We get e-mail ... from the mainstream corporate media

Evidently my post yesterday evening about Fort Lauderdale's batshit crazy mayor Jim Naugle struck a nerve with the folks at Hate-Talk 850 WFTL. Or at least one of them.

I received the following e-mail this morning:

Wow. I find your blog very interesting.

Nice to know you don't need all the facts to give out your opinion these days.

Do you know how everyone found out about the derogatory comments Mayor Naugle made on WFTL? I sent the information and the audio clip (which you transcribed) out to the local newspapers, TV stations and various area gay media.

Did you know that the very next day, WFTL had Earl Rynerson (1 of the two gay candidates for mayor) on the air to respond to Naugle?

Did you know that the following afternoon, local talk show host Joyce Kaufman had Dean Trantalis on the air to respond?

Do you know that we tried to get Naugle, Trantalis and Rynerson to go on the air for an hour together to hash it out and take callers? (Naugle refused to go on the air with them. Trantalis refused to go on the air with Rynerson.)

Don't say we're HATE radio without knowing the full details of the story. Next time, ask.

You now have my email address and contact number.

Ken Pauli
Director of News & Operations

Yes, I do have your contact information, which I won't publish here. Not that I have any particular desire to engage in a pointless tête-à-tête with you, Mr. Pauli. But I would be remiss if I didn't respond to your e-mail, and share it with my readers.

First, I find it remarkable that a comment from "Tom" on yesterday's post said essentially the same thing as Mr. Pauli did in his e-mail -- at the same time, 10:01 am today. I'm sure it's just an eerie coincidence.

I will say this much, "Tom:" I'm heartened to hear that you agree that Naugle is "an ASS." But while WFTL probably has to give him a forum to air his hateful message, why would you -- I mean, why would WFTL -- bend over backwards to accommodate him? Why would the station invite him to co-host a show, and why do Russ Morley and Michael Woulfe agree so readily with his bigoted views?

Now, as to WFTL's "coverage" of Naugle: as I showed yesterday, many of Naugle's statements, broadcast to thousands of viewers with the imprimatur of a "major" radio station, were based on falsehoods and ignorance, yet Morley failed to challenge Naugle on a single thing, except the odd statement when Naugle suggested that he didn't actually utter the "gay/happy" quote. Radio stations, indeed all news outlets, have -- or should have -- a responsibility to the public to tell listeners the facts and allow them to arrive at their own informed conclusions. Too often, however, like yesterday at FTL, outright lies and bias go out over the airwaves and, as station personnel undoubtedly know, are taken as fact by the audience. This is wrong, and as a blogger, I see part of my role as one of setting the record straight whenever and wherever possible. I surely don't have the reach or scope that WFTL does, but every little bit of truth helps.

Regarding my role ... it's not my job to tell the whole story on how Trantalis and Rynerson were invited to appear on the station, or how Naugle refused to comment on his statements. Sure, I am pleased to hear that WFTL attempted to present all sides (as if there are "sides" to this story). But why tell me? Why not tell your listeners how you have tried to present other viewpoints and disavow, or at least reduce the significance of, Naugle's hate? Surely you know that Naugle won't appear on your station, or any other, if he knows there's a chance he might meet with opposition to his radically bigoted world view? He's using WFTL, and either you all know it or you just don't care to consider it. You call Naugle's comments "derogatory," Mr. Pauli, and I agree with you. But when will we hear that word used on the air to describe his comments?

I am a blogger, Mr. Pauli -- nothing more. I do this as a hobby, not as my occupation, and I like doing it. I'm also a father and a professional, a "recovering" attorney, a long-time Floridian, and a proud American. I hold myself out to my 250 or so daily readers (a small but loyal band) as an unabashedly, unapologetically, uncivil liberal, a rabble rouser, a fly in the ointment, if you will. I don't pretend to be a reporter or a journalist or fair or balanced. WFTL and its staff, on the other hand, presumably do all of these things. As a result, your objection to my characterization of the station as "hate radio" rings hollow when you carry the shows of such hateful, unrepentant bigots and fearmongers as Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham, and Michael "Savage" Weiner -- not to mention Russ Morley. Indeed, your programming demonstrates that WFTL is the very definition of "hate radio."

Why wouldn't WFTL carry, for example, Ed Schultz or Rachel Maddow or Marc Maron to counter the right-wing bias of your current line-up? Hell, you could even air Blast Off! Radio just to cleanse the palates of your narrow-minded listeners. But the station, or its managers, would rather broadcast the disgusting hate-and-kill mindset of the right-wing talk radio fetishists who already dominate the airwaves rather than admit that there are other viewpoints -- viewpoints that a majority of Americans believe today. Yes, the right-wing is in the minority today ... except on talk radio.

Mr. Pauli, you have no credibility when you throw the "nice to know you don't need all the facts to give out your opinion these days" line at me when your station and its hosts and syndicated programs fairly scream out that obvious point -- like all right-wing, Constitution-hating gasbags, they don't give a rat's ass about facts or truth. I didn't inquire about the Trantalis/Rynerson invitations and so on because it wasn't relevant to my point. It just didn't -- and doesn't -- matter. Your station repeatedly airs the garbage that Jim Naugle spews, and you don't apologize for it nor do you challenge it. Facts? When your hosts, local or syndicated, start paying attention to the facts, then let's have a discussion. I won't hold my breath.

My father was a broadcasting executive, usually on the television side, for some 35 years. I literally grew up around broadcast news, and I know plenty about how the times have changed in broadcasting during my lifetime. I understand the Fairness Doctrine and the First Amendment, and I know that stations today are fighting for their fiscal survival. But there's a big difference between saying you're trying to present different viewpoints and actually doing it. From here, the other side of the radio, it sure sounds like there isn't a whole hell of a lot being done to counter the right-wing assault.

Jim Naugle: merely an asshole, or the biggest asshole in politics?

I'm not sure what the next item on the "gay agenda" is (Jeebus, I hate that expression), but freakishly bigoted Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle (right) had a few words to say this morning to local hate radio station WFTL* about the possibility that his successor -- he leaves office this year thanks to term limits -- might be gay. Two openly gay candidates, Dean Trantalis and Earl Rynerson, are in the race to replace the hateful douchebag.

Here's a transcript of Naugle's conversation (.mp3) with WFTL hosts Russ Morley and Michael Woulfe, starting at about 2:05 into the audio. You will not believe what this fucking idiot Naugle says. Seriously.

MORLEY: Let's talk about your legacy here for a second. How long have you been the mayor of Fort Lauderdale?

NAUGLE: I've been mayor for -- I'm in my 18th year, and on the [city] commission I'm in my 24th year.

MORLEY: Your 18 years as mayor of Fort Lauderdale -- obviously a very popular candidate, winning reelection year after year ...

NAUGLE: Well, many years no one really wanted the job, so ...

[laughter]

WOULFE: Who could blame 'em?

MORLEY: And a courageous guy at that. So, you talk about -- I know you're not the president of the United States, but you've been a good mayor of Fort Lauderdale, represented the city well, and you talk about "legacy" -- do you want to be remembered as the guy who said "No gay sex in public restrooms?" That's the only thing you're gonna be remembered by?

NAUGLE: Well, you know, I would like to be remembered as one of the first politicians who rejected political correctness and did what's right, and I think that as time goes on, more and more -- you know, political correctness can have deadly consequences, and that's what happening in Broward County, where county elected officials are ignoring the problems, the explosion that we've had in new cases of AIDS among men having sex with men, and they're ignoring that out of political correctness because they don't want to get the rap of the radical gay lobby.

And ... but I've been willing to stand up and say, hey, look, this is a problem, people are dying. It's a very costly disease, and we've been reducing activity in our parks and public places in the city. We've made arrests, we've gotten the county Convention and Visitors Bureau to quit spending tax dollars attracting visitors to the bathhouses, so -- no, I think being remembered as someone that didn't let political correctness get in the way of doing the right thing is a pretty good legacy.

WOULFE: Hear, hear!

MORLEY: But on the other hand, you know, you're also being viewed as anti-gay, especially with the remark about gay people not being happy, or not being "gay," that they're unhappy, and things like that ...

NAUGLE: Well, you know, that remark was not made, and it was ...

MORLEY: Was not made at all?

NAUGLE (continuing): It was printed by a reporter at the Sun-Sentinel who has a history of taking things out of context and misquoting, and what I did say was that I use the term -- I prefer to use the term "homosexual" instead of the Sun-Sentinel-approved word "gay," and they made a big deal out of that.

But I've had calls and letters and e-mails of support from many members of the homosexual community that say, Jim, you're absolutely right, it's disgusting that men would go to a park and perform sex acts in front of children, and many -- I have many supporters in the homosexual community that reject this kind of behavior.

MORLEY: Well, you know, Jim, you're not the first person I've heard say that -- 'cause we're all three old enough here, Mike and I and you are all three old enough to remember that the term "gay" used to mean "happy" at one point in time, and how the male homosexuals got "gay" and the women got "lesbian" I'll never know. I guess they get first pick.

NAUGLE: And the poor people on that island in Greece that have to put up with that ...

MORLEY: And "gay Paree!" I mean, is the whole city homosexual? I don't think so. All right, let's ask you this here this morning ...

NAUGLE: Well, back to the two gentlemen running for mayor. I think that a homosexual does have a chance to be elected mayor in Fort Lauderdale, if they reject that notion that it's okay to take over our parks and public places with that kind of activity -- I mean, if a responsible homosexual can run for office and reject that kind of activity, if a responsible homosexual were to run for office and do something about the AIDS crisis here, recognizing that promiscuous activity has a heavy, you know, cost on human life and dollars, I think that they would have a chance to be elected.

MORLEY: Jim, we're running out of time here this morning -- tell us, when's your last day as mayor?

NAUGLE (laughing): Oh, some day in March -- I think it might be March 16th or 17th, somewhere in there.

MORLEY: Oh, that far away? Oh, great!

NAUGLE: No countdown clock.

MORLEY: All right. Always a pleasure to talk to you. Mayor Jim Naugle, Fort Lauderdale's mayor, on News-Talk 850 WFTL.

I find it difficult to believe that there can be a bigger assclown in any elected office anywhere (well, outside of Washington, D.C., at least) than this lunatic Jim Naugle. His endless, creepy obsession with gay life and AIDS and the ridiculous perception that all gay men (and, presumably, only gay men) are promiscuous would be hilarious if it weren't so deranged.

A typical disgusting conservative shit-for-brains, Naugle conveniently ignores facts, or contorts the facts so grossly that they are barely recognizable, all to justify his skewed, backwards, fascist worldview. Regarding the gay/happy mess, here's how the Sun-Sentinel originally reported it a year ago:

"The homosexual newspaper said it's the 'gay parking lot.' That's not me saying that," Naugle said in the interview, "that's what they said. I don't use the word 'gay.' I use the word 'homosexual.' Most of them aren't gay. They're unhappy."

Yes, Jim, as you pointed out today, you use the word "homosexual" instead of "gay." But you also explained why you do that, you dumb cretin: because they're not "gay," they're "unhappy." As for the "poor people on that island in Greece," I guess you're referring to Lesbos, and guess what, Jimbo? The word "lesbian" really comes from Lesbos, you stupid fuck!

What's a "responsible homosexual," Jim? And how do you define "political correctness?" If it means "respecting all people despite their differences with me," then I guess you can count me as "politically correct," too -- of course, I prefer to think of it as "being a decent human being and member of society," which would pretty much count you out.

And, Jim, do you have any idea that AIDS hasn't been a "gay man's disease" since, like, the 1980s?! As of June 2008, "men who have sex with men" accounted for barely a third of HIV/AIDS cases in Broward County (PDF) -- did you know that? No, of course not, because who gives a shit about facts, right? Not only that, Jim, but according to Broward County's own statistics (PDF), the incidence of AIDS has decreased among males (by percentage vs. females) over the last ten years:

click image for larger version

No, Jim, all of this would be news to you because you're just an ignorant asshole.

Look, I realize I'm an uncivil lefty blogger, but I don't normally spew invective like this even against the worst offenders in the Bush crime syndicate. There's just something about the visceral hate that Jim Naugle has for certain segments of society (not just gays) that makes me truly, deeply angry. I'll celebrate when he leaves office -- and thereby leaves public life for good.

P.S. Fuck you too, Russ Morley and Michael Woulfe.

---

* WFTL's lineup rogues' gallery includes Dr. Laura, Bill O'Reilly, Michael "Savage" Weiner, Laura Ingraham, and Dennis Miller, plus a whole gang of local wingnut assholes.

Naugle-hyde?

Actually, he didn't hide, but Jim Naugle's much-ballyhooed (well, here on Blast Off!, anyway) guest hosting gig on Hate-Talk 850 WFTL didn't really come to pass today. It's just as well, because I was only able to listen to the last 15 minutes or so myself. (So much for supporting fellow talk radio folks, eh?)

Because of the tragic shooting death of a Broward County sheriff's deputy this morning, Hate-Talk 850 apparently spent most of Naugle's appearance covering the ensuing manhunt. During the time I listened, the host (I guess the Batshit Crazy Mayor was more of a guest-co-host than I expected) explained that they were not able to get to the key issues regarding the "homosexual community" (note the refusal to use the word "gay," because, of course, they're unhappy) due to the news coverage, but that they definitely would have Naugle back on the show another time.

I have to give Naugle credit for staying consistent with his message, though. In the roughly eight minutes of actual talk time I heard this morning, Naugle urged listeners to "pray for" the families of the slain sheriff's deputy (and another deputy shot earlier this week) no fewer than four times. That's one prayer request every two minutes -- an outstanding rate of Religious Right self-aggrandizement for any fill-in radio host, that's for sure.

So, stay tuned in the near future for Naugle II: Fundie Boogaloo. I may yet have my chance to piss off the Wingnuts of the Wang™ ...

Reminder: you may have to clean off your radio tomorrow ...

... because it's going to be covered with shit after Jim Naugle's done with it.

Naugle, Fort Lauderdale's famously bigoted, homophobic mayor, will be guest-hosting the "Mitchell & Morley in the Morning" show tomorrow from 6 to 9 a.m. (Eastern) on south Florida's Hate-Talk 850 WFTL. If he's taking callers, I might even try to call in myself, just to see if ol' Batshit Crazy Jim will CUT MY MIC!!! or whatever.

Listen live through the link above, or just click here to go straight to the stream.

And make sure you have plenty of paper towels around to mop up the vile spewage.

Today's sign of the apocalypse: Mayor Naugle will guest host a radio show

Man, they'll let anyone host a radio show, won't they?

This coming Friday, Fort Lauderdale's homophobic and utterly ludicrous mayor Jim Naugle will guest host "Mitchell & Morley in the Morning" on NewsHate-Talk 850, WFTL. The show will air from 6:00 to 9:00 in the morning local time.

Naugle is no stranger to controversy. He recently made news by inciting the South Florida Gay & Lesbian community after making comments about a planned $250,000 public toilet and how it would help prevent homosexual sex encounters. When he announced a press conference to “apologize,” his apology was to the citizens of Fort Lauderdale for underestimating the problem of men having sex in public restrooms.

He says he uses the term "homosexual," not "gay," because gays are "unhappy."

Naugle has been a City Commissioner since 1985 and was elected Mayor in 1991. He’s now in his 6th term in that position: the longest serving Mayor in the history of Fort Lauderdale. Although a lifelong Democrat, Naugle frequently votes for and supports Republicans, earning the title “renegade democrat” from the Washington Post.

This guy is a sick, twisted idiot, and WFTL's decision to give him a forum from which to broadcast his hate is unconscionable. However, I'm sadly forced to admit that it probably will increase ratings, too, which undoubtedly is the point. It's also not surprising that this brilliant idea comes from Hate-Talk 850, which also carries such assbags as Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage Weiner, and Laura Ingraham, and whose website includes gems like "No Amnesty! Secure the Borders! Deport Illegals!" and really balanced polls like this one:

What should we do about the question of illegal immigration in the U.S.?

• All illegals should be thrown out of the U.S. immediately and our borders closed.



• Close our borders, work with the ones currently here and come up with some new immigration laws.



• The current immigration laws are just fine. Force everyone who is here illegally to abide by them.



• Amnesty for all current illegal immigrants and let anyone who wants come to this land of opportunity for work!



• I don't care about illegal immigration. It doesn't affect me at all

If you've been reading Blast Off! recently, you know that Naugle's comments lately, about a public restroom on the beach and a gay-themed library, are nothing short of outright hate speech and bigotry. Yet, because the hate-radio barons will stop at nothing to allow people to air their deranged viewpoints, Naugle's going to get his three hours.

I'm all for the First Amendment, and certainly Hate-Talk 850 can do whatever it wants in this regard. But don't be surprised if I call in Friday morning ...