Sharpton's McCarthyism

Al Sharpton is on a crusade.

He has appointed himself judge and jury of threats to American society. Sharpton is the new arbiter, the ultimate authority.

Since he flexed his muscles and was victorious in getting MSNBC to axe Don Imus, he vows to determine what is suitable for public airing.

It seems that he plans an all-out purge.

From The Jawa Report:

"It is our feeling that this is only the beginning.... We must have a broad discussion on what is permitted and not permitted in terms of the airwaves."

Yesterday, referring to NBC and CBS, Sharpton said, "When you look at the symbols of both stations, tonight the peacock spread its wings correctly. I want to know what the eye in the middle of the CBS emblem is looking at."

This morning he said, "This must be a walk that CBS does now."

I wonder. Is everything cool at ABC? Sharpton isn't just talking about Imus anymore. The struggle is much broader than one offensive old man.

He's just getting started. So many bigots, so little time.

I have to contact Sharpton immediately. There's someone he needs to know about.

There's a racist, anti-Semitic, bilge-spilling, violence-inciting radio talk show host on the air in Milwaukee -- Michael McGee on WNOV-AM (860).

McGee is a former Milwaukee alderman, a community leader. Yes, the man was elected to serve in public office.

McGee's son is a chip off the old block. Michael McGee, Jr. is currently a Milwaukee alderman. In fact, last week McGee the younger won a recall election in a landslide.

Sharpton really needs to listen to McGee, Sr.'s program "Word Warriors."

I must send this Spivak and Bice column to Sharpton.

Less than 24 hours after his son, Ald. Mike McGee, was arrested in a courtroom, accused of threatening his former girlfriend, his father was on the air offering up a smorgasbord of anti-Semitism, threats of violence against the city of Milwaukee and rants about the difficulty of growing up McGee.

What can you say? Like son, like father.

First off, the elder McGee started with a little humor, if you can call it that.

"Look, I have a joke for you - well, not really a joke," said a female caller. "But what (does) July mean?"

"What do July mean?" replied the commander (McGee, Sr.). "The Jews lie."

Caller: "Uh-uh, and what do picnic mean?"

Commander: "Picnic mean, pick a (n-word)."

(This is a reference to a bogus Internet story about the origins of the word picnic.)

Caller: "There you go. Y'all have a good day."

And that was just the warm-up.

The next caller, as did many others, offered words of support to the McGee clan in the wake of the alderman's arrest.

The younger McGee left a Milwaukee County courtroom in handcuffs last week after he was accused of saying to his former girlfriend Kimley Rucker, "If you drive by my house, I'm going to kill your ass." McGee is accused of making the comment after the judge tossed McGee's restraining order against Rucker, who says she is pregnant with his child.

The caller told the elder McGee that she was praying for his family.

"It's not only at the police station," the woman said. "I work at the post office; it's just as bad with this racism. And we need to do something about it because it stinks. It's just like doo-doo - it stinks."

You may wonder how someone like this is able to stay on the air.

Why hasn't someone like Sharpton demanded that McGee be fired?

I don't know.

The remark launched McGee into a tirade reminiscent of his days on the Common Council, when nobody knew just what outrageous comment or threat might come out of his mouth. Remember how, back in 1990, McGee pledged to revive the Black Panther Militia in Milwaukee and threatened organized violence if conditions for blacks in the city did not improve?

On Thursday, he was voicing some more obscure but ominous threats of violence.

"Well, you know, in terms of the McGee family, I'm really tired of them, you know, taking every opportunity they can to slander our family. But, in fact, I feel like sometime my Vietnam syndrome is gonna take over, and I'm gonna go down there and mess up a bunch of 'em. So they better watch out, that's for sure. And that ain't no threat. That's a promise."

Ooh. Scary.

McGee is very much like Al Sharpton, a pot calling the kettle black. Like Sharpton, McGee's methods are as ugly as the ugliness he claims to rail against.

We know that Sharpton isn't held accountable for his lies and slurs. How does McGee manage to get away with his offensive, anti-Semitic rants?

Simple. According to Jerrel Jones, WNOV CEO/president, people like him.

..."McGee's program - it keeps us in the game," Jones said of the small radio station that targets the black community. "As long as he stays legal, I don't really have a problem."

Jones said the ethnic slurs and threats uttered by McGee should not be voiced on air. "Absolutely not, absolutely not," he said.

..."My job is audience. He's got a lot of people who like him."

McGee may keep WNOV in the game, but don't standards of decency matter?

Is it always all about money?

I guess.

Anyway, if Sharpton is SINCERELY concerned about the level of discourse on the airwaves in this country, he must scrutinize McGee's radio show.

He won't.

We appear to be entering a new era, the era of Sharptonism.


Let the witch hunt begin.