Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Fairness Doctrine: Schumer Compares Talk Radio to Pornography

I'm not sure Chuck Schumer has ever studied First Amendment law. If he had, I doubt he would have compared talk radio to pornography.

“The very same people who don’t want the Fairness Doctrine want the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] to limit pornography on the air. I am for that… But you can’t say government hands off in one area to a commercial enterprise but you are allowed to intervene in another. That’s not consistent.”

The difference is that pornography is not protected speech. Period. But political speech and commercial speech have some First Amendment protection. Schumer's contempt for the marketplace of ideas is deplorable.