After being slimed by MSNBC sicko Keith Olbermann, syndicated talk host Mark Levin (shown lower left) is fighting back.
On last night's show, the meltdown artist accused both Levin and fellow talker Laura Ingraham of hating our troops.
Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters has the details here:
OLBERMANN: I cannot imagine that kind of evil knee-jerk reflex. I feel very sorry for those that have shown it. It seems to me these right-wingers have inadvertently shown their true colors, their instinctive hatred for, and contempt for those self-sacrificing Americans who have been needlessly placed in harm's way and the politicians they support.
They hear criticism of our nation's collective conduct in Iraq, and they immediately assume it's the fault of the soldiers. In the wake of an insult that exists only in their minds and never in my words or in my heart, there remains I think only one question to ask: Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin, why do you hate our troops?
Reached for comment, Levin told your Radio Equalizer, "Olbermann is Tokyo Rose in a rented suit. He suffers from a bad case of audience envy. He's on my radar screen now as is anyone who smears America's military."
For conservatives, a debate is necessary: how much attention should be paid to this low- rated cable host? The case for confronting him head- on is that he generates a lot ofmainstream media attention and it's good to have an opposing view out there.
Interestingly, just today, the New York Timeshas an item on whether Olbermann and MSNBC are harmful to NBC's overall reputation:
Critics are increasingly citing MSNBC for what they say is left-leaning partisan political coverage and commentary. More and more, NBC shares staff, office space and an identity with MSNBC, exposing the news division to complaints about opinionated cable hosts like Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews.
Does this mean Olbermann's house of cards will fold on its own, or does it need a good push?
While vinyl is apparently making a comeback this year, for Al Franken, it doesn't bring good news. It seems his speed is stuck at 33 1/3 when 78 is needed for a November victory.
Heck, even 45 RPM would represent a big improvement for our friend Stuart Smalley. Sadly, a new Minneapolis Star- Tribune poll places his public approval rating at an anaemic 33%, with 39% of Minnesotans now viewing him unfavorably.
From CBS:
(The Politico) Despite sporting a job approval rating below 50 percent, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) holds a 51 to 44 percent lead over Democratic challenger Al Franken in the Minnesota Senate race, according to a new Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll.
Usually a sub-50 percent approval rating would spell serious trouble for an incumbent - and still may cause problems for Coleman - but Franken has spent the last few weeks dealing with his own fallout from revelations that he had filed his personal income taxes in 17 states incorrectly and owed $70,000 in back taxes.
The reports hurt the image of the Minnesota native, who returned to his home state after spending a couple of decades in New York writing for Saturday Night Live and hosting an Air America radio show. The poll showed 42 percent of respondents said they were not satisfied with his response to the situation, and more than quarter of independents and one-fifth of Democrats said it made them less likely to vote for him.
Only 33 percent said they viewed Franken favorably, compared to 39 percent who see him in a negative light. Compared to Coleman's 53-33 favorable/unfavorable breakdown, this is not a good sign for an challenger.
So what happened to the hilariously funny comedian who was going to sweep Minnesotans off their collective feet? Do the mainstream media outlets who have so happily propped up Franken's career have an answer to that?
Could it be that voters are fed up with Franken'sconstant financial scandals and the clumsy way he passes it all off to his accountants? Stuart must have the worst monetary advisers in the world!
Or, could it be that Franken simply can't live up to the media hype and left wing lionization? Whatever the reason, he's now so weak that even Jesse Ventura is thinking about getting back into politics just to take him on.
What does that say about his chances in November? To Minnesotans, he's just another broken record.
Over GE Criticism, Mainstream Media Gangs Up On O'Reilly
'ASSAULT' AND FLATTERY
Renewed O'Reilly Media Focus Likely To Bolster His Position
For their ability to twist and contort reality, you've got to give our mainstream media friends credit. It's a skill they've had years to hone to perfection.
The problem with Howard Kurtz's WaPo piece is that we really aren't given a real indication as to why O'Reilly is on the wrong track with his GE/ Iran criticism. In fact, Kurtz's own information backs that of the O'Reilly Factor host.
Instead, the focus is on the left's new theory that Bill merely serves as a proxy for Rupert Murdoch:
Bill O'Reilly, the Fox News star, is mounting an extraordinary televised assault on the chief executive of General Electric, calling him a "pinhead" and a "despicable human being" who bears responsibility for the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq.
On the surface, O'Reilly's charges revolve around GE's history of doing business with Iran. But the attacks grow out of an increasingly bitter feud between O'Reilly and the company's high-profile subsidiary, NBC, one that has triggered back-channel discussions involving News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, NBC chief executive Jeff Zucker and General Electric's CEO, Jeffrey Immelt.
Ailes called Zucker on his cellphone last summer, clearly agitated over a slam against him by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. According to sources familiar with the conversation, Ailes warned that if Olbermann didn't stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O'Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well.
Both Fox and the Post are owned by Murdoch, who complained about Olbermann's conduct in separate calls to Zucker and Immelt.
The high-level appeals failed, and O'Reilly has escalated his criticism of GE in recent weeks, declaring, "If my child were killed in Iraq, I would blame the likes of Jeffrey Immelt."
GE has long had a corporate presence in Iran, which U.S. officials say is providing weapons and training for Shiite militias in the Iraq conflict. Under growing criticism from the public and its own shareholders, GE announced in 2005 that it would accept no new business in Iran and would wind down existing contracts, which mostly involved sales of oil, gas and energy and health-care equipment. The remaining work, valued at less than $50 million, amounts to less than .01 percent of GE's income, and the company says the final four contracts will expire within weeks.
As for Murdoch's supposed direct involvement, the only real evidence of this is a telephone call he made to NBC regarding an O'Reilly stalker:
Murdoch's call to Zucker, which was polite in tone, involved a request that Olbermann not air video from a Daily Kos blogger who had made a scene at O'Reilly's Long Island home. That, Murdoch said, should be off limits.
Activist Mike Stark had confronted O'Reilly when he was retrieving his newspaper, planted derogatory signs on his street and distributed derogatory material to neighbors. Olbermann says the only time he ever talked to Stark was to interview him about a stunt in which he called O'Reilly's radio show and mentioned Olbermann's name.
Olbermann says that NBC Senior Vice President Phil Griffin called to ask him to exercise restraint but that he had already decided to criticize Stark for going to O'Reilly's home. He told viewers, "with great regret," that Stark's behavior was "not acceptable."
He and NBC are fair game for O'Reilly, Olbermann says, but "when you start accusing a corporation of murdering Americans, with the thinnest and most ridiculous arguments behind it," it is unfair to GE employees.
While O'Reilly is cheered by conservatives and Olbermann is a hero on the left, their dispute is more personal than ideological. Fox staffers say they don't share O'Reilly's obsession with Olbermann, noting that the "O'Reilly Factor" audience of 2.5 million viewers is 2 1/2 times the size of Olbermann's. "Countdown," however, has become increasingly competitive among younger viewers.
Hey, if Olbermann is such a "hero" to the left, then why don't they watch his show?
The other key allegation is that News Corporation's New York Post is also being used by FOX News Channel managment as a weapon in this battle, but again, the evidence comes up short.
May 19, 2008 -- IS Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's top-rated anchor, on the verge of yet another professional meltdown? His feuding with "Hardball" host Chris Matthews is nothing new. But now we're told notoriously odd Olbermann is lashing out at the rest of his network's talking heads. During West Virginia primary coverage the other night, Olbermann began pounding the table when lead White House reporter David Gregory didn't wrap his segment quickly enough to satisfy him.
Olbermann recently encouraged management to oust the cable channel's lone conservative, Tucker Carlson, and it's also no secret among producers that Olbermann refuses to introduce Dan Abrams' show, which follows his own. Olbermann walked out of MSNBC years ago in a huff after also blowing up at ESPN, so TV insiders are curious if this recent behavior is a sign that history will repeat itself. MSNBC did not respond to our calls and e-mails seeking comment.
But does this mean criticism of MSNBC should be off-limits at the Post? Prohibiting discussion of topics based on corporate edicts would be just as alarming as solid evidence the paper is being used as a weapon against an enemy.
In the end, Murdoch conspiracy theorists are going to believe what they want and Olbermann's ratings will remain in the tank, despite the support his media friends provide nearly every day.
But what is new here is the prominence given to a story that in the past was confined to media- watching circles. For Bill O'Reilly, it's front- page flattery.
Here's a neat trick for a sleazy MSNBC huckster: invite a low- rated conservative talk show host from a bottom- feeder radio outfit and "win" the debate with gutter- level debate tricks, the very sort one's high school debate teacher would have banned as too lowbrow.
From sewer- dwelling Chris Matthews, could one really expect more?
Sure enough, the Hardball hothead did exactly that during Thursday's show, setting up KRLA/ Los Angeles host Kevin James for a fall with a sneaky trick he would never play on a liberal guest.
Even worse, once James had walked right into the Scuzzball host's trap, Matthews handed the "victory" to Air America layabout Mark Green, who was all too happy to share the spoils.
Here's the segment in question:
Note how Neville Chamberlain was brought into the discussion by Matthews, not James. When the talker wasn't immediately able to answer his (actually quite unclear) question, the MSNBC host pestered him for several minutes.
The end result is shockingly rude and unprofessional behavior toward a guest.
In fact, before Matthews finally revealed the "answer" to his vague and sneaky question, your Radio Equalizer thought he was referring to Chamberlain's infamous 1938 "Peace For Our Time" speech, but that apparently wasn't the case.
In more reasonable, civil circumstances, it's hard to say whether James would have known the answer. He's a former Assistant US Attorney whose general grasp of history is unclear.
He's a radio host, most certainly not in his element in front of a camera. Because they involve dark walls and bright lights, the remote studios used for cable talk appearances are difficult enough to conquer, even for seasoned professionals.
Matthews must know he has a clear advantage in these circumstances, that's what makes his actions so inexcusable.
Here's another observation: why is MSNBC reduced to booking guests from bottom- feeder radio networks?
James, for example, works for Salem Communications (NASDAQ:SALM), a troubled media company with a "secular" conservative talk lineup that has largely failed. While it stubbornly sticks to a lineup the public has rejected, mostly because it is unwilling to pay market rates for first- tier talent, its stations remain among the lowest rated in the country.
For his part, Green is n'er-do-well brother of wealthy Manhattan landlord Stephen L Green, who purchased Air America Radio so that Mark could have a job.
Talk Radio, Blogs Alarmed Over McCain's Campaign Strategy
'RUNNING AS A DEMOCRAT'
Focus Shifts To McCain's Left-Leaning Campaign
Can John McCain out- liberal the Democrats all the way to a November victory? As the presumptive Republican presidential nominee builds a campaign strategy based on support from moderates, independents and even leftists, snubbed conservatives are reacting with alarm.
In fact, McCain's courtship with the "progressive" left has now become so pronounced that it has begun to take attention away from the bruising Democrat Party presidential nomination process.
In response to the latter development, conservative commentator Michelle Malkin has written to the Arizona senator's campaign, wondering when she can join the fun. Though she has since been told she will be invited, it took a public appeal to get "a seat at the table." And there is no indication other right- leaning bloggers will be granted a similar opportunity.
He's running for Democrat votes. He is trying to out-Democrat Barack Obama. Isn't it interesting that Barack Obama claims to be the uniter, yet he doesn't give an inch on his ideological views? He doesn't give one inch. He hasn't practiced the art of compromise as a senator in Washington. He's not practicing the so-called great art of compromise. The politics of compromise is a crock anyway, as it's currently constituted because it's always our side ends up compromising and giving things up. But isn't it interesting?
Obama is the uniter, Obama is the messiah, and he is as partisan as any Democrat in Washington -- and our nominee is running around saying it's time to end partisanship 'cause it's just about selfishness and pointless bickering and that we're all friends and that we all want to do what's right for our country. No, we don't! I think Senator McCain's going to have trouble defining who he is because he's trying to become all things to most people. He doesn't really have a consistent worldview.
He doesn't have a reasoned approach to governance, which is why he can reject national health care but embrace global warming -- and while embracing global warming, talk about ending earmarks and having tax cuts and getting rid of Big Government.
"Yep, we gotta get rid of Big Government," then we're going to do the global warming plan, which is one of the fastest, surest ways to government growth to come down the pike in a while. I don't think he expects to have any coattails, either. He's not seeking to have any coattails. He's out there running on his own. The New York Times today says that McCain's guy is going to run against Bush, is going to run against Congress.
Running as a maverick, running as an independent, not running as the head of a team. His entire strategy is make sure the quarterback gets protected. The rest of you guys can blow out your ACLs, but you gotta protect the quarterback. One more sound bite from Senator McCain's speech, and, let's see... Well, this is how he plans to end partisanship. Listen.
Democratic adviser Maria Cardona who helped shape her party's Hispanic-outreach strategy in the 2004 presidential campaign said she thinks Mr. McCain will have strong appeal to the nation's large Hispanic community — a key Democratic constituency and one that largely went for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton over Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries.
"There is no question that McCain would be more competitive with Hispanics than any of the other Republican candidates, starting with the fact that he was one of the original authors of the comprehensive immigration-reform bill, which bears his name with Senator [Edward M.] Kennedy," said Mrs. Cardona, who backs Mrs. Clinton.
Democratic strategist David Sirota said Mr. McCain's pro-immigration stance and the fact he has ripped into lobbyists and campaign-finance abuses makes him appealing to independents.
"I'm not one of those who believe this will be a runaway election for the Democrats. This could be a very, very close election," said Mr. Sirota, who helped mount the party rebellion that defeated Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut in the 2006 Democratic primary. Mr. Lieberman went on to run as an independent and win the general election.
In the end, your Radio Equalizer believes that trying to out-lib the Democrats is a fatally- flawed strategy. Why would "progressive" Democrats choose McCain when they already have Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?
And how is it a good idea to abandon (or alienate) the conservative base when they could very well prove the key to victory in November?
After the recent sacking of popular talkSPORT host James Whale, also for backing the subsequently victorious Conservative candidate, a disturbing pattern of media censorship is beginning to emerge in Britain.
For Americans, it's an important reminder of what life could be like if the FCC's former Fairness Doctrine is reimposed after November's elections. This is Hush Rush, English- style.
BBC 6Music has issued a warning to daytime presenter George Lamb, after he appeared to pledge his support on air for Boris Johnson in the London mayoral race.
Lamb, who last night won the inaugural "rising star" prize at the 2008 Sony Radio Academy awards, has been warned by management for breaching impartiality guidelines, a spokeswoman for the digital station said.
On his mid-morning show on May 1 - the day of the local elections - Lamb told listeners: "I know who I'm going to vote for, who has blond hair." (Johnson shown right)
"The problem is it breached BBC editorial guidelines on impartiality," the 6Music spokeswoman said.
Now there's a bit of British humor that translates perfectly across the Atlantic! Since when does the BBC even try to be impartial?
Meanwhile, since we last reported on Whale's disturbing sacking, the station's former program director has blasted talkSPORT, accusing current management of being "sly and devious" in the way it handled the incident.
Kelvin MacKenzie also points to ideological hypocrisy, since notorious former MP George Galloway, an extremist who has cavorted with Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro and other global tyrants, continues to host a program there.
"There are strict rules on neutrality even though in an online world you must wonder whether there is any point to them," he added.
"But the regulator Ofcom had not even decided the outcome of the complaints before the brave Mr Dee picked up the phone and fired Whale without compensation. I am told by insiders at Ofcom that they were quite shocked by this precipitant action.
"This guy had done 13 years on the late-night slot, had good numbers and had been the company's broadcaster of the year last year."
MacKenzie called on TalkSport to sack another of its presenters, the Respect MP George Galloway.
Whale (shown above) had been with TalkSport since it launched as Talk Radio in 1995, and presented the 10pm to 1am slot from Sunday to Thursday.
Interestingly, Whale has found a new home, this time with an online station where he can express his views free of interference from Labour Party- appointed bureaucrats and shady managers.
Speaking to the Guardian, ex-Radio Authority and Ofcom regulator Tony Stoller justifies the sacking of presenter James Whale from talkSPORT for telling listeners to vote for Boris Johnson.
He then cites the "tawdry Evening Standard campaign against Ken Livingstone" as an example of what the media can get up to when not regulated by people like him.
For the record, the Standard's reporting of Livingstone's record as mayor was scrupulously accurate.
Stoller is typical of the types who get appointed to "independent" regulatory bodies.
They think telling the truth about Left-wing wrong-doing is a smear campaign and advising anyone to vote for a Tory is a hanging offence.
One thing is clear, however: Boris Johnson's upset victory in London has the political establishment angry and looking for scapegoats. And defenseless radio presenters appear to fit the bill perfectly.
Think it can't happen in America? Guess again.
FOR New England regional talk radio updates, see our other site. New: Boston Herald's Spygate apology provokes intense anger by Patriots fans.
The latest incident provides a reality check for those who look to score partisan points on the idea that one anchor or host is abusive behind the scenes. Guess what: nearly everybody in the news business shares this trait and one's political belief system has nothing to do with it.
With high pressure and constant stress, it's a cutthroat field. One misstep can ruin a well- established career. Behind the scenes, back-stabbers and saboteurs run rampant. Timid individuals need not apply.
With this kind of work environment, F-bombs are as common as coffee refills. From Boise to Boston, this is what one finds inside newspapers, as well as local television and radio stations.
Take the O'Reilly instance, for example: during a (circa early 90s?) taping of Inside Edition, producers tried to get him to sign off with a line that didn't make any sense. When he protested, they made excuses.
Was he already deeply frustrated with errors that had occurred earlier in the day? Was there a history of similar incompetence by the show's producers? We don't know, that's not contained in the "gotcha" clip.
Also important to note: there's no evidence this incident (which has already been banned by YouTube's censors) ever reached the airwaves.
Next, in last night's Simmons example, it's clear viewers were shown a take for a newscast promo that obviously never should have made it to air.
There, as well, we need context: had she simply reached the boiling point after a long day of technical flubs?
Not every instance of on-air profanity should be excused, however. Earlier this year, your Radio Equalizerwent after a Boston radio host for intentionally dropping S-bombs on a guest. Though dumped from the airwaves, the profanity did reach Internet listeners and triggered negative publicity for the station.
In that instance, he had no right to treat a guest that way and should not have risked a huge fine for the station had the dump/ delay system failed to operate properly.
To those looking to bring down Bill O'Reilly, you'll have to do better than 15-year-old videotape. What's behind the odd timing of this sudden "leak"?
While no one on the Democrat side of the aisle will admit the visit is intended to irritate Limbaugh, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) gave it away with a non- verbal response:
In an interview, McCaskill simply smiled when she was asked if Obama's choice of Cape Girardeau for Tuesday's stop had some particular significance. It's the hometown of the nation's most prominent conservative commentator, Rush Limbaugh, who has been encouraging Republicans to cross over in some state Democratic primaries and vote for Clinton.
Hilariously, Obama claims the event isn't a campaign stop. Instead, he claims it will serve as a "discussion" on economic issues:
Missouri voters cast primary ballots Feb. 5. But voters in Kentucky will have their primary May 27, and broadcast media serving the Cape Girardeau area also serves most of western Kentucky.
The event will not be a campaign rally but a serious discussion on issues ranging from food and gas prices to mortgage and credit issues, among others, the source said.
"Barack Obama understands the economic conditions and the challenges the Bush administration has presented to middle-class families have been unfortunate, to say the least," the Democratic source said.
But will anyonereally be fooled? After the way Rush's Operation Chaos has become a central element of the primary season, why would voters believe Obama just happened to pick Limbaugh's hometown to talk about the economy?
Expect a major helping of class warfare and partisan attacks in Cape Girardeau tomorrow. If he didn't think there were points to be scored, why else would Obama visit?
UPDATE: In the opening segment of today's show, Limbaugh said he thinks this is Obama's way of avoiding the drubbing he's about to take in tomorrow's West Virginia primary. In addition, he suggested Obama take the Rush Limbaugh Tour offered there.
Where talk radio and politics collide: influencing the debate since 2004! From longtime host / analyst / rabble-rouser Brian Maloney, seen on FOX (including a number of O'Reilly Factor appearances), CNN, Court TV and elsewhere.
Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters has the details here:
For conservatives, a debate is necessary: how much attention should be paid to this low- rated cable host? The case for confronting him head- on is that he generates a lot of mainstream media attention and it's good to have an opposing view out there.
Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters has the details here:
For conservatives, a debate is necessary: how much attention should be paid to this low- rated cable host? The case for confronting him head- on is that he generates a lot of mainstream media attention and it's good to have an opposing view out there.
