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| -Short Attention Span Theater- | |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to fight shock-jock Michael Savage's lawsuit | |
| 2009-06-01 | |
| Jacqui Smith went ballistic when she found out her husband had been watching porn movies at their home -- and putting them on her official expenses. Jacqui Smith will not back down against a right-wing American radio DJ who is suing after he was barred from entering Britain. The Home Secretary included Michael Savage on a list of banned visitors that included a Hamas politician, anti-gay protesters and a Jewish extremist. Savage was furious to feature on the list and said that he would bring a legal action for defamation. Yesterday the Home Office announced that it would staunchly fight any proceedings. It said: "He was excluded for engaging in unacceptable behaviour by making comments that might provoke others to serious criminal acts and foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence. "Any legal proceedings would be robustly defended; we stand by our decision to exclude this individual. Coming to the UK is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life." Savage has been accused of racism and homophobia and once wished that a critical caller would die of Aids. However, an appeal for donations to support his legal challenge posted on his website insists that he has never advocated violence. The "shock jock", whose real name is Michael Alan Weiner, responded to the ban by saying: "She has painted a target on my back . . . this is lunatic, she is linking me up with Nazi skinheads who are killing people in Russia . . . She's putting me in a league with Hamas murderers who kill Jews on buses. "I have never advocated violence. I've been on the air 15 years. My views may be inflammatory, but they're not violent in any way." It was reported yesterday that Savage and had instructed the London-based solicitors Olswang to begin proceedings for a £100,000 lawsuit. The lawyers have written to Ms Smith and demanded she retract the allegations and make a personal apology. The list of 16 "least wanted" also included the American Baptist pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Sr and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper, who have picketed the funerals of Aids victims and claimed that the deaths of American soldiers are a punishment for US tolerance of homosexuality. Others include Mike Guzovsky, a Jewish militant said to be the leader of a violent group actively involved with military training camps, and Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, leaders of a Russian skinhead gang that beat migrants and posted films of the attacks on the internet. Both men are serving 20-year prison sentences.
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| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #4 Seems to me only CAIR has the reach and reason to be behind this ban. I suspect it's payback for Savage's court victory over them. |
| Posted by: Spomong Speaking for Boskone7175 2009-06-01 15:32 |
| #3 Anybody have any tips on Bourbon for a former Scotch drinker? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-06-01 11:48 |
| #2 I strongly hope he uses England's insane libel law against her, which would almost guarantee a win. The truth is no defense in their weird version of libel, which basically says, "If someone says something about you that you don't like, they are guilty of libel." |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-06-01 10:46 |
| #1 The House of Commons, oops, I mean House of Saud must behind this. |
| Posted by: HammerHead 2009-06-01 10:00 |