Watch What You Say, America

From yesterday's White House press briefing. McClellan can't seem to answer a simple question, as to whether or not political speech will be protected from FCC "indecency" charges:

Q Andrew Card impressively addressed this weekend's annual gathering in New York of 250 talk radio hosts, where there was considerable debate over the possibility that if Howard Stern is driven off the air for his many obscenities by the FCC fines, all of us could be driven off the air by the government for our political opinions. And my question: Can the White House give us assurance that our expressed political opinions, liberal or conservative, will never be treated like Stern's obscenities by any organization in the Bush administration?

MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I'm not going to try to speculate on something that's so -- so broad as what you're bringing up. Obviously, the President believes that there are certain standards of decency that should be adhered to.

Q Right.

MR. McCLELLAN: And we all have a responsibility to adhere to those standards.

Q But he would never let the FCC --

MR. McCLELLAN: And that if people violate those standards, they should be held accountable. And there are measures in place to hold people accountable.

Q Of course. But he would never allow the FCC to take action against any of us in talk radio for our political opinions, would he?

MR. McCLELLAN: In a general sense, no. But, again, you phrase that in a context of some standards that apparently violated some of the -- our standards of decency.

Well that sounds very, very reassuring to me. What about y'all?

First they come for the shock jocks. No. Wait. First they come for political comics. Bill Maher, anyone? Remember Ari's completely unveiled threat to Americans?

Q As Commander-In-Chief, what was the President's reaction to television's Bill Maher, in his announcement that members of our Armed Forces who deal with missiles are cowards, while the armed terrorists who killed 6,000 unarmed are not cowards, for which Maher was briefly moved off a Washington television station?

MR. FLEISCHER: I have not discussed it with the President, one. I have --

Q Surely, as a --

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm getting there.

Q Surely as Commander, he was enraged at that, wasn't he?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm getting there, Les.

Q Okay.

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm aware of the press reports about what he said. I have not seen the actual transcript of the show itself. But assuming the press reports are right, it's a terrible thing to say, and it unfortunate. And that's why -- there was an earlier question about has the President said anything to people in his own party -- they're reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do. This is not a time for remarks like that; there never is.

Y'all will donate the legal fund when they throw us in the hoosgow, won't you?