Michael Wiener: disgrace to humanity

In the political atmosphere & culture we live in today, it wasn't difficult to predict that some extremist imbecile on the right would make fun of the fact that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor that will almost certainly kill him within the next few years, or sooner.

Seriously, just what in the world is wrong with some people? Right-wing hate monger Michael "Savage" Wiener went way over the line when making fun of Sen. Ted Kennedy the other day. Listen to the above audio, and you'll quickly see that this man is reveling in the fact that Kennedy is dying. Words almost fail me - it's equal parts sad, outrageous and incomprehensible. The man is clearly rejoicing and poking fun at Kennedy, while playing a Dead Kennedys song. Classy!

First of all, anyone who renames himself Savage should already have his mental stability questioned. Then again, I guess when your given surname is Wiener, and you hope to become some sort of media personality, prudence demands action. Hence, Michael Wiener became Michael Savage.

I'm not stupid enough to believe that there aren't people out there who hate Ted Kennedy, and it's obvious that Wiener is one of them. Fine. But, do you really need to make fun of someone dying? There really is a special place in hell for people like Wiener.

Of course, there isn't a news story that's been written in the past week that hasn't mentioned the Chappaquiddick incident, when a car Kennedy was driving went over a bridge, killing Mary Jo Kopechne, in July 1969. There isn't a doubt in my mind that Kennedy used his influence to avoid an almost certain jail sentence. The truth is, the truth will probably never be known, but that hasn't stopped many on the right from claiming a host of conspiracy theories. Fine, but that was over 40 years ago, people.

One of my favorite bumper stickers that I see from time to time about Kennedy & Chappaquiddick goes something like this:

Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns.

Witty! However, I think that one should be updated by those on the left. Just off the top of my head, how about:

George W. Bush has killed tens of thousands more people than Ted Kennedy's car.

I don't believe that Kennedy intentionally killed Kopechne, despite what disgraces to humanity like Wiener would have you believe. But, he certainly acted improperly (to say the least). However, since that time, Kennedy has done a great deal of good for both his constituents and for those less fortunate than him around the country, and for that he should be applauded. After all, many on the right acknowledge Kennedy's work, so maybe it's time the rest of his opponents should as well. I'm not holding my breath.

The guy has had two of his brothers murdered in a very public way - RFK just over a year prior to Chappaquiddick. I'm completely guessing here, but he was probably petrified over public reaction and pretty damn traumatized. Maybe it's time people on the right give the guy a break. After all, the Kopechne family has. I know, I know - fat chance that's ever going to happen, just like there's a fat chance I'll ever not think that President Bush should be tried for war crimes. So be it - that's the political world we live in today.

But, as much as I disagree with almost everything that President Bush does, I would not publicly or privately rejoice were he to be stricken in some way with a fatal illness, or worse. I guess that's the difference between the so-called extremists on the left and the right - most of the ones on the right seemingly have no line they will not cross to score a cheap political point (or radio ratings). Every time I hear about hate speech, it seems like it comes from the right, be it Wiener, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, etc. I would hope that indicates something to rational, educated people .

For instance, as much as I despised Rev. Jerry Falwell, I didn't rejoice in his death, publicly or privately. I didn't necessarily mourn him, either, but there are lines I don't cross - rejoicing in someone's death (or imminent death) is goes beyond the pale, but that's what Wiener is all about - being totally outrageous to get ratings for his miserable radio show. I'd say the man is fringe, but he clearly is not. Most stories I read about him have him ranked as the third most popular radio listener in terms of audience on terrestrial radio, behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. That should also tell us all something about the dominance of right-wing radio, as well as how many people filled with hate there are out there, all because they disagree with someone politically. Pathetic and sad.

The good news is that I went to Savage's Website to see which advertisers could kiss my business goodbye, and there really aren't any. (I wonder why?) The only ads I could find were pleas to send money for Wiener's "legal defense fund" and ads hawking his stupid t-shirts, mugs and hate-filled screeds that pass for books. So, it appears that most sponsors won't touch him, and it's little wonder he was fired from MSNBC for responding so virulently to a caller he disagreed with (I believe he wished AIDS on the caller, if memory serves me correctly). I don't think the man should be fired - after all, we do have the First Amendment in this country. But, any company or organization who advertises on his show should be punished for supporting such a hate-filled, churlish simpleton.

When I find out more about his advertisers, I'll share it with you.

Special hat tip (h/t) to Media Matters, an organization devoted to exposing and publicizing such hateful claptrap in the media. Of course, the likes of Savage and O'Reilly HATE Media Matters for all of their work, which is all the more reason we should admire, support and spread the word about this important organization and its work.

If you want to send your own message to Michael "Savage" Wiener, his e-mail address is: michaelsavage@paulreveresociety.com. Please, keep it polite and professional, or as much as you can.

I'm e-mailing him later today, and I'll share it with you when I send it.

Alex Bennett, allow me to introduce you to the First Amendment

I occasionally listen to Alex Bennett on Sirius Left, but this morning the liberal commentator was over the top, even for him. He started out by saying that Scooter Libby should be set free.

Really? That's completely absurd, but I'll have more on that in a separate post in a minute.

What annoyed me even more than Bennett's Libby comments, though, was his take on Ann Coulter. Yesterday, three newspapers, The Oakland Press in Michigan, The Mountain Press in Tennessee and The Lancaster New Era in Lancaster, Pa. announced they were dropping Ann Coulter's column.

Bennett went on to say that "I'm not going to defend Ann Coulter's comment, but I'll defend her right to say it." Fair enough, and I agree with that point. Hold on, though.

He then proceeded to question the newspapers' veracity in removing Coulter's column from their pages. That's ridiculous and absurd.

Yes, we live in a free country with a free press, and Coulter has the right to spew her tripe, but the media is under no obligation to publish or disseminate her tripe. The media's refusal to do so is not censorship!

Bennett reasoned the papers were wrong by no longer publishing her column, using "freedom of the press" as a justification for his reasoning.

By that rationale, why isn't David Duke's column running The New York Times? (If, in fact, the bigot has one.) Papers and media outlets can and should have editorial standards. The three papers above, while minor, decided that Coulter's speech and beliefs weren't aligned with their own.

Coulter has plenty of other avenues to get out her messages of hate, including her Website.

Bennett doesn't understand freedom, democracy or the First Amendment.

What annoys me most of all is that this whole brouhaha is precisely what Coulter wants. Every time she says something stupid like this, her book sales go through the roof, and she laughs all the way to the bank.

The next time she writes a book, there will be plenty of conservatives who will ogle her, snatch up her book at $24.95 a pop, and babble, "You're right, John Edwards IS a faggot!"

Pathetic and sad.

Preserve the 'Net's "1st Amendment"

(A special nod to MoveOn.org is in order here - I've patterned this blog entry largely on the general e-mail that MoveOn sent to all its members about this very important issue.)

The government is thinking of screwing with a free and open Internet, and it's time to do something about it. Big Internet operators like AT&T and Verizon want the power to decide which Websites open properly on our computers - giving them control over what we do and where we search online. So far, Congress has caved to their demands.

But because of intense public pressure, some members of Congress are starting to switch from AT&T's side to the side of outraged Americans, who want to see this stopped and Internet freedom preserved. In the past few weeks, Congressional leaders have seen over 250,000 people sign a petition demanding the Internet stay free. Joining this call are tech pioneers like Google and Microsoft, diverse groups ranging from MoveOn.org to Gun Owners of America, and even some celebrities.

If enough of us stand up now, there's still time for the House of Representatives to do the right thing when it votes on whether to protect or destroy Network Neutrality—the Internet's First Amendment and the key to Internet freedom.

Please, PLEASE take a few minutes to sign a petition, sponsored by MoveOn.org. You can go right to the petition by clicking on the link below, and it takes all of a few minutes:

http://civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/?id=7450-3082352-RTB6z1Kn9hFUy6pF8k2efQ&t=2

Thanks for reading - this is so important to every one of us. Your signature and activism can and will make a difference.