Michael Savage (commentator) Totally Explained

Everything about Michael Savage Commentator totally explained

Michael Alan Weiner, better known by his pseudonym Michael Savage, is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network. He holds master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine. As Michael Weiner, he's written a number of books on herbal medicine and homeopathy. As Michael Savage, he's written four New York Times best sellers. His radio show reaches more than 10 million listeners on 410 stations throughout the United States, ranking third in number of stations syndicated nationwide and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
   Savage summarizes his approach to conservatism in three words: borders, language, and culture. Some have characterized his views as conservative nationalism. As a child, he worked. He described his childhood as difficult, due to his father's "gruff and profane" personality., Savage attended Queens College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education and sociology. After college Savage taught high school for several years in New York City. His first marriage to Carol Ely in 1964 ended in divorce, and he remarried after meeting his current wife Janet in 1967. His first wife says that she became pregnant twice and aborted both pregnancies.
   Savage and his second wife have two children, a daughter and a son; his son, Russell, is the founder of the company that produces the Rockstar energy drink, where Janet serves as chief financial officer. He befriended and traveled with Beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Stephen Schwartz, also an acquaintance of Savage from this time, reported that Savage possessed a photograph of himself and Ginsberg swimming naked in Hawaii and used the photograph as sort of a "calling card." He described one incident in which his supervisor had him deliver a check to a welfare client to furnish their apartment, while his apartment was furnished with cardboard boxes. Another turning point occurred for him as a writer of health and nutrition books in the 1980s, when he experienced political opposition after making the suggestion that the closure of gay bathhouses might be necessary in response to the emerging AIDS epidemic. In 1994, in what he called "the last straw," his final health and nutrition manuscript, Immigrants and Epidemics, was rejected by publishers for being too politically sensitive. In 1996, Savage applied to become the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. The University instead selected award-winning journalist and Vietnam War protestor Orville Schell for the post. Savage sued the University, contending that he'd been discriminated against because he was a conservative. Savage later dropped the lawsuit.
   Since finding his place in radio, Savage and his former friends and acquaintances from the North Beach area of San Francisco have traded barbs. In 1999, he came to the attention of the Talk Radio Network, based in Oregon, which currently syndicates his The Savage Nation radio program.
   As of the fall of 2006, Savage has eight to 10 million listeners per week, making his show the third most widely heard broadcast in the United States. Savage calls his listeners "literate callers with intelligence, wit, and energy." He says that he tries to make a show that has a "...hard edge combined with humor and education...Those who listen to me say they hear a bit of Plato, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Moses, Jesus, and Frankenstein." The suit was brought in Illinois, the location of Culligan, a company that stopped advertising with TRN. Public Citizen undertook the legal defense of the owners of savagestupidity.com. Savage also contended before the National Arbitration Forum that the "savagestupidity.com" and "michaelsavagesucks.com" domain names were "confusingly similar" to his own "michaelsavage.com", and that he should be given those domain names. Several months after filing the lawsuit, TRN withdrew it without obtaining any concessions from the defendants. The National Arbitration Forum ruled against Savage's claim. Four months later, on July 7, Savage was fired from his MSNBC television show after remarks made in response to a caller, later identified as prank caller Bob Foster, who insulted Savage's teeth. Savage then asked if Foster was a "sodomite", to which the caller answered, "Yes." Savage then said to the caller, "Oh, so you're one of those sodomites. You should only get AIDS and die, you pig; how's that? Why don't you see if you can sue me, you pig? You got nothing better to do than to put me down, you piece of garbage? You got nothing to do today? Go eat a sausage, and choke on it. Get trichinosis. Now do we've another nice caller here who's busy because he didn't have a nice night in the bathhouse who's angry at me today? Put another, put another sodomite on....no more calls?...I don't care about these bums; they mean nothing to me. They're all sausages."
   The day after being fired, Savage apologized on his radio program and on his website. He explained that he believed that MSNBC had gone to commercial to cover the gaffe of the attempted sabotage by a prank caller and that he was off the air at the time of the offensive comments. He also said his remarks were meant only to insult the caller, not all people with AIDS.

Personal views

big government", homosexuality, and liberalism, accuses the media of "liberal bias," and champions environmentalism and animal rights. He has said that there are three aspects that define a society: borders, language, and culture. He founded the Paul Revere Society in 1996 with his son Russell to protest illegal immigration; he says the group's mission is to "bring together Americans who actively seek to take back our borders, our language, and our traditional culture from the liberal left corroding our great nation." In 1998, the organization had approximately 4,000 members. On June 5, 2006, the IRS rescinded the tax-exempt status of The Paul Revere Society.
Savage adheres to no particular religion in its entirety, but champions Judeo-Christian values and the teachings of the Bible. Conversely, he's expressed his support for Evolution.

Philanthropy

Savage has regularly donated money toward the legal defense of the Marines accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq; occasionally, Savage will offer proceeds from any sales via his website. Savage also has regular contact with the attorneys of the accused and criticizes their treatment at Camp Pendleton. Most recently, Savage has donated over $10,000 to the U.S. Marines Charity Defense Fund at the Thomas More Law Centerand, as of April 25, 2007, is pledging $1 per every copy of Healing Children Naturally and Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's purchased from his website to be donated to the U.S. Marines Defense Fund.

Awards, criticisms, and controversies

Awards

On June 9, 2007, Talkers Magazine awarded Savage with the publication's annual "Freedom of Speech Award," and he accepted it with a pre-recorded speech. Although the award ceremony had received coverage in previous years, C-SPAN didn't televise it due to its policy of only televising such speeches when delivered in person. However, this policy has been called into question by Savage, who has said C-SPAN did air DVD speeches by speakers (such as Mitt Romney and Bill Richardson) who weren't able to attend the 2007 NRA gathering. Savage stated that C-SPAN's decision was "censorship" and he told his listeners to express their ire to C-SPAN through calls and e-mails to the organization. On June 15, CEO Brian Lamb, personally hosting C-SPAN's Washington Journal program, showed and recited the contents of a number of the e-mails that C-SPAN had received at Savage's suggestion. Some of these e-mails referred to C-SPAN as a "Marxist-Leninist" entity, called Brian Lamb a "coward," a "homosexual," and a "dickhead," and demanded that C-SPAN's "taxpayer funding" be withdrawn (although in fact, C-SPAN doesn't receive any such funding).

Criticisms

In July 2005, Bernard Goldberg ranked Savage number 61 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. Goldberg wrote that "Savage's brand of over-the-top bile...puts him right in there with the angriest haters on the Left."
Critics such as GLAAD, FAIR, and Dave Gilson of Salon.com accuse Savage of fascist leanings, racism, homophobia, and bigotry

Controversies

In March 2006, Savage drew the ire of the Catholic community when he accused the Catholic Church of breaking federal law by giving assistance to illegal immigrants (in response to statements by Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles calling it "pastoral support"). William A. Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, was scheduled to be on the show that day but was refused after he became upset upon hearing Savage's language. Later he responded by saying "what isn't fine is Savage's diatribe about the 'greedy pigs' in the Catholic Church and how 'the institution is rotten from the top to the bottom.' He owes all Catholics an apology." On March 28, 2006, Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags to counter a pro-immigration group that had burned American flags.
   On his July 5, 2007 radio broadcast, commenting on students' fasting in protest of the lack of immigration reform, Savage said, "I would say, let them fast until they starve to death; then that solves the problem." The San Francisco Board of Supervisors had previously introduced a resolution that commended the student protest. Over a month after the broadcast, the Board of Supervisors introduced a resolution that "condemns the defamatory language used by radio personality Michael Savage against the immigrant community", claiming that Savage "urged the death of those students." The resolution contains a whereas clause noting a community-organized vigil to take place outside the offices of the KNEW radio station on August 15, calling for the "termination" of the The Savage Nation radio program. Savage responded on his radio show and website:
August 14 2007, the resolution was one vote short of being passed unanimously by the Board. The city attorney stated that although the resolution did condemn Savage, it didn't violate any of his constitutional rights.
   In early November 2007, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on radio listeners to contact companies that advertise on Savage's program to express their concerns about what they deemed as anti-Muslim bigotry. Savage was quoted as saying, that Muslims, at least, “need deportation”; and adherents of Islam would do well to “take your religion and shove it up your behind” because “I’m sick of you.” On his show and website, Savage has countered that CAIR is linked to terrorist organizations. On November 8, 2007, Citrix Systems, Inc. pulled its advertisements from his show based on the recent comments. On November 15, Office Max followed suit. TrustedID also dropped their sponsorship of The Savage Nation, but according to their CEO this was due to lack of sales and not anything Savage had said. On December 17, the New York Times published an article discussing Savage's dispute with CAIR. In the article, Savage was quoted as saying, “If they're trying to hang me by my own petard, they've no right to use my petard. It’s my petard, not theirs.” The federal judge hearing the case, tentatively dismissed Savage's lawsuit, finding CAIR's position to be persuasive, though allowed Savage to refile the suit and fix its defects.
   In a May 2008 interfaith meeting against bigotry, representatives from numerous religious groups such Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam gathered to urge KCMO (AM), a Kansas City radio station, to drop Savage's program in light of Savage's remarks pertaining to Islam.

Books and other writings

As Michael A. Weiner, Ph.D., he wrote Herbs That Heal and 17 other books. He has authored a number of other books on various herbal medicine topics under his given name.
   Savage's recent books are political in nature and published by WND Books, a partnership between the conservative website WorldNetDaily and Thomas Nelson, a publisher of Christian books.
   In 1991, Savage self-published The Death of the White Male, an argument against affirmative action. In the book he calls affirmative action "reverse discrimination", and demonstrates his emerging philosophy. This eventually led to his starting the Paul Revere Society and he continues to sell the book to raise money for this group.
   In January 2003, Savage published The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture, his first major book under the pseudonym Michael Savage. The book quickly reached the top of the New York Times Bestseller List, earning Savage, as noted above, a commentary show on MSNBC. The book directs attacks at "liberal media bias," the "dominating culture of 'she-ocracy'", gay activists, and liberals.
   In January 2004, Savage published his second political book The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military. His next book, Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder, was released on April 12, 2005. Unlike The Savage Nation, both of these books cited sources for some of the more controversial claims made.
   In April 2006, Savage released The Political Zoo. The book contains satirical profiles and cartoons of different public figures, most of whom are liberal political figures and celebrities, who are depicted in caricature as animals in the "Political Zoo", with Savage himself portrayed as the zoo keeper. Savage has remarked that the book is "easier to digest" than his previous political books.

Bibliography

Books as Michael Weiner

Plant a Tree, New York: Collier Books, 1975, ISBN 0471571040
Bugs in Peanut Butter, Boston: Little, Brown, 1976, ISBN 0316928607
Man's Useful Plants, New York: Macmillan. 1976, ISBN 0027926001
The Taster's Guide to Beer: Brews and Breweries of the World, Macmillan, 1977, ISBN 0026256002
Earth Medicine, Earth Food, New York: Macmillan Pub. Co., 1980, ISBN 002625610X
The Way of the Skeptical Nutritionist, New York: Macmillan, 1981, ISBN 0026256207
The Art of Feeding Children Well (with Kathleen Goss), Warner Books, 1982, ISBN 0446978906
Nutrition Against Aging, Bantam books, 1983, ISBN 0553236423
Secrets of Fijian Medicine, Quantum Books, 1983, ISBN 0912845023
Vital Signs, San Diego: Avant Books, 1983, ISBN 0932238203
Getting Off Cocaine, Avon Books, February, 1984, ISBN 0380679000
Dr. Weiner's High Fiber Counter, Pinnacle Books, May, 1984, ISBN 0523422113
Maximum Immunity, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986, ISBN 0395379105
Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's, New York: Stein and Day, 1987, re-published under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D., in 2007, ISBN 0946551537
The Complete Book of Homeopathy, Garden City Park, N.Y.: Avery Pub., 1989, ISBN 0895294125
The Herbal Bible, San Rafael, CA: Quantum Books, 1992, ISBN 0912845066
Healing Children Naturally, San Rafael, CA: Quantum Books, 1993, re-published under the name Michael Savage, Ph.D., in 2007, ISBN 0912845104
Herbs That Heal: Prescription for Herbal Healing, Mill Valley, CA: Quantum Books, 1994, ISBN 0912845112
The Antioxidant Cookbook, Mill Valley, CA: Quantum Books, 1995, ISBN 0912845139

Books as Michael Savage

The Death of the White Male, Mill Valley, CA: Quantum Books, 1991, ISBN 0-9128-4508-2

The Savage Nation, Nashville: WND Books, 2002, ISBN 0-7852-6353-5

The Enemy Within [SavingAmerica from the Liberal Assault on our Schools, Faith, and Military], Nashville: Nelson Current, 2003, ISBN 0-7852-6102-8

Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder, Nashville: Nelson Current, 2005, ISBN 1-59555-006-2

The Political Zoo, Nashville: Nelson Current, 2006, ISBN 1-59555-042-9Further Information

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