Senate Passes an Amendment That Could Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine

 Today was an interesting day on the senate floor. The senate today passed a bill that is called the “DC Voting Rights Bill”, as I wrote here this bill is unconstitutional. If DC is to gain a voting seat in congress it must be done through an amendment to the constitution not a bill.

 But two other things happened while the senate was voting on this unconstitutional bill. An amendment was added to the bill by Jim DeMint that would forever ban the Fairness Doctrine. This amendment passed. And an amendment was added by Dick Durbin that will reinstate the fairness doctrine.

 How could both of these amendments pass when they seem to be at odd with each other is the obvious question, yet the question is easily answered. Dick Durbin’s amendment would bring back the Fairness Doctrine without bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. Confused? It is simple, Dick Durbin’s amendment does not call the Fairness Doctrine the Fairness Doctrine.

 Dick Durbin’s bill calls for the radio stations “To encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership, and to ensure that the pubic airwaves are used in the public interest.”

 This is the Fairness Doctrine under another name. While Demint’s amendment bans the Fairness Doctrine ,Dick Durbin’s amendment uses semantics to reinstate the doctrine that Demint’s amendment bans.

 The “DC Voting Rights Bill” is now unconstitutional on two levels.

    First, it clearly violates Article 1 Section 2 of the constitution that states  “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.” It should take an amendment of the constitution to change the constitution, not a bill.

 And secondly, the new Fairness Doctrine violates our first amendment rights to the freedom of speech and of the press. I said at the top of this post that is was an interesting day in the senate, but maybe that wasn’t the right word. Today was an unconstitutional day in the senate.

 We are seeing our constitution shredded under this administration and I feel that it is just about time to start the impeachment hearings. We will have to wait until 2010 when the Republicans sweep back into a large majority in the house and senate. I can hardly wait.