Wednesday 10-03

I hope you were listening to Rush Limbaugh yesterday--because he was in world-class form. If you haven't heard, the US Senate drafted a resolution this week condemning Rush for using the term "phony soldiers" to describe some of those criticizing the war in Iraq. The website MediaMatters.org posted Rush's comments last week--and Democrats have decided to jump on it, making it sound like Rush was denegrating the troops.

Nevermind that Media Matters--which Rush is quick to point out was founded by Hillary Clinton--took the quote out of context. Rush was referring to a Washington man who claimed to have taken part in atrocities while serving in Iraq. The only problem--the guy had never been in Iraq--and is now facing federal charges. But Rush had both guns blazing yesterday--ripping any Democrat (and a few Republicans)--who either supported the resolution or haven't supported the war.

My question is: "Is talk radio the only thing Congress has to worry about right now?" A resolution discrediting a talk-show host is the biggest issue the Senate needed to take up on Monday? And it is not just the Rush Resolution. Congress is also holding hearings on a bill dubbed the "Fairness Doctrine"--which would require talk radio to present "equal time" for all political views.

Democrats seem to think there is too much conservative talk on the radio--and that there supporters should be getting more air time. Well there is a reason most talk shows are conservative--conservatives listen to talk radio. Conservatives tend to watch more 24-hour news channels--hence the ratings of Fox News compared to CNN and MSNBC. Conservatives like to know what's going on in a format more trustworthy than blogs on the internet.

So under the "Fairness Doctrine" we here at WOSH would be required to run three hours of liberal talk after the Rush hours from 11 to two weekdays here on News-Talk 1490. A show of hands please from those who would tune in to hear three hours of say Rosie O'Donnell flapping her gums--or Jesse Jackson.

As with any reactionary law, we would also have to deal with the law of unintended consequences. Once the conservatives and the liberals got their three hours--the libertarians would be at the door demanding their three hours--followed by the environmentalists, the white supremecists, the religious right and the militant Islamists.

The "Fairness Doctrine" would be the death of talk radio--and maybe that is the goal of the Democrats.