Stern: Bush Behind Effort to 'Fire' Him

[donsu]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/2/29/224815.shtml

Radio shock jock Howard Stern, suspended from his program by mega-network Clear Channel, says he fears the recent action is really a firing, not a time out.


And he's blaming President Bush for it.


"I might be taken off all the stations very soon, and my last words to you are 'G.W.B.'," Stern railed to his listeners, according to a report by John Mainelli of the New York Post.


"Get him out of office. I'm tellin' you, man, he's in dangerous territory a religious agenda and you gotta vote him out. Anyone but Bush," Stern complained.

-snip-
---------------------------------

well, Stern woke up for sure, thank goodness. may he continue to speak out in whatever way he can.

[maveric]

1. Howard may be an asshole but I'm proud of him right now.

Say what you will about HS but he's in our corner right now, and he's got the balls to tell his listeners what is really behind his "suspension".

[Skittles]

2. Howard is absolutely right

this is nothing but squashing dissent. If it were about "decency", several rabid right-wing assholes would be targeted.

[ArkDem]

3. The tyrants always go after the intelligentsia

first.

[northzax]

5. yup. and the frightening thing

is that we have reached a point where Howard Stern might as well be our intelligensia...

[tom_paine]

9. Now THAT is scary. Also true...

(oh God)

[stopthegop]

12. sure you want to go on record..

calling Howard Stern 'intelligentsia'?
I wouldn't...

[ArkDem]

23. I assumed DUers would be able to detect sarcasm.

Perhaps I shouldn't assume.

[maxsolomon]

4. he's not "suspended" unless viacom does it.

clear channel carried his show in several markets. that's where he's off the air, not on viacom stations.

[TahitiNut]

20. Infinity, afaik.

[ElementaryPenguin]

6. Go Howard! Howard may be an ass, but he's got guts and he's an ally now!

BushCo may have picked on the wrong loudmouth!

[orwell]

7. All Politics are Local

Isn't it interesting how some Bush supporters/enablers suddenly become outraged when it's their ox that is 'gored'.

This is why principles matter, especially when one is in the middle of enjoying the 'good life.'

I guess all politics are local.

O

[terryg11]

8. seriously though

You never know what the hell stern is going to say. In two weeks he mght renege and say it was pressure from the DNC if he thought it would boost his raatings.

[rocktivity]

10. Anybody got a good e-mail for him?

We should blitz him with a whole bunch of books, web links, etc. He'll have enough material to bash Bush right up until November 11 without repeating himself or resorting to name-calling. Imagine him talking about PNAC or peak oil. Imagine him Mike Malloy or Molly Ivins call in for just ten minutes once or twice a week, or getting that woman from the Pentagon to talk about the Office Of Special Plans. Imagine Howard complaining about the vets being underequipped and not getting proper medical treatment. And he'd have quite a laugh at any attempts of the Bush Regime to run against Kerry on character. He wouldn't have to do it for more than an hour a day. And he'd be talking to exactly the right voter segment, too!

:headbang:
rocknation

[graywarrior]

11. i think this is it

[e-mail]


here's a howard stern forum

http://www.savehowardstern.net/board/

and this


http://www.koam.com/

[short bus president]

17. Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski on Stern?

HS - so, tell me about this so-called "OSP" thing...

KK - well, when the * administration came to power, there was this immediate push to cough up reasons to invade Iraq, and

HS - you're awfully cute, honey. C'mon - show me your tits.

[chookie]

13. Bingo, Howard

Mind you -- I have never heard the Howard Stern and never desired to, although he is so famous I have a sense of what his show is about.

It was funny: about a week or so here at DU, there was a BIG buzz about Stern finally turning on Bush. The posters all seemed a bit puzzled, but delighted that Howard finally caught on to what we have known for years.

Then, all of a sudden, came the news that Stern had been taken off the air by Clear Channel. DUH! Cause, and effect.

The head of Clear Channel was so snarky at the hearings that I wanted to vomit. He was clearly making the move for his beloved George W.

This is the same conglomerate who organized all the pro-Bush rallies after Sept 11 2001, who organized counter protests to those protesting the war in Iraq, and who supports DJs who advocated the use of violence against dissenters.

If Howard Stern was still worshipping George W on the airwaves, no matter WHAT nasty stuff he said -- you can be sure he would still be broadcasting.

I think Clear Channel is going to give him time to "think it over" -- we'll have to see if Stern chooses his salary over principles -- which does not happen very often these days.

[scottxyz]

14. THIS is probaby what got Howard booted

The day before Clear Channel booted Howard, he TURNED ON BUSH for the first time in 3 years:

= = =

Howard: ...over the vacation I read Al Franken's book, Lying liars who... it's great.

Robin: Yeah?

Howard: It's a great... He is phenomenal.

Artie: He's a funny guy.

Robin: That's the one that Bill O'Reilly was upset about.

Howard: I can see why.

Robin: Yeah?

Howard: He does a thing. It's really funny... I bought the book, and I said on my vacation I'm going to read Al Franken's book. Lying liars who lie... I don't even know the title. And uh... the first page he insults me.

Robin: Really?

Howard: yeah, he talks about how I'm, like me and uhh Ann Coulter are McCarthyites or something... like ya know it's was just really insulting. And I And I And I And I just said, ya know...

Robin: You, and Ann Coulter, that's interesting.

Howard: I can get past this if Al doesn't like me. But, I'm not even sure why I'm like McCarthy, but, evidently I am, according to AL and ya know what, if Al says it it must be true because

Robin: because you loved this book and he was right on about everything...

Howard: I loved the book, and he seems to be right on about everything. If you read this book you will never vote for George W Bush.

Robin: Yeah?

Howard: Because, what he does is, he takes everything that you've seen in the newspaper, and goes back and he get 12 Harvard kids...

Artie: (Laughing)

Howard: ...to research everything and to find out what really happened...

Robin: uh huh?

Howard: and when you find out the truth about stuff, it is just frightening and he does a chapter on uhh on Hannity and Colmes from the Fox news network that is so funny... I mean I can't even tell you how funny it is.

Robin: Really? I've got to get this book.

Howard: Somebody outta fund him some money then let him make a movie like what's his name does, Micheal Moore.

Robin: Yeah.

Howard: Yeah. He is he is really good.

Robin: Well he's going to be on that radio, the liberal radio network.

Howard: I'll listen to him. I'll listen to him if it's as good as that book.

Robin; that's what he's planning to do

Howard: Lying liars who lie or something like that

Robin; I know it's all about lies that lying liars tell.

Howard: Yeah, and it's really funny.

Artie: Well he's one of those guys even if you disagree with his politics you think he's funny...

Howard: Yeah!

Artie: ...because he's such a funny guy

Robin: But he convinced you it sounds.

Howard: Oh oh... he was so it was awesome, the book is awesome. I'm going to give tone...

Robin: All right, I'm going to get it.

Howard: ...to Scott Depace who's like one of those guys who the republicans can do no wrong.

Fred: (Southern Accent) No thank you!

Howard: (Southern Accent) I'm not readin' that!

Fred: (Southern Accent) I'm not readin' nun uh dat der bull...

Robin: (Southern Accent) I don't want my mind opened.

Howard: (Southern Accent) Don't open up my mind.

Robin: (Southern Accent) I like it closed.

Howard: Well I've been feeling really horrible about George W Bush since what's going on with the FCC and what's going on in this country with stem cell research. What's going on now

Robin: the abortion thing

Howard: the abortion thing. I feel that there's way too much government in our lives, and I can't believe G W Bush is behind it. I think this guy is a religious fanatic and a Jesus freak.

Robin: Uh huh.

Howard: and he is just on a hell bent on getting some sort bizarro agenda through, like a country club agenda that his father will be finally proud of him. And uhh I I umm I don't know much about Kerry but I think that I'm one of them anybody but Bush guys now, ever since the FCC stuff went down and it directly effects me and even some of the things with the economy.

Baba Booey: Don't you think that it's weird...

Robin: Well, the economy is a big a huge issue.

Howard: I don't think G W is going to win. What do you think of that?

= = =

So, suddenly John Hogan, Bush Ranger and CEO of Clear Channel discovers that Howards Stern talks about pornography on his show and is offended.

The day after Stern made the above remarks.

Coincidence, I'm sure.

Billmon believes that Karl is orchestrating this and using Clear Channel as a cut-out to appeal to the religious fnatics who seem to be holding his hand over a flaming burner these days. He may be right.

But, he also says, and I agree, that they are playing with fire with another Bush constituency --- the "Fuck You boys," as Stan Greenberg calls them, or simply the "Mooks" as I call them. Young, white, male assholes, basically. If they vote, it's usually because they've been told to by their culture heroes.

The mooks worship Howard. He is their Rush Limbaugh and if he turns it into a crusade, they'll vote. These guys are amongst the vast alienated 50% of Americans who aren't usually interested in politics. Take away their Howard and they just might get motivated.


http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2004_02_22_digbysblog_archive.html#107782056102584609

[Dissenting_Prole]

16. I thought my tinfoil hat was too tight

I heard that Stern was dissing Bush, and tuned in a couple of days later and heard it with my own ears. Then the next week I hear that Clearchannel (the company that apparently helped promote pro-war rallies with free hot dogs last year) is censoring him for being vulgar, something that Stern's been doing for years. I thought I was just being paranoid for thinking that it was some kind of politically-related censorship.

Thanks DUers for giving me back the confidence to trust my own conclusions.


http://www.brant.net/gvmr/electric.htm

[Lone_Wolf]

15. Stern and his listeners...

can make things very unpleasant for the media whores.

[scottxyz]

18. Stern always has...

...made things unpleasant for media whores.

[KharmaTrain]

19. I Know This He's The "Anti-Christ"...But Mancow...

...is also turning on bunnypants, too.

He was, like Stern, gung-ho on the Iraq invasion and up until a few months ago this regime could do no wrong...he was trying to be the yougner Rush.

Two weeks ago I stumbled on his show and there he was reaming * for the lack of finding WMDs and how this is resulting in dead and seriously injured Americans. He called * a liar and how this regime has become (become??) evil. Better late than ever.

And this guy reaches those "mooks" as well.

I thought this was a fluke and the other night he, Mancow was on the local PBS station facing off against a local Evangelical broadcaster and again said how this censorship is part of a political plot by the * regime.

I'm no fan of either Stern nor Mancow, but I can't help to notice the tone in what they're saying and the effect they do have on those who listen. No, it's not millions...but in this election any extra on our side is welcome.

[tobius]

21. please, this what you call suppresion or censorship?

suspended from 6 lousy stations, his face and views everywhere, if this is an example of a human rights abuse someone is smoking crack.
It sounds alot like the cries of blackballing that the recently blockbuster movie making, oscar blessed actors penn and robbins screamed about.

[420]

22. I've never been a fan but...

HS is my man! To be honest, I really like his shocking style. I only wish he would apply it to the most-deserving-neo-cons. It's nice to have him on our side for a-while. How long will it last?

I'd love to see him become a full convert and "see the the light." That would be a huge victory for our party! :smoke: