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THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE….Steve Benen passes along the news that a small gaggle of Republican congressmen are continuing to obsess over the possibility that the Fairness Doctrine might make a comeback. I assume Rush Limbaugh is bloviating daily about this too. I’m torn on what to do.

Option A: Let ’em rant. These guys need something to harangue their base about, and this is fairly harmless. It keeps them off the street and away from the matches.

Option B: Let ’em have their way. Stick in a Fairness Doctrine ban as an amendment to some random bill and pass it. I’m opposed to the Fairness Doctrine, so I wouldn’t mind, and nearly all Democrats are opposed to it too. It’s a freebie that will make David Broder happy, soothe the bipartisan waters, and shut up the conspiracy theorists.

I guess I Iean toward Option B. It was entertaining for a while, but I’m bored hearing about this nonsense. Go ahead and throw the whack jobs a bone.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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