Dr. Frist's Diagnosis

Looking, with a Doctor's careful eye at all that's wrong with America, Bill Frist has decided that new indecency legislation is the best course forward.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is trying to push through a bill that would increase indecency fines on broadcasters and threaten to take away their licenses after three violations.

Frist is championing the bill after conservative groups, a key voting bloc if he runs for president, expressed frustration at the lack of congressional action to curb broadcast indecency.

The House bill would increase the fine for broadcasting "obscene, indecent, or profane material" to a maximum of $500,000 from $32,500. It would also require that the FCC consider whether to revoke the station license of any broadcaster fined three times or more -- a provision particularly troubling to the broadcast industry.

So the fact that Frists attempts to combat cleavage and bad language failed because of objections from both sides of the aisle is unsurprising. Have you ever heard of a Corporate Republican who actually supported rules that required a company to stop operating after it got caught breaking the law three times? The U.S. Government doesn't even regulate the chemical manufacturing industry that strongly.

The article claims that 'experts' in media regulation still think that there's a possibility that the legislation will pass over these reservations. They think that 'regulating indecency' is to much the siren song in an election year.

Who are the people that decide who to vote for over regulating indecency in broadcast media? Especially when America faces a nuclear show down with Iran, a war in Iraq, decreasing stability in Afghanistan, crushing national debt, a huge budget deficit, crumbling infrastructure, disaster preparedness fiascos, lacks an energy policy, and is run by a President that thinks torture and warrantless spying on Americans is patriotic?

But I guess it's important that our kids not be exposed to sex or violence. And parents are too busy so it's the government's responsibility. Small government conservatism at its best.

Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act Bill Frist