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Jul 22 2008 10:45AM EDT

Autism Rant Sadly in Character for Wacko Savage

Are you shocked by Michael Savage's recent foray into pediatric neurology? Then you haven't been paying attention.

The right-wing radio psycho is under fire for saying that autism is almost exclusively the result of bad parenting, not a legitimate disease. In 99 out of 100 cases, he said, it could be fixed with the mere expedient of a parent willing to say "Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot." (His words, not mine.)

Called out for his unscientific insensitivity by Media Matters, Savage stood his ground, insisting his comments were "meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as 'autistic.'" (The "and children" is my favorite part of that, suggesting that all the autistic kids paying attention to the controversy will take note and suddenly shake off their diagnoses.)

Attacking disabled children and their struggling parents may be seen as a new low for Savage, née Michael Alan Weiner. Then again, it may not, considering some of his past outbursts...

-July 2003: Savage is fired from MSNBC after addressing a caller who identified himself as gay as a "sodomite" and telling him to "get AIDS and die," among other suggestions.

-October 2006: Savage says former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright should be tried and hung for treason.

-March 2007: Savage says America brought 9/11 on itself with its tolerance for sex-change operations and gay parenting.

-June 2007: Savage calls gay parenting "child abuse," not for the first time.

-July 2007: Savage suggests that Democrats are responsible for a seizure suffered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

-Pretty much every month for the past 13 years: Savage compares someone to a Nazi, or says some liberal would have cooperated with the Nazis given half a chance.

Thanks to Media Matters for its handy index of Savagisms.

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