January 2009 Archives

As you pointed out, Jay, earlier this week the Democrats handed Rush Limbaugh a major victory: they made him relevant again.  Of course, President Obama's comment to the Republicans about not "listening" to Limbaugh was supposed to be ironic, as in, this is the wing of your party that is really out to lunch.  The DCCC "petition" is just one more fundraising gimmick--and a bad one at that.  I'm sure that Limbaugh will be converting to the Democratic Party if just a few million people tell him they are upset with him.  (And, oh yes, a pig just flew by my window.)

The broader point you attempt to make is that this is all prelude to some Democratic plot to quell right-wing talk radio.  And you invoke the dreaded "Fairness Doctrine."  During the time the "doctrine" was in place, it had very little positive effect and zero negative effect.  Here's what it was and wasn't.  It was not an "equal time" rule, requiring a balanced coverage of all issues by each show.  Indeed, it didn't even cover specific shows, including shows by, say, Jay Sekulow or Barry Lynn (or that Limbaugh fellow).  It was designed to push local radio and television stations to present alternative views where an issue had become a local matter of controversy.  It was crafted under the unremarkable theory that since the electromagnetic spectrum is a finite resource and it was "sold" to certain people in the form of licenses to broadcast on specific frequencies, owners had some modicum of responsibility to serve the needs of a broadcast area. 

The Fairness Doctrine, in its entire history, was only partly responsible for two broadcasters' failure to renew their licenses. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the doctrine, and not even the ACLU saw it as a First Amendment problem.

 
And by the way, Obama said he doesn't even support the Fairness Doctrine.

 

With each passing day comes more concern about conservative talk radio.  Now, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched an online petition targeting Rush Limbaugh.  That comes just days after President Obama told Republican lawmakers that "they can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done." 

I knew you would not be happy, Jay, that President Obama did what he had always said he would do--remove the restriction against even discussing abortion by groups which are engaged in international family planning and receive any tax dollars.  The rule imposed by the Bush Administration was so broad that it prohibited such counseling or referral even with privately raised dollars, much less those government dollars.

The fact that these funds have been unavailable has had an incalculable negative effect on the health and safety of women all over the world. Combined with U.S. "no condoms" policies and other anti-scientific actions, the Bush Admininistration left a legacy of bad "public health" carnage.  I actually spoke about this last year at the Harvard University School of Public Heatlh and wrote about it in a column.

I also knew that the Roman Cathollic hierarchy in the United States and the Vatican itself would not like Obama's move.  What I found really odd was the language the Vatican used to condemn the action: arrogance. Monsignor Rino Fisichella said Obama had "the arrogance of those, being in power, [who] believe they can decide of life and death".

Of course, some of us have been deeply concerned for years about another kind of arrogance: the arrogance of those men with ecclesiastical power who have managed to delegitimatize the moral decision-making power of women in regard to reproductive health.  They have often resided in places like the Vatican and they have often successfully lobbied secular officials around the globe to bend to their theological arguments.

Barack Obama has stood up to them.  This does not make him "pro-abortion".  This just makes him the first President in eight years who seems to know that there is a difference between state-imposed religious dogma and the American concept of making ethical choices based on one's own spiritual and reasonable principles. 

Barry, it's clear that this President is working quickly to overturn many of the policies of his predecessor.  But, what is most troubling in the flurry of Executive Orders issued by President Obama in the hours of his new presidency, is the repeal of what's become known as the "Mexico City Policy."
 
This Executive Order ending that policy can only be described as pro-abortion.  President Obama repealed a policy that correctly barred the use of federal funds by non-governmental agencies abroad for abortion counseling and abortions.  He delayed this troublesome action by one day, so it would not coincide with the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion.
 
Regardless of the timing, his pro-abortion action is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who believe abortion is the taking of innocent human life.  In our analysis of the importance of the Mexico City Policy, it's clear that the policy "is absolutely crucial to preventing American taxpayer dollars for the performance and promotion of abortion and abortion-related activities (such as biomedical research and sterilization) in foreign nations."  The Mexico City Policy does not interfere with family planning or put a halt to the pursuit of reproductive rights for women.  It does, though, ensure that federal funds are not used to promote a practice that many Americans find repugnant and that many foreign nations still oppose.
 
What's next for President Obama?  Signing into law the Freedom of Choice Act?  Based on today's action, you've got to believe that President Obama is committed to enacting legislation like the Freedom of Choice Act, a measure that would further strip away protections for the unborn by repealing informed consent and parental notification laws - even repealing the ban on partial-birth abortion, an absolutely horrendous practice.
 
The fact is that President Obama has showed his hand early and is on his way to becoming a very pro-abortion president.  With the Mexico City Policy repealed, Americans can count on even more of their tax dollars being used to promote abortion.  And, that is a tragedy.

I'm sorry, Jay, but I can't say "amen" to your characterization of Rick Warren's participation in the inaugural ceremony.  Although once you pass the threshold of having two Protestant ministers, it is not unexpected that one or both (in this case, only one since the Rev. Joseph Lowery did not) is going to pray in the name of Jesus. As you know, I think the prayers should have been restricted to the worship service the then-President elect attended earlier in the day. Adding the Lord's Prayer to the end of Warren's own was really over the top, since this is such a well-known Christian intercession. 

As he discussed on Larry King's show, Warren doesn't believe non-believers should be elected to public office, at least not to the Presidency.  So he still thinks their moral compass is inferior to his own just on the face of it.  Also, I don't like people prattling on about "our commitment to freedom and justice for all" when they just participated in a campaign of injustice, in Warren's case his support for passage of California's notoriously discriminatory Proposition 8.

As for that poll about Warren, sorry, but I'm not buying it.  Given that very few people know who is on the Supreme Court, the idea that 61% of people even know who Rick Warren is simply stretches credulity. 

After much speculation, Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church, delivered the invocation at the inaugural ceremony - a prayer that was heartfelt and true to his faith tradition.   Warren offered an inclusive prayer for a nation comprised of...

I'm not as excited as some of you may be about all the inaugural activities.  Maybe it is because of that tad bit of "realistic cynicism" that hits us here in Washington after a while.  Having said that, yesterday's concert...

Barry, the federal district court in Washington reached the only conclusion it could:  the court decided it could not step in and stop the prayers scheduled for the Presidential inauguration next week and cannot prevent President-elect Obama from ending his...

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Barry, once again, another legal challenge that you probably support - a federal lawsuit filed by Michael Newdow attempting to stop the mention of God at the inauguration of President-elect Obama and the inclusion of prayers at the inaugural ceremony...

Barry, as you know, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney attracted a wide variety of supporters in his run for the Republican Presidential nomination.  And, as you correctly point out, I supported Governor Romney in my individual capacity.  I believe that...

Jay, I am glad you returned safely from the Middle East.  I'm afraid that long ago I decided that I could not resolve the crisis there so I'll let your comments speak for themselves. On another front, I know you...

Barry, I just returned from the Middle East where I witnessed firsthand the terror that the Israelis face from the longstanding attacks by Hamas - rockets launched into Israel causing death, injury and terror.   I was in two Israeli...