Posted on 10/02/2007 6:43:31 PM PDT by kristinn
Edited on 10/02/2007 7:29:10 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
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.
Take a look at the letter here.
Full text:
October 2, 2007
The Honorable Harry Reid
S-221 United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20501
Dear Majority Leader Reid:
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.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Mays
Chief Executive Officer
Not that I'm knocking this -- not at all -- but don't you think emails are pretty ineffective? A low-level staffer puts one finger on the delete button and they're gone. Even if they're not deleted, they're just, well, emails. No substance. I think we should let them hear our voice.
Thanks for posting. Lyin’ Harry POS Reid BUMP!
I agree. That guy is a pussy.
OK! I agree.
Sometimes these numbers take time to find.
Have you got them handy?
Clear Channel is a piece of crap anyway.
they are replaying H&C now on Rush!
No, sorry. I'm looking online for my senator's Washington number (don't want to call the state office).
At least if they know why. :^)
Ditto!
This is why they are hiding behind their constitutionally protected right to say anything they wish on the Senate floor.
ABC NEWS program on phony soldiers prior to Rush Limbaugh’s comments which have been lied about and changed by the democrat operatives and elected representatives: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3645227
Rush’s morning update prior to his comments which have been lied about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Il0TJflq0&mode=related&search=
Rush Limbaugh show following Reid’s threat to attack him on the floor of the senate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm84gOXkZaY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Erushlimbaugh%2Ecom%2Fhome%2Ftoday%2Eguest%2Ehtml
Harry Reid lying about Rush Limbaugh on the floor of the Senate! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5atU-TeDR0&mode=related&search=
BTTT
Of course they (Both Clintons, and all their cronies and henchmen) decry it, all the while participating in it. In fact, they've mastered it.
Mark
Lucky!!!!!! I wanna be quoted by Rush!
I agree.
From Hillary’s lips at the Daily Kos convention:
“We are certainly better prepared and more focused on, you know, taking our arguments, and making them effective, and disseminating them widely, and really putting together a network, uh, in the blogosphere, in a lot of the new progressive infrastructure, institutions that I helped to start and support like Media Matters and Center for American Progress.”
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