Thursday’s political law links

GETTING THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE OFF THE BOOKS. The Hill. “The [FCC] stopped enforcing the rule in 1987 after concluding it was unconstitutional, but in recent years some Democrats have suggested reviving the policy in response to the increasingly partisan nature of cable news.”

EARMARKS AND 2012. The Post. “Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has used op-ed pages, television interviews and his latest book to rail against Democrats for their use of congressional earmarking, calling it an ‘undemocratic, corrupt practice.’ But during his tenure as House speaker, Gingrich oversaw a dramatic expansion of the use of earmarks, laying the groundwork for a frenzy of itemized expenditures over the next decade, according to congressional records and interviews.”

DRAFT EO LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. The letters to the editor are in response to a Post editorial and can be read here.

HOERSTING ON EDWARDS. Here. “The government is counting on the seamy optics of a personal affair to win a campaign-finance conviction. Good men and women have been convicted on less. But if campaign-finance violations are the allegation, the seamy nature of the disbursements should acquit Edwards, not convict him.”

REASON ON DANIELCZYK. Here. “It’s ultimately going to be up to the Supreme Court to resolve whether direct corporate donations are permissible under the First Amendment.”

TIMES ON DANIELCZYK. Here.

DC’S TAXI LICENSE SCANDAL. The Post. “D.C. Council member Jim Graham sat in his office, an envelope stuffed with $2,600 in his hands. He had just been given the cash by a trusted aide, who said it came from a businessman.” The Post has an editorial on the matter here. “Obviously Mr. Graham did the right thing in refusing this improper offer of money. But turning down a bribe really should be the minimum ethical standard of someone elected with the public’s trust. The question is, why did he not report the offer to law enforcement — or take any action against the aide who sought to act as a go-between?”

“SHIPYARDS WILL BE REQUESTED TO VOLUNTARILY AGREE TO NOT ENGAGE LOBBYISTS.” From Canada. “Conservative MPs and senators have been meeting with lobbyists for shipyards — even though the government says it wants lobbyists excluded from a massive $35-billion shipbuilding program.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

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