.....
Posted on 02/16/2006 10:34:28 PM PST by Impeach98
.....
Will Air America's chicanery pay off?
--------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 17, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Is it a dirty scam to elect Democrats to office using inappropriate means, or an innocent effort to discuss progressive viewpoints over the radio?
You be the judge.
Featured on the website for the liberal radio network Air America Radio is an effort called "Fighting Dems" that targets Republican candidates for office. The idea of openly campaigning for Democrats is the raison d'etre of Air America Radio, which on a daily basis carries the water of Democrat politicians and liberal political causes alike.
What really galls many of us is that this campaigning has allegedly been done on the backs of taxpayers, at-risk children, the disabled and senior citizens.
Air America Radio is to broadcasting what Democratic Underground is to the Internet – a place where the most anti-American, guilt-ridden, extremist liberal sentiments are articulated joyfully and celebrated noisily, usually in the most vulgar and profane way.
Liberal activists deliriously celebrated the launch of the radio network as if it was a birthday party, Christmas morning and New Years Eve all wrapped into one.
In the left-wing publication, Mother Jones, one of Air America's hosts, "Daily Show" co-creator, Lizz Winstead, giggled her way through an interview with Mother Jones' contributor Kurt Anderson about the need for a progressive powerhouse on radio.
She noted that the typical rant of her fellow liberals to compare President Bush to Hitler was becoming tedious:
"It's really boring to say, "George Bush is Hitler." I am like, "Oh, shut up. Are you really that unoriginal?" [Pause.] Besides, he's so much worse."
The magazine assures us Ms. Winstead was merely being funny in a MoveOn.org "Bush is Hitler" TV ad sort of way. The last laugh is on Ms. Winstead though, because not many months later she was soon suing the Air America network for nearly $300,000 in back pay.
Ms. Winstead wasn't the only Air America employee not being paid. Even the marquee hosts for Air America, such as Al Franken, were going without paychecks as the network struggled to attract prominent advertisers, and its ratings failed to match the pre-launch hype.
Intent upon keeping their network on the air to advance their far-Left political agenda, even without respectable ratings or any cash flow, the chairman of Air America, Evan Cohen, decided to rip off children, senior citizens and taxpayers.
Cohen was a board member of the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of New York. There's no question he used his position to steer $875,000 from the taxpayer-financed charity into Air America's coffers to keep the radio network on the air. In a noteworthy coincidence, Air America Vice President of Finance Sinohe Terrero had previously worked at the charity as finance director from 2000-2002.
So the management of Air America Radio – to keep their liberal propaganda on the air – helped themselves to cash that came from the pockets of taxpayers, intended for needy children and senior citizens.
This finally caught the attention of the New York Department of Investigations, which has now recommended Air America Radio repay the money into an escrow account controlled by authorities.
In commenting on the scandal at Air America, Al Franken laughed the matter off, and said it was all really quite "boring."
The supposed "journalists" at the major TV networks and the big daily newspapers have completely ignored this story. Perhaps the liberals who occupy America's newsrooms are too worn out from their fixation with how Tom DeLay apparently found legal means to navigate the ridiculously draconian campaign finance laws to raise money for Republicans.
Fortunately the public is wising up to the fact that the old-line liberal news media can't be trusted.
Enterprising bloggers have ensured the truth about Air America Radio is reported. Talk-show host Brian Maloney's Radio Equalizer blog and columnist Michelle Malkin's blog not only broke this story, but engaged in thorough investigative reporting that kept raising new troubling details about Air America's conduct.
Democratic candidates are flocking to the liberal radio network, despite the apparent ethical wrongdoing by Air America. What does that say about these Democrat candidates' commitments to ethical reform?
Francine Busby is a Democrat candidate to fill the vacant congressional seat that had been held by Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Cunningham was forced to resign after admitting his guilt to a number of corruption and bribery charges.
Yet despite the focus on ethics in the race, Democrat Busby has now appeared on Air America programs several times, including on Al Franken's nationally syndicated show. Busby's campaign events are also promoted on the website of Air America's San Diego radio affiliate.
With Air America's help, Busby has raised approximately $520,000 – more than any other Republican or Democrat candidate for the seat.
And that's exactly what Air America wants to have happen.
Which is why they stooped to the level of using taxpayer funds from charities to keep the lights on – to benefit Democrat candidates like Francine Busby.
No surprise here, the hypocrisy of all of this doesn't mean a thing to the mainstream media journalists. They privately hope this kind of chicanery pays off and the Democrats can regain Congress in the 2006 elections and the White House in 2008 – which has been the goal of many of the media all along.
--------------------------------------------------------
Melanie Morgan is chairman of the conservative, pro-troop non-profit organization Move America Forward and is co-host of the "Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Show" on KSFO 560 AM in San Francisco.
Air Amerika is exactly what the old CPUSA would have launched as a propaganda tool if Gus Hall had been a techno-geek born 50 years later.
Leftists and liberals of all persuasions can be identified by the easy way they are so quick to dive into the whole "Bush=Hitler" mantra.
I've often wondered how the 'Rats would appreciate it if Republicans were to automatically label them as "Stalins" and "Berias"?
Joe McCarthy was RIGHT.
Why would businesses waste good money on advertising to the type of people that listen to that garbage? They explicitly hate corporations and capitalism and everything else that built this country into what it is today... That's money flushed down the toilet. Seriously.
Hey, Melanie Morgan's hot.
There rationale surely would be: 'Reagan=Evil... Communist Bloc=Misunderstood, with a lot of good ideas, and a justified need for military buildup to balance that militaristic cowboy, Ronald Reagan.'
Two things:
1) Liberalism doesn't work without taxpayer money.
2) Interesting how no one in Congress is demanding "fairness and balance" via the "Fairness Doctrine" for Air America...
With Rush Limbaugh!
Okay, so isn't this story about Error America about as old as the Abdul Grabagoat (or something like that) photos that were dredged up by the Aussies? Error America has been giving the high hard one to everybody including the kool aid drinkers that actually donated money to be Members (no not that kind of member)months ago?? Some how if there was anybody with any law enforcement clout that gave two hoots in Hell about this racket I think the Kids Club soaking would have done it.
I guess if you are on the Left you get a special kind of justice, like being able to claim "Surprise! I just found the missing Rose Law Firm documents in our bedroom at the White House!"
Sounds like Air Amerika was in a nose dive until they got their grubby hands on some taxpayers' dollars.
Just another bunch of left-wing commie losers.
Well, Liberals know they're losing. Plan B : CHEAT. Plan A is LIE.
Well, to answer the headline's question, yes. Yes, of course it will pay off. Successful thieves are, however, still thieves.
A network of stations running talk geared for blacks debuted on Jan 30; among the hosts are Rev. Al Sharpton and
Michael Dyson. Most likely the views are left of center
(carrying Larry Elder? Nope...)...haven't really heard but I'll bet they could be soon dubbed Air Afro-America :)
bttt
Now there's a colossal understatement. Error Amerika has failed to draw ratings that exceed dead air...which goes a long way to explaining why they can't attract any advertisers, prominent or otherwise, and had to resort to stealing from at risk children to finance their fiasco.
ping for future reference
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.