On the May 15 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage called Democrats who support the proposed Media Ownership Reform Act (MORA), “National Socialists,” continuing his pattern of comparing Democratic supporters of MORA to “Nazis.” MORA would reinstate the “Fairness Doctrine,” which, until 1987, required “that discussion of public issues be presented on broadcast stations and that each side of those issues must be given fair coverage,” as the Supreme Court wrote when it upheld the doctrine in 1969.

Citing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) opposition to the Fairness Doctrine, Savage said: “If Senator Mitch McConnell will be the first to stand up against ... the National Socialists in the Democrat [sic] Party who are trying to ban free speech in this country, I will vote for any Republican." Later in the program, Savage directed a caller to an article on his website about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, saying, "[T]he reason I want you to do that is because there are people in this country who would gladly line up conservatives and shoot them against the wall." When the caller responded that those who would do so are “mentally insane,” Savage replied, “No, they're not. They're mainstream progressives.” He added: “They're no different than the Bolsheviks in 1917.”

As Media Matters for America has noted, Savage has repeatedly compared Democrats to “Nazis.” On the May 2 broadcast of his radio show, Savage called MORA's author, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (NY), the “chief National Socialist,” adding that Hinchey is seeking “the final solution for conservatives on talk radio.” Additionally, on the May 11 broadcast, Savage denounced Rep. Robert Wexler's (FL) questioning of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales during a May 10 congressional hearing about the firing of U.S. attorneys: “The last time I saw a politician scream at someone like that was in Nazi Germany in the kangaroo court trial against people who conspired to kill Hitler.”

The Savage Nation reaches more than 8 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it the third most-listened-to talk radio show in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show.

From the May 15 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: I just got an email. I have to read it to you because our time is almost up -- I want to do so many things at once. Thank God we finally have a Republican [who has] stepped up to the plate. This came to us minutes ago: “McConnell Blasts Efforts to Limit Freedom of Speech ... 'Government is not the speech police.' ”

Michael Savage just got this. “U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement regarding attempts by Democrats to revive the misnamed Fairness Doctrine.” He said our -- and I want to read it to you. I can't rush through this. I will say this: If Senator Mitch McConnell will be the first to stand up against the neo -- the National Socialists in the Democrat Party, who are trying to ban speech in this country, I will vote for any Republican. I'll vote for him for the presidency, if he wants to run.

[...]

SAVAGE: Well, you know what I want you to do tonight? Go onto michaelsavage.com and look at the bottom-left story -- “The Chinese Cultural Revolution: Remembering Mao's Victims” -- and how socialism in China led to the Red Revolution and what happened to people in that country, how many millions were killed by Mao Zedong.

CALLER: I will do that, Michael.

SAVAGE: And the reason I want you to do that is because there are people in this country who would gladly line up conservatives and shoot them against the wall. You know that, don't you, [caller]?

CALLER: Well, those are the mentally insane people.

SAVAGE: No, they're not. No, they're not. They're mainstream progressives. They would gladly line up thousands of people against the wall and shoot them if they had the power to do so and think they could get away with it. They're no different than the Bolsheviks in 1917. I'll be right back.

Michael J. Maio is an intern at Media Matters for America.