I’ve noted several times that conservatives have been using the Fairness Doctrine as a scare tactic. Obama and the Congressional leadership have already indicated that they do not support restoring the Fairness Doctrine but the right wing has found this to be a useful threat–similar to their claims that Democrats will take away people’s guns and Bibles. A vote in the Senate shows how little support there is for restoring the Fairness Doctrine. The Hill reports:
The Senate voted Thursday in favor of an amendment to the District of Columbia voting-rights bill that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which critics say would decimate conservative talk radio.
The Senate passed the measure 87-11.
Reportedly the House will not be having a vote on this so this will not become law, but it is a good indicator of how little support there is for the Fairness Doctrine in the Senate. If 87 Senators voted in favor of this measure, there is no way that any bill which calls for restoring the Fairness Doctrine could receive the necessary sixty votes to overcome a filibuster, or even a simple majority .
