Many fellow Conservatives are being taken in by this enticing phraseology. After all, what is wrong with equal time? Doesn’t that just promote healthy debate and independent thought?

Yes, I know. It sounds great! But don’t be fooled. This is a Trojan Horse. As the old saying goes, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”

The Fairness Doctrine does not mean that for every hour of Hannity, there will be an hour of Colmes. That may be how they package the idea. That may be how they sell the idea. But that is not the real idea.

Here are a few questions we must ask ourselves:  Why is it that Talk Radio has been conspicuously singled out? How come the powers-that-be are not concerned about mandating equal time on the secular university?  Can you just imagine that?  Try to picture such a rule: For every liberal professor there must also be a conservative one. For every classroom lecture with a Pro-Choice agenda, there must be a guest speaker brought in to offer a Pro-Life perspective. For every history book slamming America, there must be another book in the curriculum that praises America.  For every negative comment about Christianity, an apologist should be allowed to defend the Bible both morally and intellectually. For every pro-homosexual speech, somebody must be allowed to express reservations about homosexuality.

Dream on. There is no attempt on the part of Congress to change the fabric of our universities. Neither are they asking for “fair and balanced” reporting/editorial from The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN or PBS.  Why? Because liberals do not see themselves as liberal. They see themselves as the “good old, moderate, sensible, mainstream view that any clear thinking person should have.” In their minds, there is only a problem with the “extreme Right.”  There is no such thing as an “extreme Left.”  That’s why they go after Talk Radio. They just can’t handle one corner of the media that doesn’t belong to them. That’s why nobody is considering the Fairness Doctrine for newspaper or television. One possible exception is Fox News. Ironically, the only TV network that actually does give both sides is the only one Democrats want to start regulating. The code word for Fox News is “cable news.” The broadcast news networks are of no concern to them and when they say “cable” somehow MSNBC is never brought up as an example. That’s probably because Chris Matthews was being objective and unbiased when he described a chill up his leg every time Obama spoke.

So, yes, there is a little concern for television, but primarily the discussion is centered around radio. Question: Have liberal views been forbidden on Talk Radio? If so, how do you explain NPR?  That frequency is as liberal as Joseph Stalin walking his Husky on a crisp, Siberian morning and it’s paid for by your tax dollars. How interesting! The one radio network that should have opinion from both sides (because it certainly collects mandatory taxes from both sides) is left alone.(Left being the operative word.)  If I were Lt. Colombo, I would find this just a little bit suspicious. Where is Colombo when we need him? “Excuse me, Mrs. Pelosi. One more question: I almost forgot. If you are really concerned about the public hearing both sides, how come our publicly run station doesn’t show both sides? Just wondering. Say, that’s a nice pair of shoes you have on. Do you know where I could find a pair like that for my wife?”

Not that liberal radio hasn’t made a bold venture into the private sector as well. Remember Air America?  It went belly up because nobody was listening.  And that is the big elephant in the room which Congress doesn’t want to mention. If radio stations are instructed to give literally half their time to programs that bomb in the ratings, they will simply change format. Radio is a business and stations will do what they must do to stay in business.  Once the FCC starts to regulate opinion, some manager will say to himself, “Forget Talk Radio, let’s just return to music. How about those golden oldies?”

Actually, music can serve as a great example here. Supposing the government mandated equal music along with equal talk. “For every hour of Classical, there must be a subsequent hour of Heavy Metal.”  Stations don’t work that way. That’s because managers are smart enough to know that a kid who wants Heavy Metal or Rap isn’t going to sit through Toccata and Fugure in D Minor by Bach.  Radio stations offer one kind of music, knowing that alternative stations feature other kinds of merry melodies.  They do the same with talk stations, understanding that the only Fairness Doctrine necessary is our ability to change the channel if we do not like what we hear.

Make no mistake: This latest bill in Congress is not about fairness.  It is about putting Talk Radio out of business. It is about suppression of free speech. It is about a government that does not want you to hear both sides. If we let them get Talk Radio, they’ll go after the blogospher next.

I’m not sure there is much that can be done anymore.  Two of our three branches of government are now under the control of liberals. We can appeal their rulings but that will only bring us to some liberal courts. Our country just elected a man who promised change and that is one promise he is sure to deliver. Still, your voice must be heard even if you have to march on Washington, using the last bastion of expression that remains. Protest now. Protest before it is too late.

This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious obvious while it is still legal to make the obvious, obvious.