Howard Stern steps up "war" against Bush

[rumguy]

"After embattled shock jock Howard Stern got canned and fined, he declared he was prepared to fight a cultural war. Now he’s firing heavy salvos in that self-declared war by revamping his old Web site into a cyber weapon to hurl vitriol at the Bush administration, former employer Clear Channel and other targets he sees as enemies to free speech.

'We are in a war. It’s a cultural war,' Stern declares on HowardStern.com."

snip

"'Get me off the air,' Stern challenges. 'I am ready to be bigger than I’ve ever been. I’m ready to accept the responsibility.'

All this might be seen as a hollow threat, if the site’s new numbers hadn’t gone through the roof since going into attack mode. The site drew 8 million visitors in just two days last week, 'huge traffic for the Internet,' according to the New York Post."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/16/143934.shtml

I know it's Newsmax. If ya don't want to click on the link go to www.howardstern.com which has become a site of political activism. The right has taken notice.

[coloradodem2005]

1. Wow!!!!!

He really stepped up to the plate and got serious about this.

[Kazak]

2. Good for him!

The people are not going to accept another rigged election. Bush tries any funny business and he'll find himself in a world of shit he hasn't even sniffed yet.

[opiate69]

4. Wow.. great quote from Ebert

".....please don't tell me that Stern must be fined and driven off the radio because he uses the ''public airwaves.'' If they are public, then his listeners are the public, and we want to listen to him on our airwaves. The public airwaves cannot be held hostage to a small segment that wants to decide what the rest of us can hear -- especially now that President Bush supports consolidating more and more media outlets into a few rich hands."

[w13rd0]

3. Haha...

...hey, glad to see Stern stepping up. Every bit counts, because the opposition is better funded, in some cases better organized, and has more of an unthinking cult-like groupthink going on amongst their dittoheads. We've got to overwhelm the GOP with sheer numbers, tenacity and ferocity...

[Wapsie B]

5. I heard Randi Rhodes

the other day say that she felt that if Howard put his show on satellite radio, it could totally transform that medium.

[Avalux]

6. I don't like Howard Stern's show

but I respect his right to say as he chooses - good for him. His message is right on the mark - free speech is the right of every American and don't ever try to take it from us. Never thought he'd be an ally but I like it.

[ConsAreLiars]

7. From opportunist to rebel

Never a fan, but I love iconoclasts. In my view Stern always had the chutzpah but lacked the insight that made folks like Paul Krassner, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor into visionaries. His path is his own, but he is getting there and this is significant. Go Howard!

[MrSlayer]

8. Stern Rules.

[rucky]

9. A List of Our 1st Amendment Heroes

Larry Flynt
Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys)
Frank Zappa
Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)
Luther "Me So Horny" Campbell (2 Live Crew)
Howard Stern

What a bunch of freaks & misfits. I LOVE it!

[skooooo]

15. Add Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor.

maybe George Carlin, although he just gets on my nerves anymore.

[0007]

23. The biggest jumpin' humping CAT of 'em all - came 60 years too soon

Lord Buckley

[skooooo]

10. Just a web site...

...won't cut it in my opinion. If he wants to "fight the power", he needs to be broadcasting somehow, somewhere..

[rumguy]

11. He is broadcasting - he was only yanked from like six clear channel

stations...he is still everywhere and every day he bashes Bush and the pubbies...it's great - no one can do satire like Stern.

[skooooo]

12. Is he still on TV??

I haven't caught his show lately.

[rumguy]

13. E shows segments from his show late at night....

they've been doing that for years...it's video from the radio show....

[skooooo]

14. ...ah, ok, i have seen that occassionally.

It used to just offend me, but I've got a different take on the last few times I've seen it. Howard's just SO over the top, I don't take the "offensive" things at face value anymore...if you know what I mean.

I dunno. That's just what i think...

[rumguy]

16. not all of his show is that over-the-top humor

he's a real good interviewer

[0rganism]

17. bush's FCC just earned a very powerful enemy

Howard Stern has cred.

Not only that, he has cred with apolitical "swing voters".

And he has the airtime to do some serious damage.

And he has the personality to make a difference.

If Stern gets serious about this, and starts bringing heavies on his show like Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and Paul Krugman, he could put a serious dent in the complacent bush support. The rightwing is quite correct to fear him.

bush may have to dump Aschkroft and mini-Powell entirely to patch up this particular wound.

[skooooo]

18. LOL...I wouldn't want Howard mad at *me*.....

....Go Howard, go HOward.......!!!!

[KharmaTrain]

19. Dick Clark Stands Up For Stern

I just caught his take on Larry King (of course Dick had to disclose an illness to be on the show)...and laugh as you may, but Clark's saw this before...

He was the target of the "holier-than-thous" in the 50's...playing that sex and "negro" music on televisions at the children. Congress tried to nail him in the Payola scandals and kill Rock 'n Roll music...and it's freedom of expression of the time.

Clark said that Stern's being used as a scapegoat by those who want to get even greater control of the broadcast industry and he should keep speaking out and loudly.

Stern has a great forum to create a lot of trouble for this regime if they continue to piss on him and I firmly believe Mel Karmazin, the boss at Infinity Radio, will stand up with him...both financially (Mel's made a lot of money from Howard) and keep him on in the major markets. RoveCo. messed with the wrong guy.

Stern goes right for the 35-54 men..."Nascar dads" in RoveCo. lexicon. You don't wanna get too many too pissed off and actually get them to vote, now do you?

[K-W]

20. I love this.

"Donald Trump calls in....says the Iraq war was a terrible mistake, defends Howard against the government, and wouldn't comment on whether or not he wanted to have sex with any of The Apprentice girls. "

[SoCalDem]

21. I emailed him my brilliant idea..

I suggested that he "flex his muscle" by setting a certain date..say June 1st.. as Howard Stern Register-to-vote/change your party registration day..

I have visions of thousands of people lined up at registrars' offices all over the country..

If he promoted it well enough and presented it to his fans as a way to show the FCC just how serious they were about FCC intervention, I think they would probably back off..

[NuttyFluffers]

22. good to see he's seen the light

this group of zealots has overwhelmed most of the political halls of power and now they are seeking to silence any outspoken voices to solidify control. we needed a powerful voice like his to call this group what they are - insane. may he be successful. the modern fight for america is an all out fight for its mind, body, and soul. the stakes are too high for us and the world for us to lose.

zealots with the most powerful army in the world and nukes? *shudder*

[OneTwentyoNine]

24. Like I've said,CC awakened a sleeping giant..

Stern has bashed Bush a few times in the past,he also has licked his boots many times. Stern was originally for the Iraq War,like many who were for the VN War but changed opinions later when they realized it was/is a disaster.

And...like I said months ago when CC shit canned Stern,this had NOTHING to do with his caller spouting filth,or CC being pimp slapped in the "decency hearings". Problem is CC screwed the pooch when they fired him from those six stations,now he harps about Bush and Iraq almost daily. Smart,smart move CC.

This was 100% about a media giant who has now changed his mind about the illegal Invasion of Iraq and the quagmire that Bush waded our troops into. Its simple,they don't want Stern to become the next John Lennon and speak out against the War on a daily basis to millions of listeners. Remember the put up "drug" crap they pulled on Lennon? They tried to have him deported,probably the same think they'd like to do to Stern.

David

[rumguy]

25. kick

[powergirl]

26. THE FREEPERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT STERN'S RAGE

See the article on www.newsmax.com. The website is very conservative and will make you barf. But the article is great. They are scared!

[linazelle]

27. I sent Stern a copy of Palast's "Best Democracy..." along with a note

telling him that many here at DU support him. I know he got it. That was the best investment in a book I've ever made.

[MAlibdem]

28. Correct me if I'm wrong...

But he's still on...I know, I listen to him sometimes on the way to school. I think WAAF (that or WBCN) in Boston...

[rumguy]

29. yeah he still on

but the FCC is probably going to start fining Viacom/Infinity, his main broadcaster...and the new fines are half a mill each and they can reach back three years to fine...