MRC Press Release - Liberal Media Cover-Up Speaker Pelosi's Slander of American Troops, Crediting Iran for Iraq Success

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2008

CONTACT: COLLEEN O’BOYLE or TIM SCHEIDERER AT 703.683.5004

Rep. Yarmuth: "I Will Support Efforts To Move The Bill (To Kill the Fairness Doctrine) Through Committee"
Bozell: “Well then sign the discharge petition”

ALEXANDRIA, VA – In a letter to a constituent concerned about the return of the onerous government censorship regulation innocuously known as the Fairness Doctrine (FD), Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY), a co-sponsor of the legislation (Congressman Mike Pence’s Broadcaster Freedom Act [BFA]) that will kill the FD once and for all, wrote “Please be assured I will support efforts to move the bill through Committee to the House Floor for a vote.”

One problem: Rep. Yarmuth has had an opportunity to do exactly that for nearly a year. All he has had to do to “support efforts to move the bill through Committee” is sign the BFA discharge petition, which his constituents are clearly demonstrating they want him to do. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has locked up the BFA in Committee to avoid her caucus having to vote on it, and she has ordered everyone on her side of the aisle to remain silent on it and the Fairness Doctrine.

In the letter, Rep. Yarmuth brags on his co-sponsorship of the BFA, and repeatedly reiterates his anti-FD sentiment with statements like “I believe the Fairness Doctrine is outdated and no longer necessary.”

MRC President L. Brent Bozell:

“Rep. Yarmuth tells his constituents he ‘support(s) efforts to move the bill through Committee’? Well it ain’t that tough to do, and he’s had a year to do it. If he wants to kill the Fairness Doctrine, he should sign the discharge petition for the Broadcaster Freedom Act – a bill he co-sponsored -- and he should do it now.

“Rep. Yarmuth needs to remember he represents the people he’s writing these letters to and not Speaker Pelosi. It is duplicitous to brag to the people back home about how gung-ho you are about killing the Fairness Doctrine while maintaining rigid fealty to the San Francisco Speaker and not signing the discharge petition, the one concrete thing he could do to be true to his word.

“Rep. Yarmuth, you’ve held out in capitulation to Speaker Pelosi long enough. Back up your words to the people you represent, and sign the discharge petition for Broadcaster Freedom, to kill once and for all the ridiculous Fairness Doctrine.”

To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another MRC spokesperson, please contact Tim Scheiderer (x. 126) or Colleen O’Boyle (x. 122) at (703) 683-5004.