Inside the Beltway

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By Jennifer Harper INSIDE THE BELTWAY

SAVAGE FURY

As a talk-radio host officially banned in Britain for "fostering hatred," Michael Savage has unearthed a greater story from the ooze -- revealed in the very title of his new book, "Banned in Britain: Beating the Liberal Blacklist."

Indeed, Mr. Savage, who is heard by some 10 million listeners a week, contends that some nefarious "trans-Atlantic occlusion" was afoot in the decision to place him on a list of undesirables that included terrorists and murderers. And the book is just the beginning.

"A petition will be circulated in Congress next week by concerned lawmakers. They will demand that the U.S. State Department act on my behalf as an American citizen unfairly denied entry into the United Kingdom owing to a smear campaign engineered by Media Matters," Mr. Savage tells Inside the Beltway.

He refers to District-based Media Matters for America, a not-for-profit progressive research center that monitors "conservative misinformation," according to its Web site. It is a "Stalinist attack machine," according to Mr. Savage. He is deadly serious about the petition.

"These congressmen are concerned about the 'new McCarthyism' emerging from the Obama administration. They believe it may be a backdoor approach to killing talk radio in the U.S.," he says.

The petition, which asks that Mr. Savage's name be removed from the damning list, does not hold back.

"Savage's freedom has been denied, his health has suffered, and his very life may be in danger because of the prime minister's actions," the document reads.

MOTTO WATCH

Slogan o' the day from the "Super Bowl of Freedom" anti-health care reform "tea party" rally on Capitol Hill Thursday: