Banned U.S. "shock jock" says will sue Britain
Reuters

By Kate Kelland Kate Kelland – Wed May 6, 4:33 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) – An outspoken American radio presenter barred from entering Britain said on Wednesday he would sue the British government for defamation after his name was published on an official list of "promoters of hate."

Michael Savage, a so-called "shock jock" radio host who has a right-wing talk show called The Savage Nation, described British Home Secretary (interior minister) Jacqui Smith as a "lunatic" and said he had set his lawyers to work on the case.

Smith published the list -- which includes Islamist extremists, American anti-gay preachers and Russian gang members -- on Tuesday, accusing those named of "stirring up hatred" and "fostering extremism or hatred."

"For this lunatic Jacqui Smith ... to link me up with skinheads who are killing people in Russia, to put me in league with mass murderers who kill Jews on buses, is defamation," Savage said on his show, excerpts of which were aired on BBC radio on Wednesday.

"As a result of this, I am going to sue her."

Savage, who says he has between 8 and 10 million listeners across the United States, urged them to support him by cancelling any travel plans to Britain and by boycotting British-made goods.

"I don't know what they make there any more, but whatever they make, I suggest you don't buy it," he said.

"If they want to play hardball, we'll play hardball."

Savage was fired by cable news channel MSNBC in 2003 after he referred to a caller on his show as a "sodomite" and said: "You should only get AIDS and die, you pig!."

Smith defended her decision, saying Savage -- whose real name is Michael Alan Weiner -- was a man of extreme views who expressed them "in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence."

"Coming to this country is a privilege," she told Good Morning Television. "If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country."

Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, former leaders of a violent Russian skinhead gang which beat and murdered immigrants, are also named on the list, along with the anti-gay U. S. Christian preacher Reverend Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper.

What do you think about England banning him?

I was surprised to hear that England banns people from entering their country. I then learned that the United States does it too.

Given the sh!t people have to go through to get to visit the States I say ban more of you!

Talldub,

What have you heard about Michael Savage there?

Personally never heard of him. Doubt he's well known in Ireland.

Is it harder to get into the States then it is to get into other countries?

It's the only country I've been to where you need
a) A passport with an RFID chip in it
b) To be fingerprinted to get in
c) To be quizzed on every aspect of your visit (I don't mean the usual "what's the purpose of your visit" stuff.
The delay at the airport is fkn annoying because of it.

Wow, I didn't know it was like that.

Yep. Next they'll be looking for a stool sample.

Yes and I love how they go through your luggage. At least in mine they went through every underwear with white gloves seeing if their was a bomb in it. How embarrassing as the people in line behind you watch a 250 pound black man looking at each individual underwear. I also thought it was hilarious how he carefully folded it back up and put it back inside my luggage. lol

Thank goodness mine where clean

I even had a 80 year old woman wink at me because of it

You got winked at for it.

Michael Savage is a Republican that runs a radio show right?

I think I read a book once on how he is complaining that America isn't the same anymore and that the liberals are fault because of it.

Something in this nature. It was a long time ago when I read that book. It didn't interest me and I threw it in the garbage before even finishing it.

We can ban whoever we like. The British dont get any special favours when visiting the US. I have never heard of this guy personally, but there must be good reason to ban him.

I bet the government is quaking in its boots that he is gonna sue..

It isnt like that for all countries.

Ive heard they give people from England a closer inspection because terrorist groups are pretty common there!

It wasnt much different in the 80's to get into England from France either, and we were American Soldiers.

We got off the ferry and had to go into a special customs building where they searched the bus and all of us!

American Infantry men!

That doesn't sound like it was easy to enter that country.

Government might not be, but you should be, Savage/Weiner (There's a joke there) has enough money to make this lawsuit very expensive. Guess who will be footing the bill for the defense?

I didn't know that.