Although belated, KGUN 9 in Arizona deserves some praise for a tremendous take-down of William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC.
“…[A]nd if attacked vigorously, we’ll defend ourselves with equal vigor,” said Forrest Carr, News Director at KGUN 9 in a statement posted on their site about the conflict.
Gheen has always had a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who differs in opinion from him, leading him into public controversies any normal person would be ashamed of, so the dust-up is typical behavior from the PAC president. Last year, Gheen took on the Church of Latter-Day Saints, hoping to challenge their influence in Utah. In 2010, Gheen also caused a stir when he demanded that Senator Linsdey Graham (R-SC) reveal whether or not he was gay, and if the Democrats were using this “secret” to blackmail him into supporting immigration reform.
KGUN9 defended itself after Gheen attacked the station for a viewer-submitted question it asked GOP congressional contender Jesse Kelly, whom ALIPAC endorsed, that discussed ALIPAC’s connections to white nationalist groups. We’ve reported before on Gheen giving his attention to the anti-Semitic American Free Press, and the same problem has been around for years for other Arizona GOP hopefuls. JD Hayworth had to answer some uncomfortable questions about ALIPAC when Sen. John McCain called the group’s associations into question in 2010. That began a multi-day fracas with Gheen, eventually leading him to say that KGUN 9 had “blood on its hands” and make other absurd claims.
KGUN 9 eventually laid down the law in a lengthy open letter, not about to have its credibility unwarrantedly questioned, let alone by someone like Gheen. After pulling out some of Gheen’s trademark race war-evocative slogans, The letter concluded by asking Gheen: “You and your media-slandering friends should try this logic on for size: if journalists are supporters, upholders and defenders of democracy, and you have declared us to be your enemy, what does that make you?”
Read the full letter, titled “PAC of Lies” here:
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/154264545.html?action=deletecomment&cid=91937436&page=1