Michael Savage calls for Helen Thomas' WH credentials to be 'stripped immediately; response to Thomas' 'Jews should go back to Poland/Germany; UPDATE: Thomas 'retires

Michael Savage, the popular and controversial syndicated radio talk-show host called for the White House Press office to pull credentials from Helen Thomas, the veteran Washington correspondent who made anti-semitic comments that have circulated wide over the Internet.

Savage devoted his entire Friday program, (heard locally in SF on XTRA Sports AM 860,) to Thomas' remarks, which have been met with outrage from the nation's capital to the West coast.

Savage, who called Thomas a "Hitler with a girdle" was outraged. "The White House and President Obama should strip her of her credentials. Immediately. "

Savage went further: "Where is Rahm Emanuel on this? (Emanuel is Obama's Chief of staff and is Jewish)

Savage posted Thomas' comments on his website.

Officials from the Anti-Defamation League were not available at press time, but a spokesman said the organization would review Thomas' remarks and have a statement on Monday.

Attempts to reach Thomas were unsuccessful. She has been covering the White House for well over five decades and is a veteran DC reporter.

UPDATE:  6-7-10: Helen Thomas has announced that she is retiring, effective immediately, according to a statement from Hearst News Service. The announcement comes amid an uproar over the veteran journalist's comments about Israel.

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Helen Thomas tells Jews to go back to Germany

NBC Bay Area plugs CBS5's Bastida

In the "what the hell is this?" dept. we give you this little ditty.

NBC Bay Area reposted a CBS5 Ken Bastida segment on Lake Merritt. The post, written by Sajid Farooq, even refers to Bastida as a "veteran reporter" and openly plugs CBS5. Its still on the NBC BA web site.

Humn.

Niceof NBC Bay Area to acknowledge that, yes, indeed, Bastida is a veteran damn good one at that; I just wonder what NBC Bay Area reporters and anchors think about this.

Not to mention the NBC Bay Area suits.


I called one and they, uh, just sort of chuckled.

I don't think they were laughing later. Weird stuff.






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Ump's blown call will dominate sports media Thursday; I'm sick of it already and it hasn't even begun, (yet)

Sports talk hosts have a collective woody today.

Knibber and the 9-Nooner guy finally will talk about sports, (sort of.)

The Internet will be abuzz of stories. Gwen Knapp of the SF Chronicle is merely the first to predict a sort of MLB armageddon with human umpires.

Yes, Jim Joyce blew a call Wednesday night costing Detroit pitcher Armando Gallarga a perfect game. Yeah, it sucks. So, now what? Joyce copped to it immediately after the game. Does that make it right? No, but I can think of a lot of more worse things.

ESPN, the blogs, the talk shows, have a topic for today.

I'm going to listen to PBS and pretend I'm George Clooney.

Have a nice day.


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Cohn on Lincecum: 'NL scout told me he has a 'dead arm

Santa Rosa Press-Democrat blogger, Lowell Cohn told knibber today a "scout in the National league told me that Tim Lincecum has a 'dead arm."

Call the authorities and pray that Cohn's scout is wrong, but he's not known for making outlandish posts, so take this religiously.

Or maybe start the Matt Cain fan club.









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Local TV news is sloppy on the Israeli commando flotilla story

Herd-mentality local-TV news coverage of the Israeli commando attack on the "peace aid"-flotilla  reached new lows the past few days, once again confirming that Bay Area TV news might want to stick to the basics and let the networks cover the biggies.

The local TV guys have a set, tired formula: Israel story; converge on the Israeli consulate and tape the angry mob/demonstrators.

Later, send oblivious "reporter" to, say, UC Berkeley, and get the usual, predictable sound bite that condemns Israel.

Lazy.

My problem with local newsroom assignment editors is that if they're going to delve into an international story with local connections, (4 activists were from the Bay Area) then they should at least give equal time to the other side and attempt to get their story, hello!

All we seem to get here is the usual scene we ALWAYS get: demonstrators with convenient ready-made signs that are anti-Israel, with a smidgen of pro-Israel counter protesters. How about a sound bite from them? God forbid while wasting time on a two-shot, a reporter attempt to interview the consul-general.

Of course that would require hard work and objectivity, but since when did that logic enter the equation?

This post isn't about who's right on this issue and the Middle East in general. We'll leave that debate to the KGO radio guys and KQED/PBS crowd, but it would be nice to get a little bit of balance. It's not that difficult a task, but I'm beginning to wonder.

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Owens KGO passion; Lewis shines on KCBS; Moskowitz; Bay Area media notes

**Ronn Owens spirited debate on the Israeli commando raid over the weekend, provided a heated and sparked series of calls on KGO this morning between Owens and his listeners. Trite as it is, it was good radio.

No matter how you feel about the Middle-East debate, and the Israeli action on Sunday in particular, Owens back-and-forth with callers on this issue always brings out the best in Bay Area radio; its a KGO specialty and one of Owens staples. I wish he'd stick to that formula.

**In the big picture, Dave Lewis' nightly sports updates on KCBS (M-F at :15 and :45 past the hour) don't rattle the senses, but Lewis'spots are the most fluid, crisp, and well-written reports on local SF radio. Lewis isn't flamboyant, cute, or dramatic--he just gives a nice and steady series of updates mixed with an occasional actuality. Keep it simple and straight. Nice work, and get this: Lewis reports from a makeshift studio at his home garage.

**Roxy Bernstein has joined XTRA Sports "JJ and the Mouth" (Noon- 3 PM M-F). The CAL basketball announcer and college football tonsil is a welcome addition to a program that could use a little spark and Bernstein's mix of humor, insights and opinionated takes will add needed juice to this sports cluster.

**Anybody else like me notice that its been a while since KTVU's Gasia Mikaelian has been on the Channel 2 airwaves? I'll have to make a call.

**Tax maven Steve Moskowitz is now firmly ensconced on KSFO, KNBR, KCBS and KGO--Comcast SportsNet Bay Area too, (where he also is the legal analyst); For all I care, Moskowitz can buy the entire market--wait a minute, he already has.

**KTVU posted dominant May ratings, (again) across the board; in the morning, mid-day, and evening and nightly news. This isn't news because KTVU always wins, while the others keep flailing away.

**Quick psst. to KNBR's Dan Dibley: too cute and shtick gone overboard. Be a little straight now and then.

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