"The fairness doctrine, said McCain, "had a chilling affect on free speech, and it is hard to imagine that the American people would support reinstating a policy where the Federal government would be required to police the airwaves to ensure differing viewpoints are offered."

"For over 150 years our nation understood that freedom of speech was best achieved by keeping the government out of the business of regulating 'fairness.' Eventually though, a few at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) thought they could do a better job than the system set up by the framers of the Constitution and took fairness-promotion into their own hands…Rather than promote fairness though, the Fairness Doctrine created a chilling effect among broadcasters when it came to reporting controversial topics. In order to avoid the lash of federal bureaucrats, many broadcasters opted for silence. In the name of promoting 'fairness,' the FCC squelched free speech and public debate."

"But I believe -- strongly believe -- that the government should not be in the position of deciding and dictating, 'now here is the other side. "…Having the bureaucrats dictate the content of the airwaves isn't much different from what we are seeing in places like Iran and Russia where they are rolling back freedom of the press."

Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine would amount to government control over political views expressed on the public airwaves. It is dangerous to suggest the government should be in the business of rationing free speech. During my years in radio and television, I developed a great respect for a free and independent press. Since being in Congress, I have been the recipient of praise and criticism from broadcast media, but it has not changed my fundamental belief that a free and independent press must be vigorously defended by those who love liberty and limited government.

"Rather than having the government regulate what people can say, we should let the market decide what people want to hear. That's precisely why the Fairness Doctrine was abandoned, and that's why it ought not to be revived."

"The best way is to let the judgment of the American people decide, and they can decide with their finger," Boehner said. "[People] can turn it off or they can turn it on. They can go to their computer and read it on the Internet."

"The real practical effect of the Fairness Doctrine was to shut down all controversial programming, because management would not deal with complaints…So when you did listen to talk shows on the radio, they were dull and boring and horrible."

"It's official, the American Left has admitted that it cannot compete on the radio so its looking for a helping hand from the federal government. It's a hand that giveth to the Left and taketh away from the Right… Twenty years after radio king Rush Limbaugh revolutionized the AM band liberals know this painful truth: conservative talk radio remains the most potent media force in politics today…

"Senator Bingaman also said all media should be regulated 'at a higher level.' Yet surely, he does not want America to end up like the old Soviet Union where all speech was controlled. "Therefore, to be fair, Congress should place into the 'Fairness Doctrine' that the right-halves of every newspaper in the country be preserved for and controlled by conservatives, and overseen only by conservative boards. The same fairness should apply to the news programming of all television stations. Of course, Senator Bingaman said none of that because he does not intend to control the free speech of the like-minded."