Savage fired for savaging caller

MILL VALLEY, Calif., July 8 (UPI) -- MSNBC talk show host Michael Savage has been fired for calling a caller a "Sodomite" and "a piece of garbage," and telling him he should die of AIDS.

Savage hosted "Savage Nation," a right-wing talk show that frequently has upset gay and lesbian groups.

Savage opened up on a caller during a discussion of air travel, first asking about the individual's sexual orientation and then snarling: "You should only get AIDS and die, you pig." He added: "Go eat a sausage and choke on it."

MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines called Savage's remarks "extremely inappropriate."

The New York Daily News said Savage, one of radio's hottest hosts, has declined to comment on his firing.

Savage is a founder of the Paul Revere Society, based in Mill Valley, Calif., which advocates deporting illegal immigrants and abolishing entitlement programs.

MSNBC had hoped his radio success would translate into television success but that failed to happen. His show replaced liberal Phil Donahue.