Worst Talk Show Hosts of the Week

Week Ending: May 11, 2007

Our Worse host of the week is Glenn Beck. On Nov. 14 Beck angered American Muslims when he sandbagged newly elected Congressman Keith Ellison [D-MN] by asking him to prove that he was not "working with our enemies." Rep. Ellison is a Muslim. Now he has insulted the American Jewish population by saying that he wouldn’t vote for a Jew as President. On the May 10 edition of his syndicated talk radio show, Beck said that he "wouldn't vote for Joe Lieberman [I-CT] as president "because of the way the Middle East would use it."

Beck did not explain the distinction he drew between asserting that he would not vote for Lieberman, who is Jewish, and asserting that he wouldn't vote for any Jew for president.

He stated that although he believes Lieberman "knows how to fight this war," and "even if I didn't disagree with him on so many social issues," he would refrain from voting for him because of the "complications it would add in this country or on the planet right now."

Here’s a link to Beck’s claim that he won’t for a Jewish Presidential candidate.

Michael Savage is our Worser talk host this week. On the May 9 edition of his syndicated radio show, Savage called Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY] a "rotten, stinking, verminous [sic] congressman." He went on to say "by the time I get through with you, if you should call me to Congress, I'll have you in prison, because you're in cahoots with Al Qaeda. You are enabling Al Qaeda." He added, "you are a threat to our national security, as are all the other left-wingers who have signed that that fatwa against Michael Savage, and the others who want to disseminate the truth."

What was Savage railing about? No, it was not some position that Hinchey has taken on war Iraq or the fight against terrorism, but rather a piece of legislation that the New York Congressman is sponsoring called the Media Reform Act. The MORA would reinstall the Fairness Doctrine that was removed by Ronald Reagan’s veto in 1987, even though it was passed overwhelmingly by Congress (with more than 100 Republican votes) and upheld by the U.S Supreme Court.

So somehow Savage was able to suggest that Hinchey was "in cahoots with Al Qaeda" because he supported broadcast regulation provision, which was the law of the land for about 40 years.

Here's in link to Savage's rant.

This week we have a duo of Worst talkers. Opie and Anthony, who have been shocking their radio listeners, for several years now, might have crossed the proverbial line with a bit they performed on their May 10 XM Satellite Show.

During the bit they interviewed a guest named Homeless Charlie who fantasized about have sex with Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth.

Although an early account on the bit covered in the Drudge Report suggested that Homeless Charlie said that he wanted to rape Rice, CBS Radio (O & A’s radio syndicator) denied that this occurred. Here’s a transcript of Homeless Charlie’s bit with O & A and you can make your own decision.

Charlie - "I'd love to f--- that bitch dude" (laughter)

Charlie - "She's the F---in man"

O&A - "yeah"

Charlie - "I'd F...that bitch...."

O&A - "I just imagine the horror in Condoleezza Rice's face as she realizes what's going on as you were just holding her down and F--- her."

Charlie - "Punch her all the F--- face, shut the F--- up bitch"

O&A - "that's exactly what I meant"

Homeless Charlie also went on to say that he also wanted to have rough sex with Laura Bush and the Queen of England.

In what has proved to the pattern of such incidences in the post Imus era, O & A apologized for the offensive bit on a show later in the week.

"We apologize to the public officials for comments that were made on our XM show" the duo stated. " We take very seriously the responsibility that comes with our creative freedom and regret any offense that this segment has caused."

Although the bit was only carried on the XM show, pressure remains on CBS to suspend or fire the shock jocks.

While CBS recently fired WFNY/New York talkers JV and Elvis, after the duo performed an offensive bit containing profane, racist, and sexually explicit insults directed to workers in Chinese Restaurant, they have not indicated that they will take similar action against O & A.

We aren’t suggesting what CBS should do, but have decided to make Opie and Anthony or Worst Talkers of the Week.

Listen to the O&A audio here.