Savage on Feingold's opposition to voter ID bill: "[F]ilthy Democrats are worse than what Foley did"

On the October 5 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, after playing a clip of Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) speaking out against a House proposal to require voters to show photo identification to receive a ballot, Michael Savage stated: "To me, Russ Feingold's filthy statement just now is far worse than anything [former Rep. Mark] Foley [R-FL] ever did," later saying that "[a]s far as I'm concerned, the filthy Democrats are worse than what Foley did." Savage also called Feingold "perhaps the stupidest man in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives"; Feingold has in fact never served in the House. He also claimed that Feingold "is basically saying to those who died to defend the freedoms of this country: You died for nothing."

In addition, Savage continued to blame the underage former pages to whom Foley allegedly sent sexually explicit instant messages. He stated, "[I]f they're 16, they're equal to an average 30-year-old," and "[t]his kid was playing him along ... like a top." Savage also made clear that "[s]o far as we know, Foley did not touch these kids. ... [T]herefore, he's not a pedophile." He also claimed that "[e]very white male in America is targeted as a molester, today, in this country. I've never seen anything like this witch hunt." Additionally, Savage asserted that "the clever edifice that has been stuccoed over the homosexual death-style over the last two decades has finally come apart," adding, "America is finally seeing what is beyond the edifice."

As Media Matters for America documented, Savage accused the recipient of the alleged emails of "gay-baiting" Foley and stated that "[m]aybe he's a Democrat." On the October 6 edition of The Savage Nation, after reading portions of the Media Matters item documenting his words, Savage stated: "He was clearly gay-baiting him. What do you mean I accused him of that? What is wrong with these people?" He later said: "[D]on't these people have a sense of humor? No. The answer is: Super libs have no sense of humor. I have a sense of humor. They don't get it."

Savage has also previously claimed that there is an "obsession with child molestation" in "the American media," which is engaging in a "new witch hunt" against child molesters, as Media Matters has also noted.

From the October 5 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: Then you have this sorry, sad sack, Russ Feingold -- perhaps the stupidest man in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives -- saying that it's "mean-spirited" to require any ID to vote in America. Listen to Russ Feingold.

FEINGOLD [audio clip]: We also have to stop this mean-spirited attempt to prevent people from voting by requiring a photo ID to vote. We should be encouraging people to vote in this country.

SAVAGE: Go to hell. Get him off my show. Send him back to -- to -- to wherever he came from. Can you imagine there's a man, a -- what is he? A senator? I've no idea what he does -- Feingold, who calls it "mean-spirited" to require a photo ID to vote in the United States of America. He wants illegal aliens to vote. He wants the dead to vote. He wants criminals to vote. He wants felons to vote. This is -- this is shocking. To me, Russ Feingold's filthy statement just now is far worse than anything Foley ever did. Russ Feingold is basically saying it's OK to cheat when you vote in America; it doesn't matter if you're a citizen. He is basically saying to those who died to defend the freedoms of this country: You died for nothing. As far as I'm concerned, the filthy Democrats are worse than what Foley did.

[...]

SAVAGE: Question number two on The Savage Nation: Has the Foley filth changed your views on homosexuality, and how? Straight-up question: Has it changed your views on homosexuality, and how? So, straight-up question. You can say yes, you can say no; you can say yes and why, you can say no and why. But I think the clever edifice that has been stuccoed over the homosexual death-style over the last two decades has finally come apart. I believe that the edifice is cracking, and I think that beneath the stuccoed over edifice of this death-style is finally facing America -- America is finally seeing what is beyond the edifice.

[...]

SAVAGE: This guy [Foley] is some dirtball. You know Foley is a -- this is sickening. Foley would say he was sitting in his boxers and ask what I was wearing. Oh, I don't want to read this anymore. I don't even, you know, I don't even think it's funny. Guys like this have always turned my stomach. I've hated men like this -- I think they're sick, which is why the FBI and the CIA never hired them up until 1975. They knew they were sick. They knew that they were easily -- that they were weak and easily blackmailed. But that's the old FBI, the old CIA. That's the old Homeland Security-type of mentality.

Today, if you're gay, you're hired to go right to the top. Today, they want to make America as diverse as possible. But who warned you that diversity is perversity? Who was warning you years ago that diversity is a label that was created by the homosexual radical movement using blacks, using Asians, using Mexicans, using anybody they could get their hands on in order to promote the homosexual agenda? Why, yours truly, the little old winemaker: me, Michael Savage. That's correct. Diversity in fact is perversity, and you know it.

[...]

SAVAGE: Their -- if they're 16, they're equal to an average 30-year-old from the -- from the hinterland in terms of sophistication and knowing what's going on. This kid was playing him along like a -- like a -- like a top. He played him like a yo-yo. So, who was playing who, I'd like to know. He doesn't look like Mr. Innocent to me, and I'm asking you why he had to hire a lawyer, Mr. Innocent Page. Stop with the innocent child -- 16, 17, 18. You know, innocent, my eye.

And secondly, Foley didn't even touch him. And I'm not excusing his behavior. Don't put me in that position. The emails were disgusting. If, God forbid, it was my son, I wouldn't, certainly, take it lightly, and I can understand the disgust of any listening to this show; and I've said that to you 5,000 times, but I have to repeat it over and over again, so I'm not misquoted. But let's not mistake and let's not confuse text messages [sic] with physical touching.

So far as we know, Foley did not touch these kids. So, therefore, he's not a pedophile, so far as we know. Let's be clear. Let's not hang the man. And secondly, in America today, there's a gigantic witch hunt going on under the rubric of molestation. You know, if you watch these television shows, everybody is a molester. Every white male in America is targeted as a molester, today, in this country. I've never seen anything like this witch hunt.

From the October 6 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: From an organization now called Media Matters. I don't know who they are. I think it's run by an L-bent bozo. I don't know who they -- is that run by L-bent bozo, Baywolf, Media Matters? Is this --yes? No, this is not run by a L-bent bozo. Anyway, there's a group called Media Matters. I don't know who they are, but it says, "Savage accused former page of 'gay-baiting' " -- sorry, "Savage accused former page of 'gay-baiting' Foley and added: 'Maybe he's a Democrat.' " My answer is: what do you mean, former page of gay-baiting? He was gay-baiting. What do you mean I accused him of gay-baiting? He was clearly gay-baiting him. What do you mean I accused him of that? What is wrong with these people?

Then he goes on and tries to smear me and says, "Savage has previously referred to the 'homosexual mafia,' as Media Matters for America has documented. On the September 27 edition of his radio show, he lauded a Washington Times employee who allegedly solicited a 13-year-old girl for sex as," quote, " 'a normal pervert' who," quote, "should get a reward that it wasn't a boy," closed quote, as Media Matters -- don't these people have a sense of humor? No. The answer is: Super libs have no sense of humor. I have a sense of humor. They don't get it.

So, at least we can take this story and throw it out. I'm recycling paper now on my fax machines and my print machines. It's a pleasure. I've gone back to my early hippie days. I'm recycling paper in printers. Media Matters is run by ex-conservatives. How can you be an ex-conservative? What is an ex-conservative? It's somebody who never was a conservative who just went which way the wind was blowing. What do you mean ex-conservative? Ex-conservative -- shmertive.