Two things President Obama and the new Congress should do

[...of J.Temperance]

A) Reinstate The Fairness Doctrine.

B) Abolish the Department of Homeland Security.

The Fairness Doctrine, it's imperative that the Right-leaning bias is gutted from the media, and that a level playing field is restored, so that equal time is given to both sides, rather than the incredibly lop-sided situation that has occured for far too long.

There's a good reason why the Right-Wing is terrified of a reinstatement of The Fairness Doctrine, it's because they know that their media mouthpieces will be forced to be impartial and balanced politically.

In August of this year, Rasmussen conducted a poll, and 47% of people said they supported a reinstatement of The Fairness Doctrine, 39% were against the reinstatement of The Fairness Doctrine, here's the results of the poll:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/47_favor_government_mandated_political_balance_on_radio_tv


The Department of Homeland Security, the largest expansion of the government since the Truman Era, and a colossal waste of money, full of excess, waste, ineffectiveness and bureaucracy. The Government Accountability Office and Congress has said that the Homeland Security Department has been guilty of $2 billion of waste and fraud:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091603200_pf.html

The Department of Homeland Security is a bloated and deeply confused department, it should be scrapped and the collected agencies within should be returned to how they were pre-Homeland Security Department, albeit they need better oversight and they need to operate on a system that ensures that they work together more efficiently.

So aside from the economic mess, I think these two issues, the reinstatement of The Fairness Doctrine and the abolition of The Department of Homeland Security, should also be under serious consideration by the Obama Administration and the new Congress.

[goodboy]

1. then get rid of the patriot act. (nt)

[liberalmuse]

2. Agreed.

Friday was a good start, but I think Obama should completely cut off Faux News from any access whatsoever to him and his administration.

[droidamus2]

3. Questions

I am for reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. As I understand it the Fairness Doctrine would not put the Limbaughs, O'Reillys, Hannitys, etc. out of business or even make them change their shows. What it would do is get rid of the 'all right wing' radio stations. Again as I understand it the two was a radio station could meet the equal time requirement is to either have shows that designed to give equal time to both sides or for each hour of right wing programming they would have to include an hour of centrist or left wing programming. This brings up some questions

1. Is my interpretation correct?
2. If so who decides what is conservative/right wing, centrist, liberal/left wing?
3. How exacting is the equal time is it by day? week? month? year? licensing period?
4. Who decides if it is equal/balanced and what are the penalties if it is not?
5. What about fairness for ideas or people that don't fall into the standard definitions is that included?

[...of J.Temperance]

4. I have to admit

That I don't know the answers to those questions....maybe someone else does though.

[Lumpsum]

5. You honestly think Obama is going to abolish Homeland Security?

There is a lot of talk of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, which I support.

But Obama won't abolish Homeland Security. Or FISA.

[...of J.Temperance]

6. Yes, one can hope

Certainly Homeland Security WILL at the least get radically changed.

[Lumpsum]

7. It just won't happen.

A center-right president who voted for FISA isn't going to radically change homeland security. Sorry.

[...of J.Temperance]

8. Except President Obama ISN'T Center-Right now is he?

So stop spreading those smears.

President Obama is a Centrist, like me.