Q: How many US Senators have any integrity?

[Lando Griffin 0]

BBC

Pressure on US broadcasters to "clean up" their act mounted on Tuesday when the US Senate backed increased fines for airing indecent material.

 

Under the new measure, the maximum fine would increase to as much as $275,000 (£151,000) for each indecent incident.

 

The fines would keep increasing per incident until a maximum fine of $3m (£1,649,440) a day was reached.

 

The US House of Representatives passed a similar bill in March that set fines for indecency at $500,000 (£275,000).

 

Differences between the two bills must be worked out before the new measures can be amalgamated into one law.

 

Complaints

 

The issue of indecency on US radio and television has been a major talking point since pop star Janet Jackson exposed her breast on live TV during the Superbowl transmission last February.

 

The incident generated more than 500,000 complaints to the Federal Complaints Commission (FCC).

 

Controversial "shock jock" Howard Stern was dropped by US media giant Clear Channel after regulators fined the company $495,000 (£270,000) for indecency aired during Stern's show.

 

The company also fired Florida DJ Bubba the Love Sponge, after he played a sexually explicit conversation between spoof cartoon characters on his show.

 

Despite signs of a clampdown on indecency by the media, politicians and lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the broadcasters' self-regulatory bodies.

 

Families

 

"People are tired of this indecent material on over-the-air public broadcast, particularly during prime time when people's families are watching," said Republican senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who sponsored the new bill.

 

"We're going to have to take action because the broadcasters won't police themselves."

 

The Senate passed the new measures without floor debate on a 99-1 vote as part of a impending defense bill. The only senator who voted against the bill was Senator John Breaux of Louisiana.

 

Breaux said he opposed the bill partly because "it deals with communications and media issues and should not have been attached to a national security and defence bill".

 

The final legislation will be drafted by the Senate-House conference committee.

Notice the 99-1 vote? That means every Senator voted, including John Kerry. So much for that.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I like Breaux. He'd be my n*gga if Zell wasn't around. Too bad this is his final term. He also voted for HITLER's tax cut...

[Jobber of the Week 0]

He'd be my n*gga if Zell wasn't around.

You're just saying that to annoy me, huh?

[Stephen Joseph 0]

I've had alot of respect for him over the years as well

Kudos for him to make this vote, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

He'd be my n*gga if Zell wasn't around.

You're just saying that to annoy me, huh?

Nah, Zell has been my n*gga long before you accused me of band-wagon jumping, or whatever that accusation was.

 

If I wanted to annoy you I'd make a Mikey Moore fat joke or go LOL200-whatever.

 

EDIT: Actually, since he's no longer in office I guess Zell's no longer my n*gga. Hmm, which Dem will be the next pol to be honored by my n*gga bestowing?...

[teke184 0]

I always liked Breaux as my Senator... Despite being a Democrat, he still represented his conservative constituancy very well. IIRC, he actually ran unopposed 6 years ago because he was so well-respected by both sides of the fence.

 

Mary Landrieu, OTOH, can go to hell.

[NYU 0]

Well, let's be completely fair. The only Senator that voted against the bill was John Breaux, but that was only because this bill, dealing with communications and media issues, was connected to a bill dealing with national security and defense. He didn't feel the two issues should have been connected, so he decided to vote no on the bill. There's no telling whether he would have voted for the censorship fine increase had it not been connected with national security.

 

Either way, it's nice to see that at least 99% of our Senators are completely out-of-touch with what the average American wants.

[SuperJerk 0]

Since the average American doesn't bother to vote, are you surprised?