Congress continues to waste time..........

[a1aara]

Key lawmaker calls for criminalizing TV indecency

SAN FRANCISCO (Hollywood Reporter) - The chairman of one of the entertainment industry's most important congressional committees says he wants to take the enforcement of broadcast decency standards into the realm of criminal prosecution.

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner III, R-Wis., told cable industry executives attending the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. conference here on Monday that criminal prosecution would be a more efficient way to enforce the indecency regulations.

"I'd prefer using the criminal process rather than the regulatory process," Sensenbrenner told the executives.

The current system -- in which the FCC fines a licensee for violating the regulations -- casts too wide a net, he said, trapping those who are attempting to reign in smut on TV and those who are not.


"People who are in flagrant disregard should face a criminal process rather than a regulator process," Sensenbrenner said. "That is the way to go. Aim the cannon specifically at the people committing the offenses, rather than the blunderbuss approach that gets the good actors.


"The people who are trying to do the right thing end up being penalized the same way as the people who are doing the wrong thing."


It was unclear exactly how he would go about criminalizing violations of the indecency statutes. Typically, the Federal Communications Commission notifies the alleged offender and, if no settlement is reached, issues a fine.


When asked how he intended to criminalize the violations, Sensenbrenner repeated his assertion that it was the best way to penalize people who violate the statute but avoid "penalizing people who are not violating the law."


While he expressed a wish to criminalize the indecency violations, he also applauded the cable industry for its actions. Cable companies allow customers to block channels they find offensive but still require the customers to pay for it.


"I think the industry is doing what it should be doing," he said. "I think this is the way it should go."


Although the indecency issue was put on the front burner last year after Janet Jackson's breast was bared during the Super Bowl halftime show, it has remained a concern for Congress.


The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation this year that directs the FCC to fine broadcasters and individuals up to $500,000 for airing smutty programming on TV and radio.


Obscene speech is not protected by the First Amendment and cannot be broadcast at any time, but indecent speech can be aired safely between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because the courts and the FCC have determined that children are not a large part of the audience in those hours.


Although cable and satellite TV are not covered by the indecency statutes, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, have said they want to bring multichannel programmers into the legal mix.


Stevens attended the convention Sunday, when he met with top cable industry executives, sources said. The executives hoped to persuade Stevens to back off, the sources said.


During the meeting, the cable operators demonstrated their blocking technology, but it was unclear whether Stevens was swayed by their arguments.

[PHBeerman]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

[Elrod]

I don't think that cutting any agencies would prevent this kind of BS. It was proposed by congress.

Eliminating congressional pensions and implementing term limits would.


A guy would still be able to get himself elected, go to Washington and make a fool of himself - but he has to leave town and get a real job after two terms.

[Ilph]

Tax dollars hard at work

[tommcat327]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

[nycparrothead]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Screw it, I'll vote for ya dude!

[tommcat327]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Screw it, I'll vote for ya dude!

we're gonna need more bombs first of all

[nycparrothead]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Screw it, I'll vote for ya dude!

we're gonna need more bombs first of all

Bombs yes!! Bombs are good! Can I lead the invasion into Canada?

[Alan11]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

[tommcat327]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Screw it, I'll vote for ya dude!

we're gonna need more bombs first of all

Bombs yes!! Bombs are good! Can I lead the invasion into Canada?

well the first thing i'd do is blow up the entire middle east.that would solve most of my problems.
canada is easy,we could send the park rangers to take them over eh?

[nycparrothead]

well the first thing i'd do is blow up the entire middle east.that would solve most of my problems.
canada is easy,we could send the park rangers to take them over eh?

See? This is why you are the man for the job and not me! Nuking the middle east is a brilliant plan!!

[buffettbride]

I keep telling you if they would cut all governmental agencies in half, s*** like this wouldn't happen.

if they put me completely in charge none of this would happen and we would RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Screw it, I'll vote for ya dude!

we're gonna need more bombs first of all

Bombs yes!! Bombs are good! Can I lead the invasion into Canada?

well the first thing i'd do is blow up the entire middle east.that would solve most of my problems.
canada is easy,we could send the park rangers to take them over eh?

You don't want to be too mean to the Canadians, Tommy. That's where all that cold crap happens.

[tommcat327]

You don't want to be too mean to the Canadians, Tommy. That's where all that cold crap happens.

they're like france,they arent going to do anything about it anyway.i'm just going to use canada as my personal playground.

[buffettbride]

You don't want to be too mean to the Canadians, Tommy. That's where all that cold crap happens.

they're like france,they arent going to do anything about it anyway.i'm just going to use canada as my personal playground.

i thought that's why you wanted to keep me around? i'm a pacifist ya know

[Ilph]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

This is a bright man right here.

[Alan11]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

This is a bright man right here.

Thank you sir, you can be my running mate if you choose. I went to college two years and have more sense in my left nut than they do in their fake ass hair weaves.

[tommcat327]

well the first thing i'd do is blow up the entire middle east.that would solve most of my problems.
canada is easy,we could send the park rangers to take them over eh?

See? This is why you are the man for the job and not me! Nuking the middle east is a brilliant plan!!

i've been working on that plan for awhile,although i dont plan on using nukes.i want to use good old fashioned carpet bombing with B-52s.my theory is that the military needs a morale boost,all you ever see or hear about is the stealth fighters and unmanned drones but how about the guys with 500 pounders and the guys on battle ships who have never gotten to fire those huge frickin guns?they need to get the chance to have some fun too.plus we have a huge surplus of bombs,we need to use them up which would give the bomb makers the chance to make more,increasing spending and jobs thereby boosting the economy.
so you see by blowing up the entire middle east old school style i will help lots of people

[tommcat327]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

This is a bright man right here.

Thank you sir, you can be my running mate if you choose. I went to college two years and have more sense in my left nut than they do in their fake ass hair weaves.

ya gotta respect a man with smart nuts

[Alan11]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

This is a bright man right here.

Thank you sir, you can be my running mate if you choose. I went to college two years and have more sense in my left nut than they do in their fake ass hair weaves.

ya gotta respect a man with smart nuts

thank you too sir, i bet you have more sense in your right nut than those bastards do in dc

[tommcat327]

Good lord, i don't care if the quizno's baby p*** all over the tv screen and says fluff you a million times.

Hey congress take off your freaking hair pieces and hearing aids and lower my god d*** gas before I go bankrupt. 2.25 a gallon today, screw the tv crap, that is what a remote control is for. We now return you to your normal p*** fest

This is a bright man right here.

Thank you sir, you can be my running mate if you choose. I went to college two years and have more sense in my left nut than they do in their fake ass hair weaves.

ya gotta respect a man with smart nuts

thank you too sir, i bet you have more sense in your right nut than those bastards do in dc

my right one is book smart but i'd have to say that the left one has more street smarts