The Silencing Of The Opposition Is To Begin Almost Immediately

Reports are going around Washington D.C. that Barack Obama plans on putting Henry Rivera back as the head of the Federal Communications Commission and that this signals Obvama's intention to silence any and all of his critics, especially those of us on the Internet and on Talk Radio.

From Multi-Channel News:

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to name Washington, D.C. lawyer Henry Rivera, a Democrat, to head a transition team focused on the Federal Communications Commission, according to informed sources.

Sources: Rivera To Head Obama's FCC Transition Team
Ted Hearn
Multi-Channel News
November 5, 2008

This should be a major concern for anyone who believes in the rights guaranteed to us under the First Amendment. Henry Rivera is a huge champion of the mis-nomered "Fairness Doctrine" which would effectively snuff out Conservative Talk Radio and silence any Conservative dissenters.

According to World Net Daily:

If reenacted, the "Fairness Doctrine" would require broadcasts over the public airwaves to give equal time to opposing political views. For talk radio, which boomed after the law's repeal in 1987 by building an audience devoted to conservative talk, the law's return would decimate the industry's marketability. Many fear the "Fairness Doctrine" would drive talk radio hosts – like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage – out of business. Brian Maloney of the blog The Radio Equalizer said in his post, "Meet Talk's Executioner," he believes Rivera will use his position to bring back the law for that very purpose. Rivera, according to Maloney, "is expected to lead the push to dismantle commercial talk radio that is favored by a number of Democratic Party senators. Rivera will play a pivotal role in preventing critics from having a public voice during Obama's tenure in office."

Although Obama claims to want a "diversity of viewpoints" coming through the airwaves, his actions suggest otherwise:

"Barack Obama has shown a stunning lack of tolerance for free speech throughout the course of this campaign," said O'Leary. "His presidency, combined with supermajorities for Democrats in Congress, would almost certainly bring back the so-called 'Fairness Doctrine' and allow the Democrats to snuff out any broadcasters with whom they disagree." Democrats in Congress have been more definitive in advocating the "Fairness Doctrine." In June, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., affirmed her support to Human Events reporter John Gizzi. Speaking on Albuquerque station KKOB, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., told host Jim Villanucci, "I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view, instead of always hammering away at one side of the political [spectrum]."

Look at what they did to Barbara West of WFTV in Orlando Florida after she asked a tough question of Joe Biden instead of throwing a softball as most of the leftist-media did for the Obama campaign.

This appointment will be very bad for those of us who believe in Free Speech and a Free Press.

A few years ago, the Democrats were telling us that "dissent is patriotic." Now they have changed their tune and are saying that "dissent must be silenced."

Change is truly coming for us.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Obama To Appoint Talk Radio's Executioner?
World Net Daily
November 8, 2008