Federal Express ordered its ads removed from the ABC late-night
series Politically Incorrect
on Tuesday after the show's host referred to recent U.S. military actions
as "cowardly."
After receiving complaints from around the country, including Houston,
Federal Express reviewed
Monday's edition of the show and decided to act, company spokesperson
Carla Richards said.
"The (30-second) ad that runs during that show has been pulled for the indefinite future," Richards said.
Dinesh D'Souza, a panelist on Monday's show, quibbled with a reference
made by President George W. Bush
that the suicide bombers were cowards, noting that they gave up their
lives for whatever may be their cause.
"These are warriors," D'Souza said, "and we have to realize that the
principles of our way of life are
in conflict with people in the world."
"We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles
away," said Bill Maher,
the host of Politically Incorrect. "That's cowardly. Staying
in the airplane when it hits
the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly."
"I was just appalled," said Dan Patrick, general manager of KSEV (700
AM) and host of a radio talk show.
"When you call our men in the (armed forces) cowards and our military
policy cowardly, and when you call
these hijackers `warriors,' that should not be tolerated."
Patrick urged listeners to call KTRK and urge the station to stop carrying
the "irresponsible" program.
Other hosts of KSEV talk shows made the same request.
ABC issued a statement saying, in part, that Politically Incorrect
"celebrates freedom of speech and
encourages the animated exchange of ideas and opinions. Understandably,
this forum can oftentimes
arouse intense emotions, especially during such a sensitive time.
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