Fairness doctrine: three votes from returning.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

The battle to define "civil discourse" will be ramped up in the coming months, bringing with it a renewed effort to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, warns the National Religious Broadcasters, Manassas, Va.

"The so-called Fairness Doctrine was anything but fair," contends Frank Wright, NRB president and CEO. "It was a misguided Federal Communications Commission regulation on speech that even [former CBS newscaster] Dan Rather called an affront to the First Amendment, in which 'an invaluable element of freedom has been lost.' Yet, in the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Capitol Hill liberals have practically tripped over themselves to see who would be the first to call for reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine."

In fact, Rep. James Clyburn (D.-S.C.) "told the Charleston Post & Courier that 'vitriol in public discourse' led to the shooting and announced his plans to introduce legislation to reinstate the ... Fairness Doctrine," confirms Craig...