Supreme Court considers FCC's rein on foul words

Careful and polite use of language is the usual path to a winning argument at the US Supreme Court. But on Tuesday, the highest court in the land may reverberate to the sound of two of the crudest four-letter words in the English language. At issue before the justices is a high-stakes dispute over government attempts to keep foul language off America's broadcast airwaves. To be more precise, the dispute involves the blurted use of the "f" word and the "s" word during live television broadcasts in prime time. If written legal briefs are any indication of what is in store for Tuesday's oral argument, Supreme Court advocate Carter Phillips, one of America's most respected lawyers, is preparing to deliver an R-rated presentation. His 62-page brief submitted on behalf of Fox Television Stations uses the "f" word or some variation of it 30 times. He uses the "s" word 23 times. A New York Times editorial concludes that "the Supreme Court must ensure that the [Federal Communications Commission] does not trample on free-speech rights." The Washington Post says, "there is no need for the stiffer and seemingly arbitrary regulation."