Repeating something that was said during the campaign, the Obama White House issued a statement today that seems to make their position on the Fairness Doctrine rather clear:
President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday.
The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine — a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.
“As the president stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated,” White House spokesman Ben LaBolt told FOXNews.com.
Well, that’s a start, but as I noted yesterday we’ve still go comments from several top Democrats in Congress very much in favor of the idea of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, and very equivocal statements from two top Obama advisers over the past several weeks.
So, like Ed Morrissey, I guess I’m looking for something more:
Obama opposes the Fairness Doctrine, because as he said last summer, it distracts from ownership diversification and other issues like net neutrality that would presumably deliver the same result, only in another guise. I’d like to hear that the White House will actively oppose any attempts to regulate political content on broadcast airwaves. That kind of a statement would make it much harder for a later climbdown from Team Obama.
So, until then, keep your powder dry.
