Issue date: 6/28/04 Section: Opinion

Graphic By Will Lloyd

There's a golden rule that governs the rules of engagement for the eternal American media battle: Do unto others so that they cannot get up and do it again.

As to which side is officially responsible for adding it to the rulebook, no one can conclusively say. But, if one is curious as to which side has taken it to new lows, the answer is found to the left.

Liberal outcries about talk radio bias have found a curious new home: U.S. senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa. He is trying to amend the 2005 Defense Appropriations Bill, which, among other things, determines military funding to the Armed Forces Radio and Television Services for the next fiscal year, to make the bill a low blow to conservative radio.

Sen. Harkin believes that since the Armed Forces Radio is "funded by taxpayers of all political persuasions," it should "make a greater effort to provide balanced representation of political viewpoints on its airwaves to American service members around the world." Right now it does not, he says, and he thinks this is a problem.

And he would be right if he had stopped there, but Sen. Harkin is a partisan man, therefore the issue quickly scored liberals a shot way below the belt.

Where did it turn? It turns with his "answer" to the problem he just created: Give Rush Limbaugh, a political commentator and ring-wing crusader featured on AFR, the boot.

It's difficult to follow the thought patterns of men like Sen. Harkin, Al Franken, David Brock and the other liberal supporters of this amendment; they seem contradictory and illogical, littered with half-truths and distortion. Hopefully, the average American sees through this and can put this simple two-piece puzzle together: It's been the lifelong fantasy of these men to see Rush Limbaugh off the radio. They're desperate and they see a chance to make it happen if they play by the new golden rule.

But - bad for them, good for the nation - there is a litany of logistical problems with this plan, not the least of which is that such an amendment would require a complete abrogation of First Amendment rights by the federal government. Fortunately, this issue is an impregnable barrier that isn't going to give way for such an amendment, but it is certainly noteworthy to anyone interested in freedom and rights that the liberals tried anyway. Their thoughts are frightening: "Hey guys, it's OK. We tried to play unfair. It's just free speech and those horribly unfair unalienable rights. Curse them!"

Continued...

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