Friday, August 15, 2008

Michael Savage Calls It Quits

I’ve never been a fan of Michael Savage’s radio show — his attack-dog style just doesn’t agree with me. But when he responded to CAIR’s mau-mauing by suing the “Islamic rights group”, I was more than willing to forgive him for anything else he might do.

Mr. Savage’s lawsuit looked to be a anti-jihad bonanza. He refused to back down, and discovery rules would have forced CAIR to open its records to him.

Unfortunately, a judge recently threw out the case, and today Mr. Savage’s attorney announced that his client would not be exercising his right to re-file the suit. None of the reports I’ve read has much information about why the suit was abandoned. The San Diego Union Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Al Arabiya all tell approximately the same story. This is the Al Arabiya version:

Conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage dropped his lawsuit against an Islamic rights group that launched an advertisers’ boycott after he attacked Islam and the Quran on the air, according to press reports.

Last month, Savage filed a copyright and racketeering suit against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The case was thrown out by a San Francisco federal judge due to grave legal errors, but the court granted him a chance to re-file the suit by Thursday.

In an unexpected move, Savage’s attorney, Daniel Horowitz, who had earlier vowed to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, said Savage had decided not to pursue the case.

CAIR, a Muslim advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., had posted four minutes of excerpts from the radio show on its website and called for an advertiser boycott. The group says Savage has since lost $1 million in advertising.
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On Thursday, Horowitz told the San Francisco Chronicle he feared his client would be in danger if he continued the case, and insisted that the radio shock jock could prove the Islamic organization engaged in a conspiracy that harmed him financially.

In a statement reacting to Savage’s decision to drop the lawsuit, CAIR stated: “It is obvious that Mr. Savage finally came to realize that his bizarre and frivolous smears would not stand up in a court of law. It is a pity that he does not show as much common sense while spewing invective daily against religious, ethnic and even medical minorities on his ‘hate radio’ program.”

Savage, who has about 8 million listeners a week on 400 stations for his syndicated “Savage Nation” talk-radio program, said in a broadcast last Oct. 29 that Muslims were “screaming for the blood of Christians or Jews or anyone they hate.” He called the Quran a “hateful little book” and a “document of slavery.”

Michael Savage may really be worried about violence directed at him; it’s not an unreasonable fear. Or it may be a monetary issue.

But whatever the reason is, there’s no one left who can take on CAIR. It takes a lot of money and/or a lot of political clout to do it, and our own craven government refuses to stand up to these apologists for terrorism.


Hat tip: TB.

10 comments:

Zenster said...

The case was thrown out by a San Francisco federal judge due to grave legal errors, but the court granted him a chance to re-file the suit by Thursday.

This is more than a little disappointing. Especially the part about "grave legal errors". Anyone getting into the ring with CAIR should know damn well to have all of their juvenile waterfowl aligned with precision. While I'm no fan of Savage's either, I was still looking forward to somebody, hell, anybody getting CAIR onto the ropes for a major drubbing.

CAIR epitomizes all of the most malign and seditious aspects of Islam and needs to run out of America on a legal rail.

Meg said...

It is a pity that he does not show as much common sense while spewing invective daily against religious, ethnic and even medical minorities on his ‘hate radio’ program.”

I know I'm out of touch, but what in the heck is a "medical Minority"?????

Anonymous said...

In American civil law, it is difficult for a public figure to win damages. Criticism of same is protected under "Fair comment" laws. It is much easier when the damage is not so much to reputation, but measurable as an economic loss. Savage's case had legs.

Why do people drop law suits? Imagine being required to submit to 3 days of examination for discovery, during August. And some law firms make sure facilities are not air conditioned. Further, opposing counsel deliberately bait with irrelevant questions. The deposed will have their blood pressure go crazy. Walking away often seems preferable to putting up with endless Motions, and then appeals, cost hearings, ad nauseum.

tkondaks said...

I am sorry to hear you supported Michael Savage's lawsuit against CAIR. By doing so, Baron, you showed yourself to be on the side of those, like CAIR, who are out to limit and restrict free speech.

For anyone who loves freedom, the defeat of the Savage lawsuit is a cause for celebration.

Savage hookwinked us all by telling us that this lawsuit was a cause for free speech. Yeah, it was about free speech but it was CAIR's free speech that was being infringed, not Savage's. Indeed, if Savage had prevailed, first amendment rights would have lessened for all of us.

America is such a great country that we even extend free speech to questionable organisations like CAIR.

Michael Savage is an ENEMY of free speech:

http://tinyurl.com/27ladx

Morgan said...

Sorry to hear Savage had to drop the lawsuit against CAIR. It's more ammo for CAIR unfortunately.

"Savage hookwinked us all by telling us that this lawsuit was a cause for free speech. Yeah, it was about free speech but it was CAIR's free speech that was being infringed, not Savage's. Indeed, if Savage had prevailed, first amendment rights would have lessened for all of us."

I don't buy that crap for one second. It wasn't a matter of CAIR needing to defend their rights, it was a matter of somebody trying to stop an organization which is manipulating our rights as stated in American law to achieve their goals.

"Michael Savage is an ENEMY of free speech"

More bullcrap. I'm not nuts about his approach half the time, but he is no enemy of free speech. You can take that to the bank.

Robohobo said...

tkondaks has ONE comment via Blogger. I smell a TROLL.

Zenster said...

Robohobo: tkondaks has ONE comment via Blogger. I smell a TROLL.

Good catch, mate. I'll take your word on this until proven wrong.

Cobra said...

Few people dare speak like Savage.
Our first amendment was not intended for polite or agreeable speech...
I dot agree with him 100%, but I admire his guts.
We should better exercise our freedom of speech because the fifth column/fellow travelers in this country is/are working tirelessly to "deliver" us from the burden of listening to such unpopular speech.
Wake up my friends, the liberty torch is flickering in our country...

Cobra said...

Addendum to my previous posting:

"I dot NOT agree with him 100%, but I admire his guts."

Gregory said...

So, why doesn't Michael invoke the "Freedom of Information Act" against CAIR?