Posted on 06/10/2002 2:20:41 PM PDT by M 91 u2 K
AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE of leftists, Democrats and Muslims has joined forces to muzzle talk radio. Its weapons are advertiser boycotts, smear campaigns, calls for repressive legislation… and Jew-baiting. Talk radio has always antagonized leftists. It allows grassroots Americans to speak out -- and grassroots America despises the Left.
For many years, the "Fairness Doctrine" silenced talk radio. It required stations to provide "equal time" for opposing views. If honestly observed, the rule would have required stations to fill every minute of available airtime with a parade of dissenters, from Save the Whale activists to Holocaust revisionists. Most stations found it easier to avoid political controversy altogether.
In 1987, the Fairness Doctrine was repealed. This opened the door for both leftists and rightists to speak their minds freely. In practice, though, no one wanted to hear leftwing commentary. There was simply no market for it.
Between 1990 and 2001, the number of all-talk radio stations in the U.S. grew from 200 to over 1,300, reaching tens of millions of Americans each day with commentary that was overwhelmingly conservative.
Unable to compete in the marketplace, the Left responded with political attacks. After the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the Clintons blamed "hate radio" for the slaughter, and darkly implied that censorship might be needed.
Now a new coalition of Democrats, Muslims and leftwing activists has taken up the Clinton cause. They have targeted San Francisco talk show host Mike Savage, whose program airs on 350 stations nationally.
In April, a Portland, Oregon group calling itself the "Coalition Against Hate Radio" announced a boycott of Savage’s advertisers and called on KXL radio to drop his show.
"[Savage’s] content is an unbroken stream of hate and chauvinism directed against women, people of color, liberals, immigrants and in particular people of Middle Eastern heritage and people of the Muslim faith," said coalition spokesman Tom Nelson.
Among its 20-odd member organizations, the Coalition includes the Muslim Educational Trust, Islamic Societies of Southwest Washington and Portland, Jews for Global Justice and the Multnomah County Democratic Party.
It’s plain enough why Muslim and leftwing religious groups would oppose Savage. But why the Multnomah County Democratic Party?
An April 26 article in NewsMax.com offers one theory. In a NewsMax column of March 8, Savage exposed Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Ron Wyden of Oregon as the principal opponents of a bill requiring photo IDs for voters. Such a bill would deprive Democrats of one of their favorite political tools – voter fraud.
A similar law worked brilliantly in Mexico, as Allan Wall – an American writer living in Mexico – described in FrontPageMagazine.com:
"In contrast to ours, the Mexican election [of 2000] went quite smoothly. Decades of rigged elections, which had become a highly-developed art form, had been overcome… The presidential election passed with no major incidents nor disputes, and resulted in a peaceful change of regime after 71 years of one-party rule."
Perhaps Senators Schumer and Wyden fear a similar upset, should America clean up its voting system. In any case, Savage’s March 8 column gave Oregon Democrats plenty of reason to fear him.
The campaign against "hate radio" does not rely on boycotts alone. It also pushes government repression, in the form of a new "Fairness Doctrine."
Talk-show host Neal Boortz reports that "at a recent meeting of the Democratic Party of Oregon a resolution was adopted to use the power of government and the `fairness doctrine’ to rein in … talk show hosts." The Wisdom Fund – an Islamic advocacy group – also favors restoring the Fairness Doctrine.
Some of Savage’s critics have resorted to crude Jew-baiting.
One site, posted by the so-called Coalition for Human Decency, makes a point of calling Savage "Michael Weiner" and taunts him for hiding his alleged Jewish background.
"On his show, he tries to portray himself as a Christian, who has incredibly strong feelings about Jewish issues," it sneers. But the alert Jew hunters at MichaelSavageSucks.com are not fooled.
"He almost comes unglued every time a Palestinian kills a Jew, but not vice versa…" the essay continues. "If you listen to his show, for even an hour, you will surely realize he is Jewish."
Personally, I have no idea whether Savage is Jewish. If he chooses to keep his background private, that’s his business, not mine.
Far more interesting to me is the rank hypocrisy of the Coalition Against Hate Radio, its fellow travelers and its spiritual role models, the Clintons – people who will stop at nothing, absolutely nothing, to silence any opposing voice.
The sad thing is that he has a large audience. So does Oprah, Rosie and all the dreck on TV.
It says something about people in general.
Why wouldn't they?
Another reason to be thankful for Reagan.
That's why the Hush Rush bill passed with such a huge majority.
I'd forgotten about that.
http://www.theotherradionetwork.com
he has some great shows in the archive page.
That's it in a nutshell for the lockstep pubbies.
They might go along if the illegals future party leaders OK it.
Why wouldn't they?
Not going along with what the left wants doesn't go well with the "new tone".
LOL! I don't subscribe to the new tone, and neither does my congress-critter.
Those guys fight these battles on a daily basis. They get no credit for their efforts when they succeed, and they get spit on when they fail. No wonder they get sick of it and retire.
Now, if you'd like to see nothing but democrats wall-to-wall, keep on voting Libertarian/Constitution/whatever-nutball-scheme. Then you will have something to complain about.
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