Thank You - Now Please Stop (Michael Graham and WMAL)

MichaelGraham.com ^ | August 2, 2005 | Michael Graham

[CharlesWayneCT]

From Michael Graham:

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2005

THANK YOU....NOW PLEASE STOP!!!! On behalf of my friends who work hard at 630 WMAL every day, I'm asking all of you who've expressed your support for me to do me a HUGE personal favor: Please stop. The volume of calls and emails is hurting the ability of some very good people to do their jobs, and trust me--your message has been received.

Am I overwhelmed by the fact that websites and blogs have spontaneously risen up across the DC area and around the country to express their support? Yes, more than you know. I am flattered and amazed and humbled and generally astonished.

But if you really want to see a positive resolution to this story, I'm asking all you bloggers and callers and emailers and fellow First-Amendment freaks to please stop contacting 630 WMAL. Please. I'm begging you.

I don't know how many ways there are to say "Thank you," but I want to use them all. Thanks for what you've done, for the history you've made in Washington radio, and thanks now for sitting back for a few days and watching how things work out.

And stay tuned. Literally.

--Michael Graham.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Don't know exactly what this means, but Michael wants people to STOP writing to WMAL. It sounds very positive, although I suppose it could also be that WMAL is unhappy with all the attention and would like him to make it stop.

But if you are writing just to support Michael, it seems he would like you to stop that now.

[CharlesWayneCT]

hope this doesn't bother anybody.

[Captain Rhino]

The volume of calls and emails is hurting the ability of some very good people to do their jobs, and trust me--your message has been received.

Probably interfering with execution of station operations to the point were even the people in management who support him are annoyed - not to mention the receptionists answering the phones and/or screening the emails.

Move onto to Disney (the parent company who made the decision to suspend)?

[Samurai_Jack]

You Asked for it!!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

But if you really want to see a positive resolution to this story, I'm asking all you bloggers and callers and emailers and fellow First-Amendment freaks to please stop contacting 630 WMAL. Please. I'm begging you.

Hey, Michael! You were the one who appealed to your listeners and the folks here at FR (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453154/posts ) for help in saving your job, and now that we've brought the roof down on WMAL, you're backhanding us like this? What gives???? Your latest message here is pretty off-putting, and I would suggest that you consider its implications for future support if something like this ever happens again. I, for one, am pretty miffed at your sudden change in attitude here. And weren't you suppoed to be on vacation anyway?

[jimfree]

Hey, Michael! You were the one who appealed to your listeners and the folks here at FR (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453154/posts ) for help in saving your job, and now that we've brought the roof down on WMAL, you're backhanding us like this? What gives???? Your latest message here is pretty off-putting, and I would suggest that you consider its implications for future support if something like this ever happens again. I, for one, am pretty miffed at your sudden change in attitude here. And weren't you suppoed to be on vacation anyway?

Too much of a good thing is too much. The obstruction has cleared; take your hand off the horn.

Michael is "vacationing" by working at Fisher House.

[conservativecorner]

You can bet that we will all be watching this closely even if we don't contact the station at this point. If he's terminated, you ain't seen nothin' yet 630!

[CharlesWayneCT]

I just want it to be clear -- Michael posted this on his own web page. I copied it over here.

I have no idea what kind of message Michael would have written to the troops over here if he had done it himself. He posted THIS message after midnight on his web site while on vacation. I can imagine all sorts of good reasons why he was short, from simply having a slow connection and not a lot of time, to having to "show" the station that he was not being malicious. I have no inside knowledge.

Michael had nothing to do with posting this over here.

[Capriole]

now that we've brought the roof down on WMAL, you're backhanding us like this? What gives????

What gives is that WMAL management is not responsible for Michael's present difficulties--ABC/Disney is--so continuing to inundate the people who support Michael at WMAL is counterproductive. The message has been received at WMAL and has been passed on to upper management.

Your latest message here is pretty off-putting, and I would suggest that you consider its implications for future support if something like this ever happens again. I, for one, am pretty miffed at your sudden change in attitude here.

You miff easily. Michael's communication was pleasantly written and full of deep gratitude for the support; he is just asking supporters not to destroy the progress that has been made by continuing to tie up WMAL's server(s).

And weren't you suppoed to be on vacation anyway?

They have internet access at most places people can go on vacation, you know.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

To CharlesWayneCT: My mistake and I offer my apologies. I had initially thought that Michael had posted this message here just like he had posted all the others:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1450263/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1450263/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453003/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453154/posts


Judging by his post to 'chuckpez' concerning whether or not his suspension was a stunt, he is clearly angry at the station, as well as ABC Radio. In his other posts, he implies that the way to his reinstatement lies through WMAL to ABC Radio's management. Therefore, when he posted those messages here at FR and on his website, and also contacted the Washington Post Democrat, he knew full well that he was unslipping the dogs of war against both WMAL and ABC Radio. Fair enough, since bombarding them and their advertisers with email and phone calls that was the same tactic that CAIR was using against him.

Now that the mission is accomplished though, he calls off the 'dogs' with a brusque note telling us all to "stop" it. I don't take issue with his current need to take the pressure off the station, which was apparently grinding to a halt because the avalanche of email and phone calls on his behalf, but I do not like how he did it, with a message that sounds very annoyed at those people who rose to his defense in this matter. Maybe it was really late when he wrote it, and/or he was really tired, but I think he could have said something else besides "Please. I'm begging you."

They have internet access at most places people can go on vacation, you know.

Yes, I know that, but in his message of Saturday, July 30, he asks for help in monitoring the web for any further developments since he will be away on vacation and hard pressed to keep up with the news.

You miff easily. Michael's communication was pleasantly written and full of deep gratitude for the support; he is just asking supporters not to destroy the progress that has been made by continuing to tie up WMAL's server(s).

Yes, I miff easily when I feel like I may be getting my chain jerked. Don't get me wrong, I like Michael and enjoy his show very much, but I didn't see any real pleasantness in his note to his listeners on his website, just a terse "PLEASE STOP" Maybe I'm just in a cranky mood today, but I think he could have said this way better than he did.

[rabidralph]

It's a simple request. Michael is just letting us know that we got the job done. You sound like a disgruntled hanger-on.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Who me? A disgruntled hanger-on? Nope. At least I don't think so.

[Cyber Liberty]

Didn't the radio station's management support Graham when the Islamists started wailing and rending clothes and stuff? I always thought this was a Disney fiasco.

[spacewarp]

He's not backhanding. He is saying MESSAGE RECEIVED AND JOB WELL DONE! Now, let's go back to the original mission.

Paul

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

O.K., I'm obviously out of line here. Therefore, I would like to apologize to Michael and everyone else for my reading this thing wrong. I agree that it's now time to get back to the real business at hand, namely putting CAIR out of business or behind bars, preferably the latter.

[Capriole]

How gracious you are. Too many Freepers cannot handle a little error in a gentlemanly way, as you did. Thank you.

[chambley1]

Michael Graham "vacations" while working at Fisher House.

Ibrahim Hooper works by helping terrorists give our troops "vacations" at Fisher House.

[chambley1]

Michael Graham "vacations" while working at Fisher House.

Ibrahim Hooper works by helping terrorists give our troops "vacations" at Fisher House.

[chambley1]

Michael Graham "vacations" while working at Fisher House as Ibrahim Hooper works to give troops "vacations" at Fisher House.

[Sensei Ern]

OK, we will stop. But, we can still send emails, et al complaining to WMAL in general about their inability to stand up for free speech. Just don't name Michael.

FYI, WMAL now runs an ad saying that a plane can't fly without both the left wing and the right wing...touting their new liberal talk host on Sundays. Maybe we should send him pictures of planes that flew back to base, missing a wing?

[jpsb]

Why should the CLAIR supporting, anti-us WMAL be given a break? CLAIR used it's influence to adjust atititues at WMAL so why should we not return the favor? Any and every organization that kisses CLAIRs terrorist butt should at the very least be overwhelmed with out raged emails, letters and calls.

[jpsb]

"What gives is that WMAL management is not responsible for Michael's present difficulties--ABC/Disney is--so continuing to inundate the people who support Michael at WMAL is counterproductive."

Oh now that makes sense, thanks for posting it, emails, letters and calls should be directed at ABC/Disney. ABC didn't they just gives the murderes of Russians school children face time on TV? ABC is low life scum and should have thier license revoked and "reporters" jailed.

[Petronski]

I, for one, am pretty miffed at your sudden change in attitude here.

So be miffed. Be put off even.

[Capriole]

Michael Graham "vacations" while working at Fisher House. Ibrahim Hooper works by helping terrorists give our troops "vacations" at Fisher House.

Great post! Thank you.

[Capriole]

ABC didn't they just gives the murderes of Russians school children face time on TV? ABC is low life scum and should have thier license revoked and "reporters" jailed.

Excellent point. They are scum. Consequently appeals to integrity, honor, decency, and truth are wasted on them. Appeals should be made on the basis of economics only. It must be pointed out to them that conservative Americans or even moderate anti-terrorist Americans have far more buying power than the pro-terrorists they're trying to placate, so infuriating ordinary Americans by muzzling Michael Graham is unsound financial policy. That was the gist of my recent email to their sales manager and I believe it is the only argument that will move them, if anything does.

[Ironmajor]

Michael Graham's request for us to stop inundating 630 WMAL was a gentlemanly request that we should honor - I read it as "job well done" and cease fire. "Bravo Zulu" to all hands. However, I would continue the final protective fires against ABC News (remember - that is where Peter Jennings resides and makes decisions) and the Disney company. Does anyone have their email addresses so we can turn the flamethrowers on them as I believe they were the ones that handed down the edict to 630 WMAL to discipline Michael Graham? (I think 630 WMAL supported him and either ABC News or Disney pulled the rug out from under them.)

Maybe President Bush should have sent Michael Graham to the UN as ambassador, or at the very least, Special Envoy to the middle east. . . .

[PLMerite]

Last thing I heard (a few days back) was that the station had received about 10,000 emails in support of Michael, vice a couple hundred spammed by CAIR.

[Capriole]

Agreed.

[Ironmajor]

That is correct - as reported on 630 WMAL's Chris Core show, and according the to results that Chris Core (6-9pm) reported, 67% were in favor/supportive of Michael Graham.

[Capriole]

It's unclear why you would characterize WMAL as one that "kisses CLAIRs [sic] terrorist butt." It appears not have been the management at WMAL that succumbed to CAIR's pressure and disciplined Michael Graham. If you are going to send email to anyone, kindly accede to Michael's request and send it to ABC or Disney.

I missed the joke somehow--what is the extra letter L in CLAIR supposed to stand for?

[Capriole]

I doubt that more than three people in Washington listen to the nasty-toned, whiny Jerry Klein, whom even WMAL characterizes as their "pet liberal." In other words, he's the only liberal they have on the air, and he's probably only on because nobody listens to the station at all on Sunday evenings so there's no harm done. His whining voice and insinuating manner have to put most people off. According to his resume, he has not previously been successful as a talk-show host, which doesn't surprise me: according to the website "Jerry Klein is 630 WMAL’s Senior Producer, and Producer for The Chris Core Show. He . . .was an award-winning talk-radio host, concert producer, weekly columnist, record store owner, the program director for a non-profit center for community and culture, and a psychological counselor." None of this astonishes. He sounds like a typical liberal and a loser.