CC Outdoor refuses Harry Shearer ad

As the presidential election heats up, everyone will be more sensitive to all kinds of political statements. That's likely the underlying reason Clear Channel declined to run a photo of President Bush with a bone through his nose on 12 electronic billboards in Chicago, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The image was to promote comedian Harry Shearer's CD ''Songs From the Bushmen'' -- a musical satire of the Bush administration, coming out July 7.

People in Shearer's camp said they were surprised by Clear Channel's e-mail curtly stating, ''We will not accept the pictorial copy'' for the ad.

While a representative from Clear Channel declined to comment directly on the incident, a source at the company told the paper, "While we firmly believe in freedom of speech, we [as a company] cannot be seen as promoting political views of any kind,'' and explained the impact of this photo would put Clear Channel in that position. ''No matter what I personally think of President Bush, this pictorial representation went over the line, in our opinion,'' added the source.

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