He's Not So Dumb

OK, I'll admit it, the president isn't dumb:

President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday.

The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine -- a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

"As the president stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said.

That was after both senior adviser David Axelrod and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs left open the door on whether Obama would support reinstating the doctrine.

Darn, as a conservative, I was kind of looking forward to the idea getting further along before being squashed. I had no doubt that it would be squashed; any intellectually honest liberal should have been as outraged as I at the suggestion that the government control free speech.

Now the question is: Did the President reject the idea because it would have united the country against him like nothing else, or because government censorship is the exact opposite of what America is about? (I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, so, ouchie, this hurts: Attaboy, prez)