Liberal radio is airing bad jokes and worst taste (Host Ask For Bush To Be Shot)

New York Daily News ^ | May 12, 2004 | Michael Goodwin

[PJ-Comix]

The United States "is on the slippery slope to theocratic fascism." "The Catholic Church has been secretly encouraging oral sex for years." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "ought to be tortured." President Bush should be taken out and shot.

Those are a few nutso nuggets from the hosts of Air America Radio, which calls itself the new liberal voice. The fledgling network is carried in New York on WLIB, 1190 AM. With the Iraq torture scandal everywhere, I tuned in, expecting to hear sober policy analysis mixed with glee over President Bush's political pickle.

Instead, I got 10 hours of rancid venom directed at the President, Rumsfeld, Rush Limbaugh, the Catholic Church and anyone else the hosts felt like slamming. If you're a card-carrying lib who likes crude sex jokes and a cartoonish echo chamber, Air America is for you.

Take one host's linking the talk of "pulling out" the troops with the claim that "that's what the Catholic Church says about premarital sex." Ha, ha.

The network aims to give Dems a media organization to counter Limbaugh and others on the right who dominate talk radio. (What, National Public Radio and The New York Times aren't enough?)

The signing of comedian and best-selling author Al Franken gave Air America a liberal drawing card. But if his three-hour show on Monday was typical, he could sink the ship instead of saving it.

Two attempts at humor were offensive. In his "oy, oy show," set to Israeli music, a sidekick reads news reports - in this case, the murder of the Russian-backed president of Chechnya. Franken's role is to pipe up with a lighthearted "oy, oy, oy." Yep, nothing tickles the ribs like assassination.

Franken also imitated a priest giving Communion, saying "Body of Christ" when an imagined pedophile priest was in line but "not for you" when pro-choice politicians came up.

The church was a day-long obsession, as was Limbaugh. He is an "awful man," "a pig" and "a Nazi."

Color me confused. If Franken & Co. hate the pill-popping Limbaugh so much, why imitate his tarpit tone? Sounds like Limbaugh has simply driven them nuts.

Missing was the tension that comes from honest debate. Only Franken had guests voicing even slight distance from the party line, which is that John Kerry is perfect except he should attack Bush more.

The queen of venom, Randi Rhodes, followed Franken in the host slot. Her imitation of a cracker military type telling a soldier to "insert this fluorescent light bulb into that man's buttocks" was revolting. She compared U.S. prisons in Iraq to the "Nazi gulag" and said, "The day I say thank you to Rumsfeld is the same day I'll say thank you to the 12 people who raped me."

Rock bottom came when she compared Bush and his family to the Corleones in the "Godfather" saga. "Like Fredo, somebody ought to take him out fishing and phuw," she said, imitating the sound of gunfire.

During a day of torture by radio, I heard ads for Hewlett-Packard, Greyhound and, especially, General Motors. I asked GM why it appeared in such shows.

Ryndee Carney, GM's manager of marketing communications, said the ads were wrongly picked up from an earlier deal with WLIB. She said the station was ordered to "cease and desist" yesterday, and added: "GM will not advertise on any Air America affiliates."

[OldFriend]

WLIB was ever thus. Nothing's changed at all.

[keysguy]

Randi Rhodes was booted out of Miami years ago and wound up in the wacko land of West Palm Bch. She is known as the screeching bit..h on permanent PMS in South Fla. Give the Lib network a few more months and it will be history.

[martin_fierro]

If you're a card-carrying lib who likes crude sex jokes and a cartoonish echo chamber, Air America is for you.

And here I thought NPR and Radio Pacifica already had that market saturated.

[PJ-Comix]

Randi Rhodes once registered here on the FR as BikerChickee in order to promote her radio show (by pretending to be outraged by it).

[finnman69]

RR "They are the Corelones."

Caller "Now we're down to Fredo."

RR "Well,I gotta find, well right, we have the Fredo of the Family is the President of the United States so....why doesn't his father take him, or his brother, one of them, take him out for a little uhhh fishing...."

Caller: "Yes...that's a rowboat"

RR: "You know"

RR:"..Yeah...let em say some Hail Mary's he loves God so much...

Caller: "I bet that Bush does have a little dingy."

RR:"..Yeah take him out, and you know Hail Mary full of grace God is with you....PKKEEWWWWW!(gunshot noise) Works for me.

Caller: "Absolutely, thanks"

RR: "Thank you."

[PJ-Comix]

Give the Lib network a few more months and it will be history.

Give the Lib network a few more months weeks and it will be history.

Give the Lib network a few more months days and it will be history.

Give the Lib network a few more months hours and it will be history.

[CFC__VRWC]

I am betting Franken and Garafolo work for next to nothing if anything....

I don't know about these two, but it seems like the rest of the Err America staff do. There was a bit in the media last week about how the payroll checks bounced!

[finnman69]

You know she is obsessed with FR.

[Steven W.]

Instead, I got 10 hours of rancid venom

DUH ... that's why it's not even appropriate to attempt listening - it's obvious that's all the bitter left has is their hatred of Bush and why it's best - when it comes to this foolish endeavor, just ignore it!

[Ron in Acreage]

Somebody on another thread coined the term 'Tokyo Rhodes'

Guilty here.
She's been spouting her anti-American bile for too many years down here in south florida. She divorced to take the gig with ErrAmerica. Rumor has it.

[Unicorn]

God are they all brain damaged?

[keysguy]

Either way they will never hold sponsors and all but Rhodes are wanna be hosts, and she is just plain nuts.

[God luvs America]

Freep opportunity; here is the skanks site: http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/ (notice nothing about Nic Berg) and here is the skanks message board: http://forum.therandirhodesshow.com/

[eastforker]

I listened to Allen Colmes on Fox Radio the other night. He is a liberal and does not like Bush but he was Fair and Balanced. Air America is pandering to those that don't even vote, that show is not listened to by democrats, it is for punk social leftist that hate America and thank God they don't vote, or even know how to, or what for.

[PJ-Comix]

Could somebody out there listen in to Err America today and see if Al Franken or Randi Rhodes mention this article? Also let us know if Randi is receiving a visit from the Secret Service.

[linn37]

As bad as it(she) is it could be worse. It could be teaching your kids.

[atomicpossum]

the same day I'll say thank you to the 12 people who raped me.

When did this happen?

If it did happen, I bet it was a day she visited a school for the blind...

[Andy from Beaverton]

Yesterday, because of the beheading, she said we should pull our troops out. What a fool! She knows nothing about the enemy we are really fighting.

[Old Sarge]

BAHAAHAAAA!!!

Early nominee for Laugh Of The Day!

[FrankR]

"God are they all brain damaged?"

Yes!