schemes and magic age-defying night creams.

The right wing media is a business not an ideology. Its successful because it sells its product to a very gullible customer.

What do you want to bet that the right wing blowhards whose panties are in a bunch over the Fairness Doctrine don't even know what it is?

I'll be if you pop quizzed them, they'd tell you it's equal time requirements, which it's not.

I think the problem for Rush and his ilk is that it requires the presentation of issues of public importance, and we know that he'd rather bloviate on matters of supreme unimportance than to inform the public.

Case in point, he can't shut up about the non-issue of the Fairness Doctrine.

Rachel Maddow is stunning example of what the Fairness Doctrine sought to promote. She talks about matters of importance to the public (she starts her radio show everyday with news from Iraq, I don't think most other reporters even realize we're still at war), and she always contemplates the opposing viewpoint and allows it to be presented.

Also, she totally had Steve on her radio show yesterday. Rachel rocks.

This is a red herring. The right wants everyone to be talking in shocked dismay about the potential assault of the "fairness doctrine" when what they really fear (and what the spineless Dems should do) is the break up of the corporate-owned media monopolies.

Just because Rush and O'Reilley are paranoid doesn't mean that no one's out to get them.

I for one would love to see the AM hate radio monopoly shut down, and hope Obama gets around to doing it, albeit after far more important concerns are addressed.

In fact, not just AM radio, but pretty much all broadcast and even cable media needs to be, shall we say, "redistributed" out of the hands of the handful of media companies that presently control the "message of the day." Indeed, de-conglomeration, along with real nationwide voter protection measures, are probably the two most important long-term reforms dems can make in the first term.

Otherwise, continued conglomeration by Murdoch, the Mouse, and GE will only ensure that when republicants are done licking their wounds and the country has again rebounded to the point that there's enough middle class wealth to be taken, they'll hasten the forgetting of our 8-year national nightmare with an all-out assault on Obama that will make the targeting of Clinton look tame.

So while the Fairness Doctrine may not be reappearing anytime soon, I hope that new ownership rules and/or antitrust measures will accomplish the same thing: the destruction of Rush and O'Reilley.

I really do not listen to radio anymore, except for NPR -- and when I was driving a company car and somebody had left the radio on to a commercial station -- it was as if nothing ahd changed in the last 10 years -- same songs, same commercials. Uhg.

So, I am indifferent to the fairness doctrine, but TV and radio stations should be required to devote a certain amount of time to pubic programming, AKA news, and there should be only a certin amount of time allowed for commercials. Also, the great radio monolopies should be broken up to allow more local programming.

This might help save the sanity of people who do not have NPR in their community or Ipods.

This might help save the sanity of people who do not have NPR... -Kurt

That's funny, because I can't stand NPR. With Mara Liason, Juan Williams, and the rest of the nice polite republicans, I couldn't take it anymore.

The Fairness Doctrine never was that fair to the full spectrum of political views. You were hardly likely to hear a real libertarian given time for anything, and you damn sure didn't see any socialists on the airwaves. (Note: Despite his claims, Bernie Sanders is NOT a socialist or even close. He's a whiter shade of Howard Dean.)

So, in that sense, it's better the Fairness Doctrine is gone; it removes a fig leaf of hypocrisy.

You know one of the reasons there is no interest IS because people keep talking against it.

If they stop, interest may appear, because there are certainly some who would discussed re-instating it.

Whether it's a nonexistent war on Christmas, or a nonexistent attempt to reinstate the so-called fairness doctrine, the right is excellent at manufacturing strawmen to beat. And by-the-by distract attention from what's really going on.

The fat-headed narcissistic blowhards, like Lush Bimbo, have probably convinced themselves that their monopoly on AM radio is threatened, and I wish it were, but when were these hyocritical charlatans ever connected to anything called reality?

They will quite likely claim a nonexistent victory in this manufactured issue, but to their audiences they will once again be heros. Proving to the audience that they serve as a protector of the little guy, essentially enabling the powerless to have a voice, is a focal point of their demogogic schtick.

We can only hope their voices will grow fainter over the next four years, but I doubt it. Maybe the audience won't hear them as well if they see real, meaningful change occur.

The purpose is to give a palatable explanation for why their sorry selves were kicked off the air, once their numbers start to tank as this country wakes up...

The purpose is to give a palatable explanation for why their sorry selves were kicked off the air, once their numbers start to tank as this country wakes up... Posted by: Bernard Gilroy

But that's the point, Bernie. They haven't been "kicked off the air." Conservatives and appearances by conservative still dominate radio and television by a healthy margin. They have yet to lose anything and are probably in little danger of losing their dominance of the airwaves. The media is not now liberal and has never really been liberal.

All right, who leaked the secret agenda? Who ever let the wing nuts know we are bringing back the fairness doctrine, just keep your mouth shut from now on. Else the wing nuts will figure out we are also doing away with Christmas and taking away all their guns. Above all don’t mention the kindergarten sex education/homosexual indoctrination program.

This might help save the sanity of people who do not have NPR... -Kurt

That's funny, because I can't stand NPR. With Mara Liason, Juan Williams, and the rest of the nice polite republicans, I couldn't take it anymore. Posted by: doubtful

Yup. Give me the BBC any day of the week for a good 'ol government-funded broadcast that's not afraid to bite the hand that feeds it.

NPR is pretty much shit anymore. Not only does it have a center-right slant (like the rest of the media), but much of the articles are poorly reported.

It sure seems they (right wing wackos) are making a big fuss over that. Maybe Pres. Elect Obama & leaders of Congress should look into the ramifications of reinstating the doctrine.

Methinks they doth protest too much & may be showing that they consider the absence of the Fairness Doctrine to be a big help for their RW media propaganda empire.

Between Jaun "faux" Williams and Cokie "inside the beltway" Roberts, NPR's political coveraging generally sucks.

But I've never heard of anything like the current conservative mania for blocking a particular legislative provision that nobody is trying to enact.

Sure you have Matt. Don't you know liberals are planning to confiscate all guns? Have a Homosexual agenda to turn your kids gay? A socialist agenda tax all income from hard working whites and give it to lazy colored slum dwellers? Want open borders with Mexico so all those wetbacks will vote Democrat illegally? Secretly plan to give Israel to Osama bin Laden?

I mean, c'mon, they live in an alternate reality. Maybe 20 years ago only a few of them actually believed their own bullshit, but now even the leaders of the movement believe all this stuff.

Which is why, of course, the Democrats will do so well over the next few years. With Republicans campaigning against phantom boogeymen policies (and not offering any solutions of their own that doesn't start and end with a capital gains tax cut) the Democrats will win over the right-leaning moderate thinkers by a) not doing any of the scary policies that they've been accused of secretly planning and b) instead implementing things that will actually solve problems.

Here's a hint: the so-called "conservative" bloviators like O'Reilly who are ranting about nonexistent efforts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine are bought-and-paid-for tools of the handful of giant media corporations who already own and control virtually all of the mass media in the USA, from which most Americans get most of their information, and who use that control to propagandize the American people in furtherance of their corporate agenda.

This isn't about the Fairness Doctrine.

This is a pre-emptive attack by Big Media against any attempt by the Obama administration or the Democratic Congress to roll back the Cheney-Bush administration's radical deregulation of media ownership (which has allowed the Big Media corporations to gobble up more and more of America's few remaining radio and TV stations and networks and newspapers), and against efforts to preserve and protect net neutrality (which is the Fairness Doctrine of the Internet age).

This is a pre-emptive attack against any efforts to regulate Big Media in the public interest -- it's an attack by the giant corporations who want to ensure that they continue to have a free hand to use the mass media to propagandize on behalf of corporate interests.

"That said, as one emailer told me yesterday, when the next two years go by, and there's no activity at all on the fairness doctrine, conservative activists will take credit for having stop this dreaded effort to squelch free speech before it could become law."

Exactly. When two years go by and the economy has recovered and Universal Health Care has been made law and the excesses of AIG and Lehman and the like have been dealt with, this'll be the only thing the Republican's have to hang their hats on.

I think what the wing-nuts are really afraid of is the Fairness Doctrine's clause about personal attacks. When Rush Limbaugh attacks a democrat, say by calling Tom Daschle evil or a communist, the station has to allow equal time for Tom Daschle to respond. I say bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

I remember years ago there were chain letters and petitions circulating every 6 months or so indicating that Congress was about to close down, tax, or in some other form stifle religious broadcasters. These often cited a specific bill number in opposition to which you were supposed to write your representative. In every instance the claims were false. I now travel in different circles so I don’t know if these things still circulate, but I suspect, as tmartinsmith indicates about the present brouhaha, that the alarmist claims were furthered as fund raising appeals from the supposedly endangered broadcasters.

Bring back the Fairness doctrine. Balance the noise machine with some differing points of view.

(Note: Despite his claims, Bernie Sanders is NOT a socialist or even close. He's a whiter shade of Howard Dean.)

Yeah, because running as, and calling yourself a, "Socialist" is the surest way to electoral success. The only surprise is why more people haven't seen that.

I quoted three top Dem pols the other day who were calling for the Fairness Doctrine, yet somebody keeps insisting there is no interest on the part of libs. BS.