KVOR's Johnson: "I love that idea" of "nuk[ing]" Iran's oil fields

Summary: Responding to a caller's suggestion that the United States "nuke [Iran's] oil fields," host Russ Johnson of News Radio 740 KVOR exclaimed on the September 25 broadcast of the Afternoon Show, "I love that idea," and added, "It's a solution." Johnson similarly agreed with a caller's suggestion on a previous show that striking Muslim holy sites "would serve a lot of strategic value."

While discussing tension with Iran on the September 25 broadcast of News Radio 740 KVOR's Afternoon Show, host Russ Johnson endorsed a caller's suggestion that the United States "nuke [Iran's] oil fields," exclaiming, "I love that idea" and asserting, "It's a solution." As Colorado Media Matters noted, during an August 7 Afternoon Show discussion of U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-CO) comment that the United States could use the threat of a strike on Muslim holy sites to deter a nuclear attack by Islamic terrorists, Johnson agreed with a caller's suggestion that "it would serve a lot of strategic value ... to take out something like Mecca."

Similarly, on the August 9 broadcast of the Afternoon Show, guest host Seth Warren responded to a caller who suggested that the United States "go over there and just wipe 'em [terrorists] out" by saying, "[W]hen I mouth off at parties about how we need to just absolutely nuke the, the Middle East, you would probably be the guy that went, 'Uh-huh, yeah, you're right. You're right.' "

Earlier in his September 25 conversation, Johnson had questioned the necessity of a nuclear attack on Iran, asking, "Why do we want to nuke them? ... why don't we just want to blow 'em to smithereens?" Johnson then asked, "Doesn't it seem hypocritical that we would be upset and worried about their nuclear intentions for power, and then we would go and nuke them?" Later in the show, Johnson said, "See, this is why I love talk radio, because you would never hear this opinion in proper conversation with somebody at a cocktail party. They would never say, 'Nuke the oil fields,' " before adding, "I love that idea, though."

From the September 25 broadcast of News Radio 740 KVOR's Afternoon Show (Live and Local):

CALLER: I think we need to look at Iran a little differently. We don't have to nuke -- to bomb -- them. We don't have to invade them. We just have to nuke the oil fields, make 'em uninhabitable --

JOHNSON: Why do we want to nuke them? Why can't we just -- why do we want to nuke them? Why do we, why don't we just want to blow 'em to smithereens?

CALLER: Because if we nuke the oil fields, they will be uninhabitable for at least 50 years --

JOHNSON: Doesn't it seem hypocritical that --

CALLER: They will cease to exist as a power in the world.

JOHNSON: [Caller], I'm trying to understand where you're coming from here. Doesn't it seem hypocritical that we would be upset and worried about their nuclear intentions for power, and then we would go and nuke them?

CALLER: We shouldn't care what the rest of them think of us. We should go over there and nuke their oil fields --

JOHNSON: Uh-huh.

CALLER: -- make 'em uninhabitable for 50 years --

JOHNSON: Wow.

CALLER: -- and they will cease to exist as a power. You know, they won't have anything that everybody wants or needs.

JOHNSON: What if we need that oil? Then wouldn't that make it difficult for us to get in there?

CALLER: Well, sometimes your pride -- and you gotta do things, then take the lumps. And I'd rather nuke all of 'em and say, "To hell with it!" and make do.

JOHNSON: See, this is why I love talk radio, because you would never hear this opinion in proper conversation with somebody at a cocktail party. They would never say, "Nuke the oil fields." I love that idea, though. Why not?

CALLER: And we have, because --

JOHNSON: It's a solution.

CALLER: [unintelligible] -- the money, and that would take away all of their income.

—E.B.