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:
“PALIN/BACHMANN 2012”
VOIGHT WATCH
Number of times the name of silver screen conservative Jon Voight was waggishly uttered and/or snickered over by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and reporters during the daily briefing after the Academy Award winner spoke at the aforementioned rally: 4.
Number of times the movie “Deliverance” was mentioned: 1.
Number of times Mr. Voight’s daughter Angelina Jolie was mentioned: 1.
Newsworthiness quotient: 0.
THE MAINE EVENT
The rejection of same-sex marriage by Maine voters on Tuesday remains radioactive, generating fierce reactions from those on both sides of the vote.
“Our Founding Fathers did not intend for people’s constitutional rights to be determined by political campaigns. The results in Maine underscore exactly why we are challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban in federal court,” says Chad Griffin, board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is legally challenging California’s Proposition 8 as argued by attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies.
Proposition 8 eliminated Californians’ right to same-sex marriage and was passed on the November 2008 ballot.
“The truth is, people’s lives should never be put up for a popular vote. Civil rights for minority groups should be decided by the sound reason of the legislature and the courts - not by the will and whims of the majority,” says Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, another activist group that is challenging Proposition 8.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on the other hand, is jubilant over the Maine result.
“The people of Maine voted to uphold the true nature of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The voice of the people in this country has spoken once again on the side of justice, in favor of the truth about marriage,” says Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, chairman of the Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage.
“Protecting marriage between a man and a woman has nothing to do with denying basic rights to anyone, though it is often framed in such terms,” he says. “We should work to strengthen marriage rather than redefine it. There are many ways to uphold the basic human rights of all people, but sacrificing marriage can never be one of them.”
THUNDER ROAD
A Beltway hurrah for the 2nd Annual Honor and Remember Veterans Ride on Saturday, dedicated to the family and friends of fallen soldiers and thudding with the authority of some 300 motorcycles and a host of military veterans.
“These families have made the ultimate sacrifice for America,” says George Lutz, who founded and organized the event - endorsed by American Gold Star Mothers, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Fleet Reserve Association and the Military Officers Association of America, among other groups.
Five families will be presented with personalized flags; things get under way at 9 a.m. at Buskey’s Chill and Grill in Chesapeake, Va., and conclude at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Hampton, Va., with a cookout, auction and patriotic moments. Consult www.honorandremember.org for more information.
POLL DU JOUR
• 52 percent of Americans say Republicans are the party most likely to gain seats in Congress in 2010.
• 32 percent say Democrats will gain seats, and 16 percent are unsure.
• 49 percent say Republicans will likely win control of Congress next year.
• 37 percent say it would be unlikely, 13 percent are unsure.
Source: A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted Nov. 3-4.
• Honks, whispers, hurrahs to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.