Democratic Congressman Calls for Fairness Doctrine 'to Ensure the Tone Changes'

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It did not take long after the infamous Rush Limbaugh smear for Democrats to call for a return of the Fairness Doctrine. On the October 3 edition of "Fox and Friends" at 7:33 AM, Congressmen Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) discussed Rush Limbaugh’s "phony soldiers" remark. When Congressman Pence asserted that this is an excuse for the Democrats to re-insert the Fairness Doctrine, Congressman Sestak called for a return to "ensure the tone changes if we are to approach this war correctly."

SESTAK: We should be talking about the Fairness Doctrine. And what we should be doing is saying, Mike, this war is it hurting or helping our security? How can we bring about a better end to this? And that's what I believe needs to be done. Do I think both sides' words are wrong? The tone is absolutely wrong. So let's not defend either side and say whether we think or don't think.

PENCE: It ought to be about freedom in Iraq and ought to be about the freedom of speech in America.

SESTAK: What we are doing is just to ensure that the tone changes if we are to approach this war correctly. Thank you.

At the start of the interview, while Sestak opined Limbaugh has a right to say what he says, and it is a waste of time to be discussing a talk show host, Sestak echoed the words of other Democrats and said he "condemned" Limbaugh’s words.

Pence accurately refuted Sestak noting Limbaugh was not referring to anti-war veterans but actual phony soldiers, most notably Jesse MacBeth, who inaccurately claimed to have served in Iraq. The entire transcript is below.

STEVE DOOCY: Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is at the center of another storm after controversial remarks, some say, on his show last week about "phony soldiers." Joining us now from Washington are Congressmen Joe Sestak and Mike Pence as well. Good morning to both of you.

REPRESENTATIVE JOE SESTAK (D-PA): Good morning

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE PENCE (R-IN): Good morning guys.

DOOCY: Alright, Congressman Sestak, let me ask about this. According to Rush Limbaugh, the Democrats are taking him out of context.

 

SESTAK: I think if you look at the transcript, you can see that in response to a caller that said, "hey, look, they're finding soldiers in the media to talk against the war." He said "those are phony soldiers." Now, but let's take it to a higher level. Do I agree with what Rush Limbaugh said? No. Do I respect his right to say it after serving 31 years in the military to protect his right? Absolutely. Take the other side. I don't agree with the words that Moveon.org used. I just think that we've got to take this to a higher level of debate or we're not going to address the issue of solving this war correctly and that's what Mike and I should be doing not talking about talk show host but how to correctly end this war in a bipartisan way.

DOOCY: Okay, so Congressman Sestak what do you say to Congressman Udall from Colorado who has introduced a resolution on the floor of the U.S. House denouncing Rush Limbaugh? He's doing exactly what you said you shouldn't do.

SESTAK: No, I haven't read the resolution, but I voted for the one that said "I condemn the words that Moveon.org used not the organization's right to say it." I condemn the words, if this is how it's stated that Rush Limbaugh used, not his right to say it. Step back one more time though. You know, what's most important for these men and women to remember out there, whether it's Rush Limbaugh calling Senator Hagel, who served in Vietnam, Senator Betray Us on 25 Jaunary or Moveon.org using certain words is remember your military in America is different, your military remembers that age old maxim from the 1600's that, that nation that draws a broad line of demarcation between its thinking men and its fighting men, who find it's thinking done by cowards and fighting done by fools, you need to have military people who think and critique differently.

DOOCY: Alright, Congressman Pence, your view?

PENCE: Well, look, I want to agree with Joe that I think it's absolutely ridiculous that the Democratic leaders of Congress, particularly in the Senate but many in the House are, are focusing on the American political debate and the comments of an American commentator. But let me say, with great respect, Joe, I read the transcript too. I think Fox News yesterday reported that a literal reading of the transcript shows that Rush Limbaugh did not call veterans who oppose the war "phony soldiers." In fact, the term comes from an ABC News report that aired the Monday night before the Wednesday that he used the term. He did a commentary on Tuesday on the subject. And this was all about the ABC News initial report of this Jesse MacBeth and, frankly, Joe, you know, several incidents of people who have been -- who have pretended to be Iraq War veterans, in some cases criminal behavior, who have then been used by the anti-war left to make a case against Iraq. And Rush Limbaugh has clarified his statement but, you know, quite frankly, Steve, I see this all as a precursor to an effort by the Democrats in Congress to reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine. I mean, what on earth business is it of the United States Senate to be policing the airwaves of America? I really do believe this whole incident, the circus on the Senate floor Monday argues for the legislation that we've introduced in the House that would put the Fairness Doctrine out of reach of any future president or any future Congress.

DOOCY: Congressman Sestak, I'll give you the final word.

SESTAK: Look. You can read a transcript and decide what you want. I read it also. But let's bring, Mike, this to a higher debate. We should not be wasting our time talking about a talk show host.

PENCE: I completely agree, Joe.

SESTAK: We should be talking about the Fairness Doctrine. And what we should be doing is saying, Mike, this war is it hurting or helping our security? How can we bring about a better end to this? And that's what I believe needs to be done. Do I think both sides' words are wrong? The tone is absolutely wrong. So let's not defend either side and say whether we think or don't think.

PENCE: It ought to be about freedom in Iraq and ought to be about the freedom of speech in America.

SESTAK: What we are doing is just to ensure that the tone changes if we are to approach this war correctly. Thank you.


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The talking points memo from

The talking points memo from the DNC was sent out yesterday: key on the Fairness Doctrine.

As I posted on the Open Thread yesterday, radio loser Ed Shultz brought the Doctrine up during his rant on Tucker Carlson.

Once again, the Democrats have their elbow firmly upon the pulse of America.

get ready for hollywood's

get ready for hollywood's iraq fest...following closely after the lying leftwing tv shows, the radio songs, the school teachers, etc

I'm all for a TRUE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

conservatives know that will never happen

Boot on the Neck

"elbow firmly upon the pulse of America". Their first move in getting their boot on the neck.

___________________________________ 

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber

We MUST stomp this out!

EVERYONE knows Rush has supported the troops since…well forever. The blatant disregard for the truth, and the inane accusation of anything else is beyond my comprehension. It is so obvious what the liberal politicians are clamoring for. The so-called ‘fairness’ doctrine that will shut down virtually ANYTING they disagree with. Who are the fascists again? Stand up and fight, Republicans!

The American Revolution Continued

Justin, Why do you call

Justin,

Why do you call these people "democratic?" No one calls themselves "republicanic," and the way that democrats are behaving is ANYTHING FROM democratic.

Just asking you to jump on the bandwagon I suppose...

The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy

It's not DemocratIC

God, this has been getting on my nerves lately. It's not the "Democratic Party" or "Democratic Congressman" etc. It's "Democrat Party and "Democrat Congressman.. We don't say "Republicanic Party". Saying "Democratic Congressman" makes it sound like there's only one party dedicated to democracy.

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

derbal, It's the Democraps

derbal, It's the Democraps that wan to be called the Democratics

http://www.democrats.org :

Let's just make it easier

Let's just make it easier and call them Soviets?

I watched this exchange,

I watched this exchange, and when Pence called Sestack on his condemnation of Rush, Sestack changed the subject to the war.

When a liberal says they respect your right to [fill in the blank] they really dont. They WANT our freedom of speech taken away.

MRBEE... They live to

MRBEE...

They live to tell us what to think.

Over my dead freedom loving body! 

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I don't CARE about the tone

I don't CARE about the tone in Washington...  I do not seek freinds in the political debate, I seek VICTORY!!!!!!

BD... AMEN!  Get Email

BD...

AMEN! 

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We have only just begun

MM- Kick Rush off AFR

JDW

Sen Clinton: Founder of Media Matters

 

Fairness

Does this mean that keith Olberstupid will have to be equally vocal in his comments about Democraps?

 

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius

I personally know Sestak

I personally know Sestak from when he was a squadron commander at a Navy Base here.

He is an idiot from the starting line and has zero ability to work with people.

From what I understand, he has the largest turnover of congressional staff in DC.

The clown has been thrown out of more jobs in the military over and over and higher ups just kept moving him to other places to sort of sweep him under the carpet and hope he didn't do too much damage.

 

 

 

This is innacurate..

Sestak was never a squadron commander at any naval air station.  His MOS was surface warfare.   He may have been a DesRon commander at some point, but that is not a shore billet.

another phony soldier eh?

another phony soldier eh?

Not phony.

As far as I know, Sestak only claims to have held the billets in the Navy his record reflects.  He does not claim to be a naval aviator.  He says he was a surface warfare officer, an accurate representation of his record.

It was the poster above who was in error.

gatcha

gatcha

Tone

I didn't realize until Joe Sestaks remarks, that Democrats consider tone regulation part of their official duties.

I guess the tone the  Democrats want is along the lines of:

Senator Harry Reid: “That this war is lost, and that the surge is not accomplishing anything.”

John Kerry: “If you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Congressman John Murtha: “Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.”

Senator Dick Durbin: “If I read this to you and didn't tell you it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have happened by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime, Pol Pot or others that had no concern for human beings.”

The Fairness Doctrine will now be used to set the tone. Any guess what tone will be set?

I'm a Conservative and I am FOR the Fairness Doctrine!

Why?  That's an easy one.  Right now, the MSM Network News is dominated by 24/7 Left Wing Spin, is it not?  MSNBC, CNN, ABC and CBS often do not even report stories that don't fit the Dem Agenda.

So we get the Fairness Doctrine.  Now, every time Katie Couric spins a piece to the Left she has to give air time to Ann Coulter to spin it right.

I wonder if the Left has even considered that this knife cuts both ways?  The Left by far dominated the airwaves with their control of the MSM.  This would harm them far more than it would Rush Limbaugh.

As a matter of fact, I think Rush would enjoy having some total lib on his show so that he can make them look even more rediculous than they are.

Oh well, I hope they get their way.  Can't wait to see Rush, Ann and Sean all getting "equal time" on the Networks!

 

A "conservative?"

...who wants the government to decide what is liberal and what is conservative...and what constitutes "balance?"  

Not likely.

Mitchell... The fairness

Mitchell...

The fairness doctrine has nothing to do with being fair. Conservative thought will be forced to take a backseat. I do not trust the fairness doctrine, but I do trust market forces. This is a conservatives way of doing things. 

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they are not for

they are not for fairness

they are for the fairness doctrine

i'm for fairness, as are all conservatives - don't forget the schools and universities, the labor unions - also supposed to be non-partisan

Mitchell, the "Fairness Doctrine" only applies to talk radio.

ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, NPR, PBS etc., will not be affected in any way, as they are no threat to the agenda of the Marxist zealots. In fact, they are proponents of it.

Only talk radio now stands in their way.


When I'm president, privatization is off the table because it's not the answer to anything.
-Hillary Rodham, September 3, 2007 AARP Legislative Conference.

"Why? That's an easy one.

"Why? That's an easy one. Right now, the MSM Network News is dominated
by 24/7 Left Wing Spin, is it not? MSNBC, CNN, ABC and CBS often do
not even report stories that don't fit the Dem Agenda."

And as a result, no one watches them(CNN, MSNBC and CBS), and they continue to lose viewers, which is how it should be decided, not by some government agency.


So we get the Fairness Doctrine. Now, every time Katie Couric spins a piece to the Left she has to give air time to Ann Coulter to spin it right."

Not really. The news is exempt from the Fairness Doctrine, and CNN and MSNBC are cable networks, making them exempt as well.

The Fairness Doctrine. An oxymoron if I have ever heard of one. Nothing is fair about forcing a private enterprise to carry material they don't want to carry.

You are assuming, of course,

You are assuming, of course, that the powers-that-will-be-deciding will consider those news outlets you mentioned to be "the center", and not liberal, like the majority of America does.
the Left becomes the Center.

"As a matter of fact, I

"As a matter of fact, I think Rush would enjoy having some total lib on
his show so that he can make them look even more rediculous than they
are."

He can do that now, without the "Fairness Doctrine". He can have some total lib on his show anytime he wants, for as long as he wants, all without the help of the government. Wow, how can that be possible?

Crazy talk!

Without the 'help' of the government? That's just crazy talk! 

Indoctrinate-U 

Our Education. Their Politics.

The next tactic to shut us up..."restoring civility"

I KNEW sooner or later, the left was going to try to sell the Fairness Doctrine as a way to "restore civility" and to "tone down the rhetoric." For the apolitical who do not have strong stands on many issues and therefore find this sort of speech offputting, this could be a convincing argument, which makes it so dangerous. We have to keep educating the public!

It's the agenda.

The left has the agenda to eliminate Rush before the election campaign gets going. They tried during the last election. They failed. They are trying harder this time.

The left doesn't do things for good motives. Everything they do is based on one or more of their agendas.

 

Slickster

Joe Sestak was and is an egotisical moron, he was not liked in the Navy by his peers, staff or various crews.
I did not serve with Sestak but I heard enough stories at the O club from a number of senior officers. He was not a pilot, he was an 1110 and COMDESRON 14.