The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

30 September 2005

Ink City

PUBLICITY TSUNAMI

Bill Bennett's Comments Now Denounced By Bush



Our extensive coverage of Air America's scandal has actually been good for the radio network, some liberals assert. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?

William J. Bennett When it involves sleazy transfers of tax dollars to the liberal network from an inner-city community center, the Radio Equalizer does not agree.

And, when the mainstream media refuse to expose dishonest and hypocritical behavior surrounding these allegations, they must be brought to light.

What about Bill Bennett's case, then?

His recent comments, while poorly worded and insensitive, have been grossly taken out of context, in what was really a discussion of a book's thesis. There's an examination here.

Now, even President Bush has felt compelled to criticize Bennett.

From Reuters:


WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

The White House on Friday criticized as "not appropriate" a comment from former Education Secretary William Bennett that aborting black babies would reduce the crime rate.

Bennett, a conservative radio commentator, stirred outrage for saying on his talk show on Wednesday: "But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down."

"That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down," he said on his call-in program "Morning in America." "The president believes the comments were not appropriate," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bennett has held various senior roles in administrations of President Ronald Reagan and Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush. He is a former education secretary and head of U.S. drug policy.


Why does Bush now feel the need to weigh in on what talk show hosts and television presenters have to say? On the heels of Pat Robertson's assertion Venezuelan thug Hugo Chavez should be executed, this marks the second recent Bush response.

When taken out of context,
Bennett's comments look horrible. While proof Al Franken lied about his knowledge of misused taxpayer funds is ignored, there's no reason for the incident to generate banner headlines, however.

While the left's having a field day with Bennett again (previously over his days as a Las Vegas whale), two things should be noted:


1) Many conservatives have really never trusted Bill Bennett. In the 1990s, Bennett and Jack Kemp came out on the liberal side of issues concerning illegal immigration and racial preferences.
During key statewide proposition battles, they were a thorn in the side of Republican reformers in California.

2) Bennett's morning talk show really isn't any more successful that Air America's troubled programming. An infamously bad hiring call that had radio chuckling, he just doesn't belong in a morning talk position. More recently, the show's simply been forgotten, a part of Salem's lineup on smaller stations in some cities.


While Franken and Air America's hosts suffer with each new revelation
, this enormous publicity surge gives Bennett's obscure talk show a shot in the arm. There's a difference between a poorly-worded comment and money missing from an inner-city children's charity.

Expect Bennett to milk this controversy for all it's worth.
He's no doubt happy to reap the publicity whirlwind, even if it may not ultimately save his long-floundering talk show.



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9 Comments:

  • Rush came out swinging on behalf of his friend, Bill Bennett, today. God bless Rush and everyone else on the airwaves who took a stand for Bennett.

    Once again, Rush is right. When will the Whitehouse start standing up to the PC left and take up for those on the right. How many times has the Whitehouse kissed up to the left only to be bashed the same day. Enough is enough and Rush seems to be the leader in the out and out war against the leftist agenda. When will the Whitehouse and the rest of the so-called conservatives start standing up against the leftists?

    By Blogger rich glasgow, at 01 October, 2005 00:08  

  • The French are noting that their spin on Bennett's comments is more accurate than the spin we put on Dick Durbin's condemnation of torture. Sure, they're right, but dammit, our right as Americans to torture brown people is so important, we must defend it anyway we can. The Eurocrats don't have that kind of moral authority.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 01 October, 2005 03:30  

  • Well Mr. Bennett says something, and the whole world goes crazy. Yes, I agree that it was taken out of context. Thats too bad, Mr. Bennett, finally you get nailed for something you say that may have been taken out of context, you've been doing it for years! Brian Maloney, that was a great story, somehow you led your story back to Air America Radio...biased? hmmm

    By Blogger Iraq War Veteran, at 01 October, 2005 10:45  

  • Shame on the Bush White House. Enough Clintonian Triangulation, already.

    By Blogger eLarson, at 01 October, 2005 10:45  

  • If I was a republican and voted for George W. Bush in the last election, I would be extremely angry with the administration. Didn't the President run on having high morals and values. Isn't he against the legalization of abortion, against gay-marriage, isn't he for the privatization of Social Security? He ran on these wedge issues. Well, doesn't the republicans have a 7-2 advantage in the supreme court? Do they not have a Majority in the Senate and the House? Don't we have a republican President? Whats the problem? As I said before, I would be angry if my vote went for a man that didn't follow through on my conservative views. Thats if I was a conservative or a republican. hmmm?

    By Blogger Iraq War Veteran, at 01 October, 2005 12:54  

  • a staff sergeant in the army smoking a bong and doing illegal drugs...that sounds like a good comeback..so that would still be a 5-4 advantage right...I would be angry.

    By Blogger Iraq War Veteran, at 01 October, 2005 18:47  

  • Rumplemintz:

    Thanks for your support of military personel. I bet you have that made in china bumpersticker on your pick-up truck that says "Support our Troops". Is that how you support the troops, purchasing a yellow ribbon from Wal-mart that was made in china. Your another Maloney, he has the opportunity to join the USO tour and visit american servicemen and women in Iraq but chooses not to. Al Franken (that terrible anti-american, Liberal) has been there twice. What a bad american. I guess our Rightwing majority House, Rightwing majority Senate, and Rightwing President and with the next nomination for the supreme court being a rightwinger, what will you have to say then?

    By Blogger Iraq War Veteran, at 02 October, 2005 01:38  

  • Bush coming out against Bennett is just another example of Bush thinking if he seems nice enough, the media will like him. I have really gotten tired of Bush being a "Republican-lite" He should stand up for Bennett, but he is scared of the media...Reagan wasn't...he got lots of votes.

    By Blogger The Game, at 02 October, 2005 02:07  

  • Krononum wrote: Bill Bennett gets all this attention even though he is just on a few small Salem stations

    Small? Like KRLA 870 AM in LA? Like WIND 560 AM in Chicago? Not small stations. I'm sure AAR would love to be on a 50,000 watter somewhere.

    By Blogger eLarson, at 03 October, 2005 10:19  

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