Did you catch this? Several weeks ago, Howard Fineman wrote an otherwise-typical column. It concerned the possibility of Democrats seeking to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine", which would require TV and radio outlets to provide "equal time" to opposing political views. It's existence prevented shows such as Rush Limbaugh's from getting on the air. Limbaugh's national radio show began in 1988, the year after the Fairness Doctrine died. Re-instituting it would be highly controversial, and it's instructive that no leading Democratic presidential candidate favors it.
But Fineman did ask Minnesota Democratic senate candidate Al Franken about it. Franken is all for it. Quote: “You shouldn’t be able to lie on the air...You can’t utter obscenities in a broadcast, so why should you be able to lie? You should be fined for lying.”
Wow. Quick, Mr. Franken--who's going to be the "lying" czar? Who will determine if someone's "lying" on the air? Did Nancy Pelosi lie on the air the other day when she defended Democratic handling of that disputed vote late Thursday night in the House? Wow.
