Mike Arcuri Votes Against Free Speech

Congressman Michael Arcuri today voted against the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a measure that would have cut off funding for the proposed re-imposition of the "Fairness Doctrine". This abominable Doctrine forced the government to oversee political speech on radio and television until it was repealed over twenty years ago. Luckily, a vast majority of the House disagreed with Mr. Arcuri's desire to regulate speech and the measure passed 309-115.

It boggles the mind that Mr. Arcuri would actually support this horrendous straight jacket on public discourse, particularly when it has such a rich history of being used to silence criticism of the government. Fred Friendly, the legendary CBS newsman, dedicated much of his book "The Good Guys, The Bad Guys, and The First Amendment" to describing the nightmarish abuses politicians and groups of every political stripe used the Fairness Doctrine for.

If you watch or listen to any kind of talk or issues-oriented programming from local stations, from Rush Limbaugh to the Keeler Show, take note. The only shows Congressman Arcuri wants on the air are the ones with the government stamp of approval.