The so-called Fairness Doctrine is the anti-First Amendment now unenforced Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule which chilled free speech on the radio from its FCC creation in 1949 until the Commission voted to stop its enforcement in 1987.
The Fairness in Broadcasting Act of 1987 (H.R. 1934) sprung up immediately after this latter vote to try to turn the Doctrine into law. Then Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich was one of its 71 co-sponsors.
I can’t for the life of me find the final vote, so I do not know if Gingrich voted for it – though it would be a might strange for someone to co-sponsor a bill and then not say Aye.
I did find a pro-Fairness Doctrine video that says the bill passed the House by a 3-1 margin – and that Gingrich voted for it.
It also passed the Senate – but President Ronald Reagan thankfully then broke out his veto pen.
This was all of course in the midst of the dark days of the Republicans’ 40+ years spent wandering in the House Minority wilderness, so there was rarely any need for any Elephant to sponsor anything – they were an irrelevant species.
The makeup of the 100th Congress was in fact 258 Democrats (59.3%) and just 177 Republicans (40.7%) – an overwhelming Donkey Majority.
Gingrich was not the lone Republican co-sponsor of the Fairness Doctrine – there were a total of twenty-one. Including several names you’ll know – conservatives (Illinois’ Henry Hyde and Phil Crane, California’s Bob Dornan) and…not so much (Mississippi’s Trent Lott).
Make of Gingrich’s co-sponsorship what you will – in the context of some of his other unconservative actions (Dede Scozzafava, his pro-global warming commercial with Democrat then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and his saying that his philosophy could “involve a very activist government” to name but a few).
Behold the full Republican co-sponsor list.
- Rep Bliley, Tom [VA-3]
- Rep Buechner, Jack [MO-2]
- Rep Callahan, Sonny [AL-1]
- Rep Coleman, E. Thomas [MO-6]
- Rep Conte, Silvio O. [MA-1]
- Rep Craig, Larry E. [ID-1]
- Rep Crane, Philip M. [IL-12]
- Rep Dannemeyer, William E. [CA-39]
- Rep Daub, Hal [NE-2]
- Rep Dornan, Robert K. [CA-38]
- Rep Fields, Jack [TX-8]
- Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6]
- Rep Lagomarsino, Robert J. [CA-19]
- Rep Leach, James A. [IA-1]
- Rep Lott, Trent [MS-5]
- Rep Madigan, Edward R. [IL-15]
- Rep Marlenee, Ron [MT-2]
- Rep Nielson, Howard C. [UT-3]
- Rep Schuette, Bill [MI-10]
- Rep Sundquist, Don [TN-7]
- Rep Weber, Vin [MN-2]
I used to favor the fairness doctrine, especially before it was gotten rid of. Remember the radio used to be full of left wing voices and issues of import to conservatives were never discussed. The only way a pro-life spokesperson could get on the air was to cite the fairness doctrine.
Of course, it is all different now, and we see in hindsight how bad the fairness doctrine is. But if it had not been for Rush and other conservative voices, who got their start in the late 80s, the left would have kept their monopoly on talk radio. Maybe that’s why so many conservatives favored the doctrine at the time.
Let’s not forget this traitor or fraud as a “Conservative” also appeared in a Global Warming ad with Nancy Pelosi as the article notes. If anything, besides cheating on his wife while touting “Family Values” while hypocritical assailing Clinton for his adultery and sexual immorality, Gingrich lacks the judgment and character to be a “conservative” candidate for President. He talks the talk (none does it better), but does not walk the walk.
Newt’s main problem is that he’s addicted to his “pragmatism,” wherein he supports something he deems “inevitable” in the hopes of undermining it.
http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=32079
Which, I’d love to see when THAT ever worked.
This article is true. Newt is a faux conservative. I cannot support him for president given his co-sponsoring of the fairness doctrine, his comments on Paul Ryan’s budget plan, what he did in New York by supporting Dede Scozzafava in the 2010 race, sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi, supporting healthcare mandate views, etc. Then add in his cheating on 2 wives. He has NO morals.
I am too young to have been around while the “John Birch Society” was more popular (and I am cautious of them, as well as, any group thought), but there is one thing I have learned from them….these progressives will do anything (i.e infiltrate the Tea Party and the Republican Party) to achieve their goals. I believe Newt is a progressive and it would not be the first time that he would lie to get what he wants.
This article is true. Newt is a faux conservative. I cannot support him for president given his co-sponsoring of the fairness doctrine, his comments on Paul Ryan’s budget plan, what he did in New York by supporting Dede Scozzafava in the 2010 race, sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi, healthcare mandate views, etc. Then add in his cheating on 2 wives. He has NO morals.
I am too young to have been around while the “John Birch Society” was more popular (and I am cautious of them), but there is one thing I have learned from them….these progressives will do anything (i.e. infiltrate the Tea Party and the Republican Party) to achieve their goals. I believe Newt is a progressive and it would not be the first time that he would lie to get what he wants.