As the nuclear dust cleared following O'Reilly's DKos blitzkrieg, Lowe's indicated they were pulling their advertising support. Next, the environmental community used the occasion to turn up the heat on Home Depot to stand up to Faux New's global warming propaganda. At first, Home Depot tried to take the high road, saying they would never stoop to using the might of their ad dollars to manipulate program content ("free speech," rah, rah, rah!) So, what happened to explain the following sequence of events?
Last Saturday, I sent the following letter to three Home Depot executives:
If a media outlet held that the Holocaust never happened during WW II, a company like Home Depot would be loathe to support them with advertising revenue. Yet Fox News, which continues to hold that global warming is a myth, when the overwhelming scientific consensus has concluded otherwise, continues to receive support from Home Depot.
You are in a position to let Fox know that this is not acceptable. Fox News would have us believe that global warming is a politically partisan issue, when all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, have to drink the same water and breathe the same air.
One of your competitors, Lowe's, has used its economic muscle to let Fox know that hate speech like Bill O'Reilly's is not something they are willing to continue to support. You could apply the same pressure with regard to their continued propogandizing about the threats to our environment.
I never imagined I would get a response, but today I did, and what did it say?
Dear Rev. XXXXXXX
The Home Depot has a policy that prohibits the running of its
advertising on programs that express strong opinions or political views.
This includes Bill O'Reilly's program.
-The Home Depot, July 2007
Sure sounds like a change of tune or at least a waffle to me.