Who You Gonna Believe. . .

. . . me, or your lyin' ears?

This morning, expecting some fallout from an article published in the Boise Weekly today, "Zeb at the Ranch" listeners were instead treated to an hour-long tirade from Zeb Bell directed at a Twin Falls Times-News letter to the editor writer.

From the letter:

Now having listened to Zeb, I'm troubled that he still is able to hold on to a radio spot. He seems to be an equal opportunity hater targeting not only gays but Hispanics, Native Americans and the race of our president. He refers to people as "cockroaches," "despicable, filthy and low classed" even to the point of encouraging violence. I for one will never set foot into businesses that sponsor this hate. And my state is too great for hate.

That prompted an angry Bell to call the writer a liar in various ways for nearly the entire first hour of the program today, saying he said never said such things despite evidence to the contrary.

Check it out:

And that's what you call a bully, folks.

Update:  For another interesting twist to the letter writing, check out this post at The Political Game.  If true, it appears that an Idaho legislator may have participated in an individual getting a harassing phone call from Zeb.  In fact Zeb bragged about just such a call yesterday.  Check out the audio of that here.

Comments

[Sisyphus]

What an idiot. You would think at the way he rails against bloggers Zeb would know that you have amassed all his juiciest quotes. He acts like its not recorded or something. Oh well, I reckon the way he advances bigotry that I never shoulda given him credit for brains.

Nice cross, counselor.

[Sisyphus]

Didn't he say that he wanted to bang over the head the "dirty vile" "cockroaches" with a hammer and take them out to the trash? Naw, that's not encouraging violence.

[MountainGoat]

Yeah, and I coulda thrown in the one where Keith says he'd like to see a noose and a trap door in the Democratic platform and Zeb laughs. Or the one where he encourages a guy to say he'd do whatever it took to keep people from coming on his property (they were talking about undocumented immigrants). Or the ones where he's said he'd like to punch people in the nose or slap the Iraqi prime minister. Or when he says he'd personally cut of each of a person's fingers if he suspected them of knowing where a bomb was. Or....

[Callisto]

Seems like you just took out a hammer (whoomph!) and scraped up all of Zeb's false claims and threw 'em in the trash. Well done!

[cantyoureadthesigns]

Classic, if more outrageous than the usual behavior by hard core rightwingers. They project their own egregious behavior upon their legitimate critics. Hypocrisy, it's what they do. Sometimes they're so into playing their manipulation game, they have no idea what they're saying, and won't remember saying it either, these carnival barkers like Zeb and John Stokes over in Kalispel. IOW, they're demented, and manifesting in an evil, hateful way.

And there's no possibility of reasoning with them. None. Even if they know what they do is just a put on, as they usually do, they're not going to break out of character, except with their most close family and friends, a handful of people.

Anybody remember Wally George? For gods sakes, look at Michael Weiner (Savage). These freakshows have been in the media for decades.

I've been a fan of talk radio since long before Rush even got on the air. Still am. Was in the southern cal market for a long time, the most diverse talk radio in the nation. I've listened to them all, including bullying whack job bigots like this Zeb.

Perhaps he'll be smart enough to keep out of real legal (likely civil) trouble, but I'd be delighted if he were not, and was taken for every penny he has, including a hefty share of any future earnings, when he lands his next hate radio gig, probably in Utah or Wyoming.

[Coward of the County]

Zeb says he never called anyone a "cockroach" but how many times has he called people "vermin?" Aren't they both "pests?" I don't agree with him, but to call one a liar over species that are regularly dealt with by the Orkin man is ridiculous. Perhaps he needs to look into the mirror.

[Coward of the County]

Another issue: In the third hour yesterday, Bert Stevenson appeared on the program, and refused to apologize for his gay bashing homophobic remarks stating, "I have been this way for the past 40 years and will not apologize. I will not change." More intransigence from a legislator who apparently gets his rocks off through absolute hatred and intransigence. I also heard Zeb bragging that he had spent three hours with Stevenson at his home the past weekend. Did anyone get audio?

[hanjiwa]

MG it seams to me that you and Zeb are two peas in the SAME pod. You say that all he does is spout hate speach. ALL I read in your blog is the hate speach. Hate directed at him. And I can not find one time that violence has erupted because of Zeb Bells talk show. You have your freedom of speach he has his! But thats just my observation. I think it will be interesting to see how long this post stays on the net.

[Coward of the County]

Hanjiwa:

The mere fact that your post has shown up here is a testament to the tolerance of MG. She allows dissent, Zeb does not. He hangs up or berates anyone who disagrees with him. I, and several others, have been banned from his show because he only permits "cheerleaders;" dittoheads who espouse the same hatred.

Zeb has a right to transmit his schlock, but we also have a right to not patronize his sponsors and to ask that the radio station remove his program. There are other conservative hosts out there who don't stoop to the same low level as Zeb.