Michael Savage (commentator)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Michael Alan Weiner, Ph.D.

Michael Savage
Born:	March 31, 1942 (age 65) Bronx, New York City, USA
Occupation:	U.S. radio talk show host Commentator Author

Michael Savage is the pseudonym of Michael Alan Weiner, Ph.D. (born March 31, 1942). Savage is a controversial^[1] American conservative talk radio host, author, and popular political commentator.^[2] He holds master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology^[3] and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine.^[4] As Michael Weiner, he has written a number of books on herbal medicine and homeopathy.

As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times bestsellers: The Savage Nation (2003), The Enemy Within (2004), Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder (2005) and The Political Zoo (2006). His nationally syndicated radio show The Savage Nation reaches more than 8 million listeners on over 400 stations throughout the United States, ranking 3rd in number of stations syndicated nationwide^[5] and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.^[6]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Radio 2.1 "Sodomite" incident 3 Personal views 3.1 Immigration 3.2 Culture 3.3 Judaism 3.4 Views on religion 3.5 Defense of Marines accused of crimes in Hamdania, Iraq 3.6 Homosexuality 3.7 Transgender Issues 3.8 Civil Rights 4 Involvement in the 2008 Presidential Election 4.1 Savage’s place in the party 4.1.1 Criticism of Republican Nominees[36] 5 Controversies, criticism, and credits 6 Books and other writings 7 Bibliography 7.1 Books as Michael Weiner 7.2 Books as Michael Savage 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Biography

Michael Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner in Bronx, New York City to a Russian Jewish family.^[7] He grew up in Queens and graduated from Jamaica High School, a public high school in New York City.^[8] His family was not wealthy and he worked odd jobs that include ice cream factory worker, busboy and lifeguard.^[3]

After high school, Savage attended and earned a bachelors degree from Queens College in education and sociology. He taught high school for several years in New York City. His first marriage in 1964 ended in divorce, and he remarried after meeting his current wife in 1967.^[8] He then earned two masters degrees in ethnobotany and anthropology from the University of Hawaii. He then obtained a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of California, Berkeley.^[9] According to Savage's book The Savage Nation and NewsMax's biography,^[3] Savage earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in Epidemiology and Nutrition Sciences, however, UC Berkeley records report his Ph.D. to be in Nutritional Ethnomedicine.^[9] His thesis was titled "Nutritional Ethnomedicine in Fiji." Savage spent many years researching botany in the South Pacific and has a background in alternative medicine.

In the early 1970s, Savage had more liberal political views. Savage, then Michael Weiner, introduced himself to part of the literary scene in North Beach, San Francisco. He befriended and traveled with Beat generation poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Neoconservative scholar Stephen Schwartz, also an acquaintance of Savage from this time, reported that Savage once posed naked in a photograph with Ginsberg while swimming in Hawaii and used the photograph as sort of a "calling card."^[8][10] One such letter describes an encounter with a black man, interpreted by some as sexual in nature.^[11] Savage has denied the nature of the letter, claiming that it is part of a "smear campaign" by "gay fascists."^[11] Another acquaintance of Savage from this time was poet and author Neeli Cherkovski who says that Weiner had dreamed of becoming a stand-up comic in the mold of Lenny Bruce.^[8][10] During this time Savage also worked for famous psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary.^[12]

Around 1980 the conservative political expressions for which Michael Savage is known today became apparent. An acquaintance of Savage, Dr. Robert Cathcart, says that in his private conversations with Savage during this time, he knew Savage to have conservative political views.^[10] Stephen Schwartz stated that Michael Savage became alienated from the North Beach scene in the early eighties. His beliefs and lifestyle shifted so far from his liberal friends that intense arguments would erupt when he encountered them.^[13] When Savage was asked about his shift in politics and other views, he replied "I was once a child; I am now a man."^[7]

In 1994, Savage began his talk radio career working as a fill-in on the San Francisco's news/talk radio station KGO. In 1996 he applied to be a dean at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism but was not granted an interview due to lack of qualifications. Savage filed a discrimination lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. The position instead went to historian and China scholar Orville Schell. In 2000 the Talk Radio Network took his show and syndicated it nationally.

After finding his place in radio, Savage and his former friends and acquaintances from the North Beach area of San Francisco have traded barbs.^[8] Savage now derides Ferlinghetti and calls Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore "that once-famous communist bookstore."^[10] Ferlinghetti claims that Weiner's "reincarnation" as Savage represents "total opportunism," the crowning achievement of someone who was "always looking to make a fast buck" and "always trying to think up new schemes to get famous."^[10] Savage said "I looked at [Ginsberg] almost like a rabbinic figure. Little did I know that he was the fucking devil."^[8]

[edit] Radio

Michael Savage wrote a science book called Immigrants and Epidemics. It dealt with the diseases that immigrants from third-world countries, particularly Mexico, bring into the United States (like tuberculosis, plague, etc). His book was rejected because, according to the publisher, “it was offensive.” Feeling despair because of what he considered to be double-standards, Savage felt compelled to do something. His career in conservative talk-radio thus began.^[10]

Michael Savage's program is currently syndicated by Talk Radio Network, based in Oregon.^[14] On March 21, 1994, Michael Savage began his radio career on KGO (a San Francisco news/talk radio station) as a fill-in host for the liberal Ray Taliaferro. Less than a year later he was given a weekday show on KGO's sister station KSFO. He chose his "nom de voix" in the Tonga Islands in the 1960s. "I stumbled upon the name of a [nineteenth-century] shipwreck who was locally infamous - Charles Savage. His exploits were legendary," he said. "So the name was bouncing around in my head." At the time, his slogan was "To the right of Rush and to the left of God." On January 1, 1995, he was given his own show during the drive-time hours. The show quickly became a local hit. During his time at KSFO, Michael Savage soared to #1 in Arbitron ratings among both adult men and women over eighteen during afternoon drive-time in San Francisco and became top talk host in his timeslot in Northern California.^[3] In 1999, he came to the attention of the Talk Radio Network.

On January 17, 2000, he started doing an additional two hours of radio which was broadcast nationally. For the next eight months, Savage would spend a total of five hours a day just talking.^{[citation needed]} His national experiment was a success, and, on September 21, 2000, he stopped doing separate shows, beginning a full three-hour national show, The Savage Nation. After one year, he was in 150 markets. By 2003, he was in over two hundred markets.^{[citation needed]} Michael Savage's fill-in guest hosts include former U.S. congressman "B-1" Bob Dornan, Rick Roberts, Peter Weisback, and Douglas Urbanski (movie producer/manager of actor Gary Oldman.) Talk radio host Lars Larson is also a former guest host.

In June 2003, he had a salary dispute with his flagship station KSFO, which refused to renegotiate his contract.^{[citation needed]} He was off the air in San Francisco for three weeks. On July 1, 2003 he began his show on a different station: KNEW in San Francisco. Since that dispute, he speaks harshly of KSFO and of "Vanity" or "Pretty Boy" Sean Hannity, whose show replaced his on the station.^{[citation needed]} Savage also speaks pejoratively when referring to talk radio hosts or individuals with whom he disagrees. (Hannity is affiliated with Citadel Communications' ABC Radio Networks.)^{[citation needed]}

As of 2005, Savage has eight to ten million listeners per week, making his show the third most widely heard broadcast in the United States. Savage attributes his success in part to his listeners whom he considers "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."^[3]

Michael Savage was named the 2007 recipient of Talkers Magazine’s Freedom of Speech Award. According to Talkers Magazine, Savage was honored "for being the first major conservative radio talk show host to criticize President George W. Bush on his policies and encourage hosts of all political ideologies to remain independent of partisan loyalties.”^[15] Previous recipients of the Freedom of Speech Award include Howard Stern (2006), Al Franken (2005), Rush Limbaugh (2004), Hannity & Colmes (2003), Norm Pattiz (2002), Bill O’Reilly (2001), and Brian Lamb (2000).^[15]

[edit] "Sodomite" incident

Four months later, on July 7, he was fired from his MSNBC television show after remarks made in response to a caller, later identified as prank caller Bob Foster. Savage was doing an "Airline Horror Stories" piece, when Foster called in to his show to talk about undercover security guards smoking in the bathroom. Foster continued, "half-hour into the flight, I need to suggest that Don and Mike should take your show so you can go to the dentist because your teeth are really bad." The words after "should" were bleeped out by an MSNBC executive. 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 better to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it. Get trichinosis. Now do we have 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."^[16]

The show then cut to a video of two people grilling sausages to the tune of "The Marines' Hymn."^[17]

[edit] Personal views

Michael Savage calls himself an "independent-minded individualist" and says that he "fits no stereotype." Savage criticizes "big government" and what he characterizes as liberal bias in the media, and he champions the environment and animal rights.^[3] He believes that there are three aspects that define a society: borders, language, and culture, and he advocates a review of policy concerning those three areas. He founded The Paul Revere Society 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."^[18]

[edit] Immigration

Savage states that America needs "only the strongest" immigration controls and borders to protect itself from illegal immigration, which he says undermines national security and the economy.^{[citation needed]} In March 2006 he said, "Clinton opened the door to Mexico, but Bush has taken it off its hinges." He also advocates English as the official language of the United States.^{[citation needed]} In The Enemy Within, Savage compares earlier generations of immigrants to the United States, who learned to speak English, with more recent immigrants, who he says are placated by the government because "they don't bother to learn English."^{[citation needed]} He has also called for "an outright ban on Muslim immigration."^[19]

Savage says that whites are being erased from America and that people should be worried that Europeans are projected to become a minority. Savage does not believe that a non-white majority would treat a white minority as "fairly as non-whites are treated today" and that Americans should worry about the future for their grandchildren.^[20]

On April 11, 2006, Media Matters for America, a liberal group, reported that in his program of the previous day, Savage had described recent protesters in support of illegal aliens as "vermin who are trying to dictate to us how we should run America" and added that feminism and homosexuality are "destroying America."^[21] Savage's reply in a following program was that "vermin" referred to "...the leadership behind them...and I have described to you who they are. They are the communist Marxist bloc of International ANSWER."^[22]

[edit] Culture

Savage believes that American culture has always centered around a strong family life and Judeo-Christian ethics.^[23]. He considers that failure to maintain this culture will result in the decline and disintegration of the United States and often discusses this on The Savage Nation. He also strongly dislikes the teaching of performing arts and has accused performing arts teachers of pedophilia.^[24]

Savage frequently accuses the national political parties of sharing identical philosophies and not having any real differences, and he uses the terms "Republicrat and Democan" to describe their members. Savage claims to have popularized the term "Islamofascism," though it was first used in 1990 by Malise Ruthven^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Judaism

Savage, who is of Jewish heritage, is very vocal about atheist/secular Jews who he believes are causing damage to the traditional Jewish people through what he sees as liberal actions. For instance, Savage frequently criticizes Jewish activist George Soros for his liberalism and he says that Soros is hurting the image of the Jewish people. On June 12, 2006, Savage said that Soros should "shut [his] mouth and understand the damage [he's] doing to this world and to the Jewish people," calling Soros among other things a "punk, lying, coward, satanist, backstabbing freak" and saying that people like Soros "brought about the Holocaust."^[25]

Savage has also criticized non-Jews for perceived anti-Semitism, including Mel Gibson and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. On May 15, 2006, Savage, as did the Carter Center board members and many others, accused Carter of being a "Jew-hater through and through," called him a "war criminal," and compared him to Hitler.^[26]

Savage has also criticized former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for withdrawing from certain lands that Israel had been occupying. Savage is supportive of an interventionist foreign policy favoring Israel.^{[citation needed]}

On August 7, 2006 he said during his radio program: "That's why the department store dummy named Wolf Blitzer, a Jew who was born in Israel, will do the astonishing act of being the type that would stick Jewish children into a gas chamber to stay alive another day. He's probably the most despicable man in the media next to Larry King, who takes a close runner-up by the hair of a nose. The two of them together look like the type that would have pushed Jewish children into the oven to stay alive one more day to entertain the Nazis."^[27]

[edit] Views on religion

Michael (Savage) Weiner was born into a Jewish family and has practiced traditions such as holding a Bar Mitzvah for his son. He has said, however, that he is a Universalist.^{[citation needed]} In a radio interview with Jerry Falwell on April 29, 2004, he disagreed with Falwell's view that people will go to Hell if they do not believe in the doctrine that Jesus is the unique Son of God. He says that he does not believe that good people who do not accept Jesus will go to Hell while repentant, practicing Christians will go to heaven. Savage says that he believes that religion is "a wheel" with God at the center and the world's major religions as "five spokes": Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

[edit] Defense of Marines accused of crimes in Hamdania, Iraq

Michael Savage has attacked government officials for charging eight U.S. Marines with the death of an Iraqi man in the village of Hamdania. The seven Marines and Navy Corpsman, all members of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, currently deployed in Iraq, were first confined to quarters in Iraq on May 12 after allegations rose over the April 26 attack on Iraqis.^[28] The servicemen were held in shackles and maximum restraint until late June, 2006. Michael Savage donated $5,000 to the legal defense of the Marines and Corpsman and has named the imprisoned Marines the "Pendleton 8."^[29]

[edit] Homosexuality

On his February 26, 2007 broadcast Savage responded to the Academy Awards acceptance speech of Melissa Etheridge in which she thanked her long time partner Tammy Lynn Michaels (with whom she has raised two children) with "I don't like a woman married to a woman. It makes me want to puke...I want to vomit when I hear it. I think it's child abuse."^[30]

Later in the same broadcast when asked by a caller how to explain homosexuality to the caller's child, Savage replied:

"You say there are people who are sexually confused, who think that they're men when they're women. They're not normal. Normal people are not like that. Normal people are like Mommy and Daddy. Mommy and Daddy are normal. There are people who are not normal, who have a confusion in their head, and they think they're a man even though they look like a woman. That's what you have to say to them otherwise the child will grow up confused."^[30]

From Michael Savage's Newsmax column: "Will Dems Next Claim Ballot Machines Are Racist, Sexist and Homophobic?" - Nov. 27, 2000

"Were the ballot machines homophobic because some weak-wristed types had insufficient strength to press hard enough to register a vote? (This coming as close to them making anything pregnant for as long as they live.)"^[31]

From Michael Savage's column: "Liberte, Equalite, Perversite: The New Whorled Order" - March 22, 2000

"Your children's future is what we're talking about, a matter of life and death for their future. The gay and lesbian mafia wants our children. If it can win their souls and their minds, it knows their bodies will follow. Of course, it wants to homosexualize the whole country, not just the children. This is all part of the war that is going on. Maybe you don't want to face up to it, but it's a very real war. It's being inflicted on the American people by the radical gay lobby, which is now everywhere.^[32]

The Savage Nation, HIV Immigration Ban p. 111

"Such increased exposure of the general public to the HIV virus and other blood-borne microbes known to occur in the sexually promiscuous would multiply the death rate many times. Apparently this is overshadowed by gay sensitivities and the quest for gay votes."^[32]

[edit] Transgender Issues

The Savage Nation, pp. 41-42 ("Sex Changes in San Francisco")

"The unenlightened, provincial, 'progressive' lemmings leading San Francisco have taken another giant leap backward in deciding to pay for sex-change surgery and all the 'counseling' and hormone shots for 'Tommys' who want to be 'Bettys' and for 'Barbaras' who really want to be 'Willys.' "'This is very much a civil rights issue,' said one of the city's supervisors. 'This is about equal benefits for equal work.' Equating sexual insanity with race is a dangerous and demeaning precedent. There is no historical, anthropological, or medical evidence supporting such surgical insanity. Except for religious-inspired mutilation, had the ancients encountered a man holding a knife to his penis they would have restrained him as mad and constrained him to prevent such self-violence."^[32]

On his March 20, 2007 Savage Nation talk show, he referred to a transgendered murder victim as a "freak" and a "psychopath," stating that the victim "should have been in a back ward in a straitjacket for years, howling on major medication... What's this sympathy, constant sympathy for sexually confused people? Why should we have constant sympathy for people who are freaks in every society? I didn't say hurt the freaks. I didn't say do anything to the freaks. But you know what? You're never gonna make me respect the freak. I don't want to respect the freak. The freak ought to be glad that they're allowed to walk around without begging for something." [6]

On his March 23, 2007 show, he stated, "The wages of sin are death. You're gonna cut off your willy, you're gonna walk around in women's clothes, you're gonna hook -- you're gonna wind up dead under a freeway, Johnson. It's not gonna be an HBO special about your travails and how surgery made you a happy woman. I never understand these people. Guy is 55 years old, he had three children, he discovers there was a woman within, and he goes -- shots and hormones, three years of hormones, and live like a woman. And then you gotta dress like a woman for two years. And then they go to a psychopathic, sadistic doctor who does the thing for them. No more in Denmark -- I mean, the capital of it is somewhere in Colorado, of course, near Columbine. You wonder why the kids shoot each other there with black raincoats. But that's the sex change capital of the world -- in America, rather -- is somewhere in Colorado; they cut off the willies and they put on the willies, depending on whether you're a Johnny or a Jane. And apparently it costs more to put a willy on than it does to take a willy off. I've always said if a city's gonna pay for this kind of insane self-mutilation, the least they could do is put a willy on ice. I mean, if they're taking a perfectly good willy off a guy, why throw it in the garbage? Put it on ice, save it for the next time one of these psycho women in the city wants to be willied, I mean wants to be a John when she's a Jane. Because it costs like 40 grand to put one on and 20 grand to take one off. I would say you can do a mean price of 30 grand if they could start saving the willies from these psychos. But that's a separate story. I'm into cost saving at all costs."[7]

[edit] Civil Rights

On January 15, 2007 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) Savage stated on his nationally syndicated radio show in reference to the current civil rights movement that:

"It's a racket that is used to exploit primarily heterosexual, Christian, white males' birthright and steal from them what is their birthright and give it to people who didn't qualify for it."^[33]

Savage states that everything should be based on merit and that the current system is flawed in that it discriminates against white heterosexual males.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Involvement in the 2008 Presidential Election

Michael Savage’s announcement on February 5, 2007 in a News Max interview that he was mulling a run for the Republican nomination for President created instant buzz, both in support and against his decision.^[34] According to a web poll found on his talk radio site, Savage has received over six million votes in support of entering the race while very few (less than 1%) have voted against.

On March 12, he revealed at the beginning of his show that the potential presidential candidates; McCain, Guiliani, and Romney, refuse to meet him on his radio show to discuss significant political issues that Savage planned to question them about. By declining to come on the show, Savage says that they are saying that they don't care about over four million Americans casting their vote for them.^[35]

Savage says he can play an important role in the Republican primaries, gain critical support, and add to the planned debates. He stated in the News Max interview, "I would think that somebody who's not a politician might be a viable candidate," Savage stated, stressing that he would focus his campaign on his mantra: "Borders, Language, Culture."^{[citation needed]} In doing so, Savage would be required to cease commentating on his top-rated radio talk show.

[edit] Savage’s place in the party

Though Savage admits that he has little chance of winning, he sees his role in the process as realigning the Republican Party with its conservative roots. "A non-politician who has a very large following, who is very conservative, and who believes in a simple message of borders, language, and culture has a great chance of electrifying the American people," Savage said, complaining the current flock of candidates are simply parroting "sound bytes" and have “completely failed the conservatives who elected the Republicans during the Gingrich revolution.”^[36] He sees his role as the anti-Kucinich / anti-Sharpton, noting that the Democratic Party has veered sharply to the left precisely because of the "loud noises being made by the left wing in the party. Consequently even the mainstream Democrats move to the left on virtually every issue: the Iraq war, global warming, you name it." Recalling the 2004 Democratic primaries, Savage said, "Guys like Kucinich and Sharpton, clearly unqualified for this job, were given equal time on the podium during the debates with the leading candidates such as Kerry and Gore."^[36]

Savage promises that if he enters the race, there will be much to debate in the party. He has claimed that the “Bush Machine” has wiped out controversy and debate, allowing the party to become vulnerable to “socialist tendencies.” "The dial has not been moved on the Republicans with somewhat socialist tendencies at all because there's been no debate. The Bush dynasty, the Bush machine, has literally wiped out any vestige of controversy for six years. They've eliminated it."^[37]

[edit] Criticism of Republican Nominees^[36]

• John McCain — "McCain . . . what does McCain stand for? He ran in the mantle of Barry Goldwater and then he completely humiliated that legacy by being a senator in the mold of a Rockefeller Republican rather than showing any tinges of Goldwater conservatism."

• Rudy Giuliani — "He has not got a ghost of a chance to be president. He's for Giuliani and no one else. He's too liberal; favoring gay marriage, for example, and he made New York City an asylum city for illegal aliens. He has no conservative credentials."

• Mitt Romney — "I don't know the man but his policies seem to be all over the map."

• Newt Gingrich — "He is intellectually brilliant, but I think . . . he's unelectable because he has too much history."

[edit] Controversies, criticism, and credits

Savage's main tool in provoking thought, dialog, and debate among his listeners is his sometimes controversial remarks. Many times is it is not so much the content of his arguments but the strong language and imagery he uses to make his points which many different people and groups have sometimes found offensive. In July 2005, Bernard Goldberg ranked Savage number 61 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. Goldberg's opinion was 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 him of fascist leanings,^[38] racism,^[39] homophobia^[40] and bigotry,^[39] because of his controversial statements about Jews, Arabs, Islam, homosexuality, feminism, sex education, and immigration. Critics point out his various controversial statements, such as calling for the arrest of liberal activists, and quashing protests with violent force. In April 2006, Savage called for the killing of "psychotics in the Muslim world", saying, "Intelligent people, wealthy people...are very depressed by the weakness that America is showing to these psychotics in the Muslim world. They say, 'Oh, there’s a billion of them.' I said, 'So, kill 100 million of them; then there'd be 900 million of them.' I mean...would you rather us die than them?...Would you rather we disappear or we die? Or would you rather they disappear and they die? Because you’re going to have to make that choice sooner rather than later."^[41] In 2004, Savage described radical Islamic fundamentalist Arabs as "non-humans" and "racist, fascist bigots" and advocated a nuclear attack on a "major Arab capital."^[42]

In March 2006, Savage drew the attention 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 Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles calling it "pastoral support").^[43] However, the strong language he used in his accusation drew distaste from many Catholics. 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 that Savage's accusations were fair, but "what is not 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."^[44] On other occasions Savage has supported and defended the Catholic Church. For instance Savage praised Pope Pius XII as "one of the great men of all time" for his efforts in saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.^[45]

On March 28, 2006, Savage encouraged his listeners to burn Mexican flags to counter protests of pro-illegal-immigration groups during which American flags were burned while Mexican flags were waved.^[46]

On October 9, 2006, Savage labeled Madeleine Albright a “traitor” because the Clinton administration was in office when North Korea bought two nuclear reactors from a Western company in 2000. Savage said former Secretary Albright should be “tried for treason and when she’s found guilty she should be hung” Savage has previously called Albright a "hag" and "a monster in a dress".[8]

Savage was credited with bringing the Dubai Ports World deal to national attention. The deal would have turned over U.S. port operations to the Middle Eastern company. A public outrage ensued, forcing Dubai Ports World to scuttle their plan.^[36]

In February 2007, Creative Artists Agency (a major talent and literary agency in Los Angeles) signed Michael Savage to represent him in all media. Within days however, it was reported that CAA had dropped Savage in response to anti-homosexual remarks he made regarding fellow CAA client, Melissa Etheridge.^[47]

The Paul Revere society was co-founded in 1996 with his son Russell Weiner to combat illegal immigration.^[48][49] The organization boasts 4,000 members.^[50] On June 5, 2006, The Paul Revere Society was stripped of its tax-exempt status by the IRS.^[51] In 1998, Russ ran for a seat in the California legislature (State Assembly, District 6) on the platform of being a card-carrying Paul Revere Society member.^[52] His candidacy was endorsed by his father, mother, and Shannon Reeves, President of Oakland NAACP. Russ was not elected into office and eventually continued on to create Rockstar Energy Drink.^[53]

[edit] Books and other writings

Along with his four best selling political books The Savage Nation, The Enemy Within, Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder, and The Political Zoo, Michael Savage, as Michael Weiner, PhD, is the author of the book Herbs That Heal and 17 other books.^[3]

The publication of Weiner's Herbal: The Guide to Herb Medicine in 1980 raises some controversies. The book states the medical benefits of marijuana.^[7] However he recently stated that the chemicals in marijuana make it too dangerous to be used as medicine. On his program, he strongly cautions against the recreational use of marijuana, occasionally devoting his show to "marijuana horror stories" and its claimed potential to ruin lives. He has authored a number of other books on various herbal medicine topics as Weiner. More recently, Savage's 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 January 2003 he published The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture, his first 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 January 2006, Savage announced that he would be releasing a new book The Political Zoo in mid-April.^[54] 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 zookeeper. Savage has remarked that the book will be "easier to digest" than his previous political books.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] 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(the book), 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

[edit] Books as Michael Savage

• The Savage Nation, WND Books, 2003.
• The Enemy Within, Nelson Current, 2004.
• Liberalism is a Mental Disorder, Nelson Current, 2005.
• The Political Zoo, Nelson Current, 2006.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Michael Savage's website
• Michael Savage bio from the Talk Radio Network website
• Michael Savage at the Notable Names Database
• Michael Savage on Media Matters
• List of radio stations streaming the Michael Savage show

v • d • e  United States presidential election, 2008
Democratic primaries • Democratic primary polls • Democratic Convention	Republican primaries • Republican primary polls • Republican Convention Republican Candidates' Beliefs
Candidates: Biden • Dodd • Edwards (views) • Gravel (campaign, views) • Kucinich • Obama (campaign, views) Candidates with exploratory committees: Richardson • Clinton (campaign, views)(See discussion) Potential candidates: Clark • Gore • Sharpton	Candidates: Brownback • Cox • Giuliani (campaign, views) • Hunter • McCain (campaign, views) • Paul (campaign, views) • Romney (campaign, views) • T. Thompson (campaign, views) Candidates with exploratory committees: Gilmore • Huckabee • Tancredo Potential candidates: Gingrich • Hagel • F. Thompson
Announced Third party candidates: Amondson (Prb.) • E. Brown (Grn.) • Burns (Lib.) • Hollist (Lib.) • Imperato (Ref.) • Kubby (Lib.) • Milnes (Lib.) • Parker (IGVA) • Phillies (Lib.) • C Smith (Lib.) • Stanhope (Lib.) • Swift (Grn.) • D. Thompson (Cst.)
Notable independent candidates: Moriarty • Schriner • Weltman • Bloomberg (unofficial)
General articles: Opinion polling (D • R) • Election timeline
Other 2008 elections: House • Senate • Gubernatorial

Persondata
NAME	Savage, Michael
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Weiner, Michael Alan Ph.D.
SHORT DESCRIPTION	U.S. radio talk show host, Commentator, and Author
DATE OF BIRTH	March 31, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH	Bronx, New York City, USA
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH