41 Dems Go On Record Against Free Speech

The Senate Democrats have continued their charade and faux outrage as they sent a letter to Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays demanding that he force Rush Limbaugh to apologize for something he didn't say. Forty-one Dems signed the letter, including presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden. In his insipid remarks on the Senate floor Harry Reid said he was "confident" that many Republicans would join him in condemning Rush. In fact, he got exactly ZERO signatures from Republicans. And here's to the 10 Dems who had the courage to defy their party bosses and the nutroots and refuse to sign the letter.

My prediction: Rush will shove that letter so far up their butts that only their Ear, Nose and Throat doctors will be able to read it. (UPDATE: Rush has the original letter and has put it on eBay.) And if the GOP candidates have any brains at all, they'll use this as a campaign tool to proclaim that Dems are opposed to free speech and will even stoop to condemning a private citizen on the floor of the Senate.

(By the way, I wrote my own sample reply letter for Mr. Mays to use if he wishes here.)

Another talk show host is also be persecuted by local Democrat authorities. I personally can't stand Michael Savage and have no use for his show, but that doesn't mean he should be denied the right to be obnoxious without government interference. The San Francisco Supervisors have passed a resolution condemning his show as "hate speech" because of his opposition to illegal immigration.

Today has been a very bad day for the First Amendment.

UPDATE - Clear Channel quickly responds and pretty much tells Harry Reid to go pound sand:

WASHINGTON — The owner of the company that airs Rush Limbaugh's show has come to his defense, telling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that while he isn't certain to whom Limbaugh was referring when he used the term "phony soldiers," the radio talk show host has a long history of supporting U.S. troops.

Mark P. Mays, president of Clear Channel, the parent company of Limbaugh's broadcast, on Tuesday responded to a letter signed by 41 Democrats that called on the network "to publicly repudiate" comments made by Limbaugh "that call into question" the service and sacrifice of troops who oppose the war in Iraq.

"Mr. Limbaugh's comments have stirred a lot of emotion, and I have carefully read the transcript in question," Mays wrote. "Given Mr. Limbaugh's history of support for our soldiers, it would be unfair for me to assume his statements were intended to personally indict combat soldiers simply because they didn't share his own beliefs regarding the war in Iraq.

"I hope that you understand and support my position that while I certainly do not agree with all the views that are voiced on our stations, I will not condemn our talent for exercising their right to voice them," he wrote.

It wasn't as good as my letter, but the sentiment was basically the same.