Clear Channel CEO Responds to Reid (Letter Hand Delivered to Senate)

Clear Channel CEO Mark P. Mays responded to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a letter hand-delivered to his office this evening.

I want to thank you and your Senate Democratic colleagues for sharing your concern over recent comments made by Rush Limbaugh on his daily radio program. First, let me say that the men and women who wear the uniform in defense of our country deserve the utmost respect and gratitude from each and every one of us whom they serve to protect. I assure you that I fully agree with your statement that “not a single one of our sons, daughters, neighbors and friends serving overseas is a phony soldier.” As a grateful American citizen, I would reject anyone’s contention to the contrary.

Mr. Limbaugh’s comments last week have stirred a lot of emotion, and I have carefully read the transcript from the episode in question. I hope you will appreciate that I cannot speak with authority as to whom exactly Mr. Limbaugh’s comments were directed, or what was his intent. Only Mr. Limbaugh can speak to those issues, which he has done.

I can say, however, that over the years Mr. Limbaugh has repeatedly praised the dedication and valor of our brave men and women in uniform. Given Mr. Limbaugh’s history of support for our soldiers, it would be unfair for me to assume his statements were intended to personally indict combat soldiers simply because they didn’t share his own beliefs regarding the war in Iraq. However, if Mr. Limbaugh’s intention was to classify any soldier opposed to the war in Iraq as a “phony soldier,” which he denies, then I, along with most Americans, would be deeply offended by such a statement.

While I do not agree with everything Mr. Limbaugh says on every topic, I do believe that he, along with every American, has the right to voice his or her opinion in the manner they choose. The First Amendment gives every American the right to voice his or her opinion, no matter how unpopular. That right is one that I am sure you agree must be cherished and protected.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel, I support each of our on-air talent’s right to express his or herself freely, as long as they do it within the confines of the laws set forth by Congress. For this reason, I have not and will not impose my own views upon any of our on-air talent. Doing so would, quite frankly, undermine the integrity of the broadcast, undercut the trust with our listeners that they are receiving the true and honest opinions of the radio host, and more importantly fly directly in the face the right to free speech that we hold so dear.

Each and every day, Clear Channel airs a broad diversity of viewpoints from Rush Limbaugh on the right to Air America on the left of the political spectrum. It is inevitable, with so many different perspectives, than an on-air personality will challenge or even offend another segment of the public. I too am sometimes offended by words that are directed at me or a particular belief I hold. However, as a broadcaster and leader of this company, I will always defend the right of our employees and contracted talent to voice their opinions under the protections provided by the First Amendment.

I want to thank you and your colleagues for writing me regarding this matter. Again, I regret that you were offended by Mr. Limbaugh’s statement, regardless of what its intended meaning may have been. I hope that you understand and support my position that while I certainly do not agree with all views that are voiced on our stations, I will not condemn our talent for exercising their right to voice them.

let the letter writing begin....
My letter to the Reid...

Dear Mr. Reid,

“At the time we sign this letter, 3808 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, and another 28,009 have been wounded. 160,000 others awoke this morning on foreign sand, far from home, to face the danger and uncertainty of another day at war.”
These are your words, except you forgot something very important. Multiply those numbers by the parents, spouses, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. These are the people that support our troops with their heart and souls, every minute of every day.

May I remind you of this: “Our troops are fighting and dying to bring to others the freedoms that many take for granted.” In my mind’s eye, Mr. Reid, you are one of those that take them for granted. Having blustered, not so long ago, that the “War in Iraq is lost”; you slapped the faces of ALL those people mentioned above. You demeaned their efforts with those five little words, and undermined the reality of the belief they have in their mission. You did not stop there.

More of your hypocrisy:
“The military, like any community within the United States, includes members both for and against the war. Senior generals, such as General John Batiste and Paul Eaton, have come out against the war while others have publicly supported it.”
I noticed that you only mentioned two Generals that are against the war. I also noticed that there was no mention of General Petraeus. Of course not, he is a brave and dedicated soldier. He, may I remind you, is one of the people whose honor you are now so conveniently defending. Ah but not so long ago, you voted NAY to this:
Statement of Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Muli-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemns personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and ALL MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.
Very interesting Mr. Reid, that in one instance you were not at all interested in the honor and integrity of the United States Armed Forces. But when it fits your narrow agenda you take the lead in condemnation.
Then there is this:
“Active and retired members of our armed forces have a unique perspective on the war and offer a valuable contribution to our national debate. (You did not think that the Generals perspective was at all valuable.) In August, seven soldiers wrote an op-ed expressing their concern with the current strategy in Iraq. Tragically, since then, two of those seven soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.”

I will refer you back to the remarks regarding General Petraeus. Or Mr. Reid does this only become valid when you can use it for your own agenda? Have you read the op-ed pieces, particularly the one written by
Sgt. Eddie Jeffers? I have and so have many others. We grieve for the loss of Sgt. Jeffers, but we honor what he believed in and stood for and the words he spoke that seemingly you did not hear. Hypocritical of you yet again to evoke his words by your reference in the letter to Clear Channel Communications.

I find the next paragraph in your letter almost laughable if it wasn’t such a travesty.

“Thousands of active troops and veterans were subjected to Mr. Limbaugh’s unpatriotic and indefensible comments on your broadcast. We trust you will agree that not a single one of our sons, daughters, neighbors and friends serving overseas is a “phony soldier.” We call on you to publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and to ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments.”

Oh yes….Mr. Limbaugh. I listened to Mr. Limbaugh’s words. Again and again and again. I have not been a fan of Mr. Limbaugh and only listened to this show because of the furor that has risen over it. I might just become a fan now. You see Mr. Reid, I do something that might behoove you to do. I research. From my research I have found Mr. Limbaugh to be an unflagging supporter of our men and women in the Armed Forces as well as their families and friends. At no point did I ever take his words as a condemnation. NO. Far from it! I did see a man disgusted that the liberal response to anti-war movement is to poster quite irresponsibly, phony soldiers. Those that lie about their service, their experiences and the events that they, as time tells, never did go through. Those supposed soldiers ARE an insult to every honorable man and woman serving, not only overseas, but those at home, their families and friends. What I find most despicable is that not once did you ever denounce these people. But when one man had the courage to say what should have been said about these imposters, you rally your indignation, and stand for honor. Whose honor, Mr. Reid? The Jesse Adam MacBeths of this war?
Or what of the comments of Mr. Murtha? Want to talk about comments that demean and call into question the honor of our military? They don’t even bear repeating as they are so indefensible.
I call on you to publicly repudiate those actions that called into question their service and sacrifice and to ask Mr. MacBeth and Mr. Murtha to apologize for their actions.
Will you have the courage to denounce in Senate these escapades that truly dishonored our military and their families?
Somehow I think not. That won’t serve your agenda.

Without Much Respect

copying it to all those that signed the Clear Channel letter.

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