Bradlee Dean, a Christian ministry founder, conservative radio host, and rock drummer has sued Rachel Maddow for claiming he advocated execution of gays on his radio show in May 2010.
Dean is seeking "in excess" of $50 million in damages and stated in his lawsuit that reporting by Maddow and the Minnesota Independent's Andy Birkey has harmed his reputation, hurt his livelihood, and led to death threats against him. Dean is also suing MSNBC, the cable network's parent company NBC, Birkey and the Minnesota Independent.
Maddow first criticized Dean on her program Aug. 9, 2010 after describing how the ministry created by Dean, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International, received money from Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Maddow quoted Dean saying this on his radio show May 15, 2010 and played an edited excerpt (video clip after page break) --
DEAN: Muslims are calling for the execution of homosexuals in America. ... they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination. If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that. That's what you're seeing today in America.
Maddow added this disclaimer --
MADDOW: Mr. Bradlee with two e's later clarified that he didn't really mean to sanction murder of gay people. He said, "We have never and will never call for the execution of homosexuals." Which is nice.
Maddow also said other remarks by Dean on his radio show could be "problematic," such as Dean's claim that gay sexual predators "on average" molest 117 people before they are stopped.
The openly gay Maddow mentioned Dean again on her show May 11 this year, citing him as an example of ties between "bloodthirsty" conservative Christians such as Lou Engle and Republicans running for president. Maddow played the same edited clip of Dean's remarks from his radio show in May 2010, without adding the disclaimer. She followed by saying this --
MADDOW: Foreign enemies rising up against America because Christians aren't doing the job of killing the gays.
Here's what Dean said on his radio show, including what Maddow didn't let her audience hear (audio) --
DEAN: As a matter of fact I was just going to call for the next point that I was going to talk about here, Kelly, was that Muslims are calling for the execution of homosexuals in America. This was just released yesterday and it shows you that they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do. Because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination. And I continuously reach out to the homosexual communities on this radio show, Kelly, and I warn them, listen, which ones love?
You know, here you have Obama condemning and behind the backs of the homosexuals, but to their faces he's promoting it. Because he's the one that said he would never, no matter which way the winds go, Obama said, he is not going to condemn or go against the Muslim nation. He's also the guy that said we're no longer a Christian nation, we're a Muslim nation.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: You better back up!DEAN: As a matter of fact, folks, we just posted a picture of Obama and it says right over the top of his head, In God We Trust, and I said, somebody better talk to Obama. So check that out on SonsofLibertyRadio.com, SonsofLibertyRadio.com. But back to the point, the homosexuals, they need to listen. See, what we have, I say this to my gay friends out there, the ones that continuously nitpick everything I say, in their defense and for their eternal destination, Hollywood is promoting immorality and God of the heavens in Jesus's name is warning you to turn from the wrath to come. Yet you have Muslims calling for your execution. If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that. That's what you're seeing today in America. Read Leviticus 26, America.
But, anyways, I don't mean to be so long-winded, Kelly, go on ...
Maddow has been on vacation this week and has not responded to the lawsuit on her show. MSNBC described the allegation as "baseless" and said "we stand by our reporting," according to TVNewser.
