Posted on 05/20/2004 9:27:19 AM PDT by prairiebreeze
SEATTLE, WA (Talon News) -- A liberal radio talk show host in Seattle has been accused of making death threats against President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during his broadcast on Tuesday night.
A listener to The Mike Webb Show, which airs from 10:00 p.m.-1 a.m. on 710 AM KIRO in Seattle, Washington, informed Talon News that Webb had "called for the death of President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld for 'war crimes.'" The listener said that he was "very upset at this."
The concerned listener said he "will not tolerate a threat upon President Bush" and has decided to pursue this further.
Taking action against Webb for allegedly suggesting that Bush and Rumsfeld be put to death, the listener told Talon News that he has "already called [the] Secret Service, and will make a follow-up call if necessary."
The e-mail from the listener concluded by warning Webb that he will "expose" the statements he makes on his radio show and will encourage federal authorities to "jail him," referring to Webb.
On The Mike Webb Show weblog, the show topic during the 11 p.m. hour on Tuesday when this comment was allegedly made was on "Bush's numbers dropping."
"Iraq a total mess. Gas prices. Why is Kerry so passive? Does he just figure it's a slam dunk? Is he being too uninvolved?" the weblog revealed.
Attempts by Talon News to obtain an audio version of the show or a transcript of the remarks made by Webb were unsuccessful.
According to his web site, one of Webb's "favorite interviews" on his show in the past included unabashed anti-Bush film producer Michael Moore.
Further evidence of Webb's leftist political leanings are found in his list of links, including former Democratic presidential candidate and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's web site, liberal online political group MoveOn.org, and MichaelMoore.com, among others.
Talon News spoke directly with Webb on Wednesday regarding the charge that he made death threats against both Bush and Rumsfeld on his program.
Webb said he was simply discussing two news items on his show, one from Sy Hersh in the New Yorker and a Newsweek feature story about a White House memo regarding war crimes.
"I said, if we follow the logic all the way through and if allegations made by a growing number of service members and reporters are true, both Bush and Rumsfeld are ultimately responsible for the abuses at the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib," Webb explained to Talon News.
Continuing with this line of reasoning, Webb said the Iraqi prison abuse controversy should be placed on the shoulders of Bush and Rumsfeld under the War Crimes Act enacted in 1996, which called for the death penalty for U.S. officials charged with "war crimes."
"I commented to listeners, that if, indeed the allegations are true, that instructions to soldiers at the prison came from the top -- Rumsfeld -- who reportedly keeps Bush in the loop every single day, that they both would bear the full effect of the War Crimes Act which applies to U.S. officials and could result in the death penalty," Webb stated to Talon News.
As an opponent of the death penalty, Webb said there is "no way" he would ever advocate such a position with any president.
However, reiterating his original point, Webb said if Bush were to be tried for committing war crimes under the 1996 law, then he could face the death penalty.
"[I]f the law was followed, a logical conclusion could be drawn that Bush could face the death penalty if convicted of war crimes," Webb commented to Talon News.
When Webb "asked listeners if Bush should get the death penalty" for committing war crimes, opponents of the president called the show and proclaimed that Bush was guilty of war crimes even before the Iraqi prison abuse controversy.
"Bush could now be prosecuted for war crimes by authorizing the killing of many thousands of innocent citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq in a war predicated on a lie," Webb expressed to Talon News addressing many of the responses he received from his liberal listeners.
He added that the war on terrorism conducted by the Bush administration is "semantical excuse-making, designed to allow the administration to conduct war anytime, anywhere for any reason."
Admitting that he received many "e-mails and phone calls from very angry listeners who claimed I was calling for the death of the president," Webb told Talon News that these listeners simply misunderstood what he said and that it is "absolutely not true" that he called for Bush to be put to death.
"I called for the law to be enforced," Webb concluded to Talon News.
KIRO Station Manager Ken Berry responded to a Talon News request for a reaction to Webb's remarks. He said that any listener who "would like to pursue this issue" should contact him directly by calling 206-726-7000.
Certainly Webb's poor, mis-guided, easily confused listeners must be eternally grateful to have him explain the true nature of the world.
He said that any listener who "would like to pursue this issue" should contact him directly by calling 206-726-7000.
Prairie
Didn't Randi Rhodes suggest that Bush should be taken out and shot? Boy they are losing it.
Liberals can't win at the ballot box,so there's only one option left,ASSASSINATION!
...sounds like a VERY good idea to me... :)
Bush has sent the lefties 'round the bend. Hee hee. They keep stepping in it.
Uh, no. The Secret Service should pursue 'this issue'!
...or crashing small airplanes.
...or crashing small airplanes.
...or crashing small airplanes.
Wow, you can just feel the hatred for President Bush eminating from mikey webb.
Ahem...sorry for the triple post. :\
Liberals' hate keeps being their undoing. I'm full of pleasure to see this Mike Webb finding himself in hot water.
We need to keep Err Amerika and other liberal networks up until election day. They must make @$$e$ of themselves.
Talk show hosts like Webb and Rhodes are like cicadas. Every few years they come out of the ground, make alot of noise, fornicate and die.
Sock it to him!
Do not joke about it. There are nine points of power in the US. They are the Presidency, Senate, Congress, Supreme Court, Federal Reserve Chair, Governors, State Senate, State Legislature, State Supreme Courts. All or most of these institutions are controlled or majority appointed by GOP. If the Dems lose in 2004, they will be minority party. Many of their activists cannot accept this and emotionally are having a meltdown. If GWB is leading in the fall or wins in November, I think some of the Dem activists are capable of shooting him. That will be a dumb thing for the Dems to do, because the public sympathy that it will generate will insure GOP rule for atleast 20 years.
Feeeel the loooove...
I predict that in 2005, after Bush wins re-election, some left-wing whacko will detonate a truck bomb outside a Federal building. The media will proceed to not cover any aspect of the story, aside from leftist tinfoil "Reichstag Fire" conspiracy theories.
Is this guy local or syndicated? I will call the number to appeal for his ouster. (Why not - it works for the Rats!)
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