Boortz accuses Media Matters of trying to manipulate “some whimpering old woman executive somewhere”

Written by Adam Serwer

Published

boortz-20070514

boortz-20070514.mp3

On the May 14 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, host Neal Boortz accused Media Matters for America -- which he referred to as “Media Myrmidons” and “Brocksters,” a reference to Media Matters President and CEO David Brock -- of “waiting for one little statement that you can take out of its total context and just go on a rampage with, with your Web postings and see if you can pull that Don Imus thing off all over again, see if you can find some whimpering old woman executive somewhere that'll just [say], 'Oh! Oh, my God! We've got to do something now.' ” Boortz also said, “And it's not just me, you're doing the same thing to [right-wing radio hosts] Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and the rest of them."

In fact, when highlighting media figures' on-air statements, Media Matters provides both audio and written transcripts of the statements in context.

From the May 14 broadcast of Cox Radio Syndication's The Neal Boortz Show:

BOORTZ: So, I am aware, for you “Brocksters” out there at Media Myrmidons, Democrat[sic]Underground.com, MoveOn.org, Huffington. I am well aware that all over this country right now, you people are running tape recorders on this show. And you're just waiting for me to say something.

Not -- you're not waiting for me to say something that you might disagree with. You're not waiting for me to express an opinion or a thought that you might disagree with. You're waiting for me to say something that you can demagogue and see if you can make me the next Don Imus. And it's not just me, you're doing the same thing to Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and the rest of them.

You're just waiting for one little statement that you can take out of its total context and just go on a rampage with, with your Web postings and see if you can pull that Don Imus thing off all over again, see if you can find some whimpering old woman executive somewhere that'll just, “Oh! Oh, my God! We've got to do something now.”

So, I'll try to give you a little advance warning when I think I'm getting close to the edge, so you can make sure to get a new tape in the recorder out there, OK, folks? Try to give you a little advance warning.