SALEM’S WITCH TRIAL
According to two members of the House Democrat Caucus, Reps.
Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have
informed them that they will “aggressively pursue” reinstatement of
the so-called Fairness Doctrine over the next six months. In
January, Democrat presidential candidate Rep. Dennis
Kucinich announced that he was going to pursue the
Fairness Doctrine through his Government Reform subcommittee. That
announcement was greeted with silence. But now, Pelosi has moved
things to the front burner.
Much of the doctrine, regulated through the FCC, was largely
dumped in 1987. Other parts of it, related to “personal attack”
rule and the “political editorial” rule, remained in place until
2000. The personal attack rule required anyone “attacked” over the
airwaves to be notified beforehand and given an opportunity to
respond. A similar rule was followed for the political editorial,
where a broadcaster endorsing one political candidate or issue had
to give similar time for a response from those not endorsed or
supported.
The decision to press for re-establishment of the Fairness
Doctrine now seems to have developed for two reasons. “First,
[Democrats] failed on the radio airwaves with Air America, no one
wanted to listen,” says a senior adviser to Pelosi. “Conservative
radio is a huge threat and political advantage for Republicans and
we have had to find a way to limit it. Second, it looks like the
Republicans are going to have someone in the presidential race who
has access to media in ways our folks don’t want, so we want to
make sure the GOP has no advantages going into 2008.”
That last comment appeared to be a veiled reference to former
Sen. Fred Thompson, who appears to be gearing up
for a presidential run. Over the past year, he has built a
following both over the AM airwaves through the ABC Radio network,
as well as through almost daily appearances across cable TV on the
TV show Law & Order, where he plays a tough-talking
district attorney.
According to another Democrat leadership aide, Pelosi and her
team are focused on several targets in the fight, including
Rush Limbaugh and the Salem Radio Network. In
fact, Kucinich’s staff has begun investigating Salem, one of the
fastest growing radio networks in the country, which features such
popular — and highly rated — conservative hosts as Bill
Bennett and Michael Medved, and Christian
hosts such as Dr. Richard Land.
“They are identifying senior employees, their political
activities and their political giving,” says a Government Reform
committee staffer. “Salem is a big target, but the big one is going
to be Limbaugh. We know we can’t shut him up, but we want to make
life a bit more difficult for him.”
FINANCING CHUCK
Nebraska’s anti-war Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel on
Sunday indicated that he is willing to join New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg in a third-party run for the
White House in 2008. Hagel insiders say that Hagel would run on the
bottom of the ticket, which would largely be financed by the man on
the top of the ticket, Bloomberg.
Bloomberg, according to New York insiders, has been meeting with
both Republican and Democrat political consultants, pollsters and
media advisers. They informed him that a run would most likely
require $100 million. “And probably a bit more,” says one with
knowledge of the discussion. “Bloomberg didn’t even blink when he
heard the number. He’s ready to cut the check.”
A Bloomberg-Hagel ticket would if nothing else rank in
entertainment value with the campaign of Democrat Rep.
Dennis Kucinich. It would also create a host of
problems for Sen. Hillary Clinton and former
Sen.John Edwards, who have steadily been turning
their campaigns in an anti-war direction.
