JD,

If they are known why do we let them continue.

The Inspector General of the FBI reported that only a small portion of the wire taps were legitimate. That only some of the wire taps were for calls outs side of the US. That they found one wire tap that turned out to be used to spy on an agents wife during divorce proceedings.

Are you calling the Inspector General for the FBI as be incorrect?

Bob

As I said in a previous post, anything can be abused.

The “Fairness Doctrine” is a regulation of the FCC. It was lifted because of the growth of diverse media. The FCC is talking about restoring it. It would basically require that any broadcast or cable channel would have to allow for opposing points of views to be aired.

The conservative “Christian” right is upset because they might be required to allow a “progressive Christian” actually have air time.

Contrary to the posts calling the suppression of free speech, it requires an expansion of free speech. Those who only want to hear their own voice as the “voice of Truth (or God)” feel threatened, perhaps in the same way paranoid schizophrenics feel threatened by reality.

JD,

Yes anything can be abused, however when you abuse civil liberties then you are edging towards a communist or nazi type government. Somehow, that does not seem to bother you.

It will be interesting to see if these civil liberties supporters will come out and defend free speech when the Democrats try to re-institute the (un)Fairness Doctrine by taking away the right of the right to speak out against the new Democrat president and Congress.

Centrist

Do you read any of the postings before you speak?

The fairness doctrine simply says that if a radio or tv station air’s an opinion for one side then they have to give the other side the same amount of time and slot to give the other opinion.

So if a tv station has a pro Obama editorial McCain can demand a pro McCain statement read by someone of his choosing. It prevents a station from turning down a commercial has long has it is tasteful, so a campaign commercial full of obscenities can be denied but not one where you call your opponent a liar. That is what the fairness doctrine says.

RHarnack - So, do you think NPR will be forced to air 50% conservative viewpoints anytime soon? I doubt it. NPR is 100% liberal and politically driven, and taxpayers foot the bill for 100% of the content.
If a radio station or TV channel isn’t government run, and is funded by free market advertising, those stations shouldn’t be forced by a government agency to air the “opposing” view - that is censorship. The federal gov’t should start with their own propaganda channel…NPR.

The reason Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein are pushing the “Unfairness Doctrine” is due to the ultimate success of conservative talk radio. If the conservative stations are forced to have liberal views, advertisers and listeners will leave in droves, causing the station to shut down.
But, liberal stations have had their go as well - air america failed because it has no audience, and it was filled with uninteresting radio hosts with little talent.

This “doctrine” exists for one purpose only…to kill talk radio.

The “Axis of Ignorance” speaks again! We have Centwisted, sick and vicious, not a sage, JD, jones, gaucho, Tang, all yammering on how our rights need to be taken away to satisfy their fascist, corporatist fearmongering agenda.

http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/11/09/real-terror-is-fear/

I know y’all think the US Constitution is “just a goddam piece of paper!” like ol W says. So I propose you go somewhere else to live where there are no civil liberties like Russia or China or Zimbabwe and seee what their Constitutions can be used for other than toilet paper.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml

We are Americans, and will stand up and fight to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That includes the “Axis of Ignorance” here which poses a merely marginal threat to free thinking and freedom loving Americans.

Keep on yapping!

The Constitution says you can!

Until BushMcCain says you can’t!

Gaucho, yes I listen to NPR, so I am aware that they have responsible conservative spokepersons on regularly in addition to administration spokespersons. What the do not have on are irresponsible ranters from either side of the political spectrum.

As to the Fairness Doctrine, why is it only conservative “yakkety yak, don’t talk back” shows that are worried? (My apologies to the Coasters).

Reeves, we keep hearing you libs crying about our civil liberties being violated with this wiretapping bill. What evidnece do you have to show the privacy of Americans has been violated. Did you know Clinton also did warrantless wiretapping in 1995? He convicted a former CIA operative name Aldrich Ames for spying for the Russian government and he did it using a wiretap without a warrant. Everytime libs bash Mr. Bush on this, they forget Clinton did the same thing. But they seem to give Clinton a free pass on this as they do everything else. What is it with you people?

Yeah Maher, the Post-Dispatch is terrorist appeasing, Bush hating newspaper, just like you libs are.

Now maybe you crybaby libs can answer the question I just posted. I doubt if you can, but try it anyway.