There's been a lot of criticism of Islam in general, and some are making the argument that other religions, though they may have some extremists in them now, are not as bad as Islam because of its very nature. What do you make of that, and do you think that Christian extremists are as bad as Muslim extremists?
Absolutely. There are over 2,000 religions that exist in the world, and you really have to understand the history of how they all unraveled. There've been five different versions of the Christian Bible, the latest one being the King James version. I've had the opportunity to review some of the previous versions that have existed. The first one printed by the Gutenberg press, they had some things in there that makes the Quran look very, very tame. Such things as you're supposed to take your wife and children outside and whip them on the Sabbath. That's where that expression comes from, "Beat the devil out of them." I mean that is some bizarre stuff in the Bible. Why the King James version was commissioned was because [the Bible] couldn't be sold to the people in its previous form. Most people don't have a grasp of this sort of history, they only know what their local pastor wants them to know.
The Salon Interviews index -- links to all the interviews related to the Sept. 11 attacks and the events that have followed.
Though you've served in the U.S. Navy, there are still some who would question your motives and your patriotism. What would you say to those who assert you're simply bringing this lawsuit for publicity?
You know, I'm no Johnny-come-lately to this. For the past 30 years, I've been the most ardent defender that the First Amendment has. Sure, they call me a smut peddler, but that doesn't bother me, because I'm a smut peddler who cares. I care about our judicial system. I care about our political process, and I love this country. Most people who wind up putting labels on you and calling you names are mainly doing it out of frustration because they can't think of anything else to say.
After the Flynt Report came out, there was always the possibility that another shoe might drop and that you might have more information you might disclose. During all this time, have your investigators still been looking into the bedrooms of various politicians? Is there more we can ever look forward to?
We've got half-a-dozen good ones we can't go with because they involve phone recordings made in states requiring two-party consent, and some of our sources want too much money. Like they're holding out for the full million dollars. But we still work it.
Have you looked into Ashcroft at all?
Oh, yes, we're quite familiar with his background. He's just an extremely, staunch conservative guy. He's cut from the same cloth as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and the rest of those guys. He just happens to be involved in politics.
A true believer?
I'm not so sure those other guys are true believers or not. It's the way they make their money. I don't know what they believe in. I know one thing, the only thing they can agree on unanimously is sexual repression.
You've lived through the Reagan administration. How would you compare what we're going through now to then?
This is very similar to Reagan. I liked Clinton an awful lot, but I had a great many problems with him too. I think it was extremely difficult for Clinton to stand up for what he believed in. I still think he was a much better president than people give him credit for. You know when I first heard Ronald Reagan say he believed in Armageddon, I thought oh, my, this is it. This is the end. But we managed to get through Reagan, and now we've got the Golden Boy in there. I don't know where he's going to take us. He's every bit as dangerous as Reagan. You see, Reagan had conviction. Bush has got an ego. And there's a huge difference when you start separating out the two.
About the writer
Stephen Lemons is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to Salon. He lives in Los Angeles.
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