One for Savage, zero for CAIR

Take away their deceitful props and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is like all other big-talking bullies: pathetic, sniveling and alone.

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In going after top rated radio talk show host Michael Savage, CAIR trotted out a list of advertisers they laid claim to scaring off from advertising on Savage Nation. When the dust settled, it was all CAIR braying brouhaha. Several of the companies CAIR loudly cited in their so-called boycott campaign say they don’t know what the Islamic lobby group is talking about. In their own defiant words, announcing that Universal Orlando Resorts had joined their Savage Nation advertising boycott, CAIR recently stated: “Advertisers that have already stopped airing or refuse to air commercials on Savage Nation include AutoZone, Citrix TrustedID, JCPenney, OfficeMax, Wal-Mart and AT&T.” Going out on the hunt, investigative Internet giant WorldNetDaily caught CAIR in an embarrassing position. …”But now AutoZone has told WND the CAIR campaign had nothing to do with its advertising decision, and it had chosen not to advertise on any radio talk shows—of all parts of the spectrum—years before the CAIR effort.” (WND, Dec. 11, 2007). Taking the cowardly way out, CAIR officials declined to respond to WND inquiries about why it is listing companies as part of its boycott campaign that they say have not participated in the boycott. CAIR didn’t know that a lot more than bluster is needed to sustain a boycott. “Another major company CAIR claims has joined the boycott of Michael Savage is JCPenney. But as with AutoZone, JCPenney officials told WND readers they were not making any special provision in their advertising policy that would make them part of a protest campaign, but officials did not respond directly to WND inquiries. “JCPenney did not `pull’ advertising from the show. JCPenney has had a long-standing policy about not advertising on any show that can be construed as controversial. An error in upholding this policy was made by a few local stations, and it has now been clarified,” the company told a WND reader. Wal-Mart admits that it has asked radio networks to ensure that Wal-Mart ads do not run in programming “that we deem controversial” and is sending out content guideline reminders to radio networks and stations, according to that company. (Too bad Wal-Mart shoppers couldn’t have the same protection against-Mart products from China before the latest recalls.) While companies cited in the boycott like AutoZone and JCPenney have removed themselves as CAIR props, CAIR still faces a Michael Savage lawsuit over its alleged misappropriation of Savage’s radio broadcast material. In the lawsuit, which has garnered huge public support, the mince-no-words Savage depicts CAIR as a “vehicle of international terrorism.” Savage’s lawsuit alleges copyright infringement by CAIR, which the lawsuit says seeks to do “material harm to those voices who speak against the violent agenda of CAIR’s clients.” Filed in U.S. District Court in California, the suit seeks damages equal to the ongoing donations from CAIR supporters “who expect CAIR to act in this manner in exchange for continuing financial support” as well as “actual damages according to proof.” Judging by scores of letters to Canada Free Press whose anti-CAIR stories were posted to the Michael Savage website, legions of people are already boycotting companies--at least two of which we now know were only used by CAIR as props. Meanwhile mark that 1 for Michael Savage and zero for the world’s largest, George Soros and Media Matters-supported Islamic lobby group. And with the wings already pulled off this always-buzzing blue-bottle housefly, it’s going to be difficult for it to fly away and land elsewhere any time soon.