I was happily on my way to a Shins concert in Milwaukee when I glanced out the window of the car and saw a Clear Channel building. On the side of the building was a well-lit, enourmous billboard paying homage to the late pope. It's all well and good that Clear Channel or any other business pays tribute to the loss of a religious leader, but in this particular case it was a rude reminder that Clear Channel remains a determined branch of the Republican party. The billboard is just another example of Clear Channel's die hard committment to promoting the Bush agenda in whatever they do. It's been a while since thier underhanded involvement with the Republican party has been present in the media, but they continue to be very active for the conservative agenda.
Most recently Clear Channel refused to fire an ultra-conservative radio personality, Mark Belling, after he called the Hispanic voters in the Milwaukee area "wetbacks". Belling was suspended for a couple of months and issued a formal apology, but since he has returned to the airwaves he has use the term "gook" and declared that neither he or his program has changed. Clear Channel's soft punishment for Belling is not surprising considering that he has been a regular guest on the Rush Limbaugh show and his since become one of the regular radio figures for the uber conservative market. The reality is that Clear Channel continues to shamelessly support the Republican agenda and no one has created a sufficient opposition to stop them.