The question is asked, and answered. The answer is a resounding YES. Yes, Obama has sold out. Long before he ever ran for US Senate, too, I might add. But why quibble, right? At least it is finally starting to let a little light of truth filter through the Obama’s followers Kool Aide induced haze. Though attacking Republicans and blaming them for ALL of our woes is still fair game for TYT, with only peripheral acknowledgment that the Democrats are right there with the Republicans. Never mind that the Democrats have been in power for over two years now. Pesky details – who needs them?

I was like that, too, about the Republicans not so long ago, so I reckon I shouldn’t be too judgmental. Perhaps TYT will realize at some point in the near future that the Democrats are acting pretty much like everything many of us said we hated about the Republicans as we listened to Air America. For instance, remember how ballistic we all went when the Republicans threatened the “Nuclear Option”? We were livid that they would dare do something like that. And now look who, in just 6 short months of having a Super Majority, is threatening the very same thing, even if it means running over some of their own members with reckless abandon? Yep. That would be the Democrats. Oh, but only for the most expensive part of the health care plan – nothing to worry about there! Lalalalalala…

You know, it’s a shame these blowhards out there didn’t bother to do their JOBS and vet this guy, maybe taking a little look-see into who his donors were, for instance. Maybe if TYT had BOTHERED to do that, he would have seen that Obama got close to $1.5 MILLION dollars from the HMOs and Health Services. Surely TYT didn’t expect they gave him all that money for nothing, did he?

Nothing, actually, worse than nothing, is what WE will be getting as a result of these faux journalists and commentators not bothering to actually look behind the curtain of Obama’s rhetoric to see if there was any reason on this Green Earth to BELIEVE HIM!!!!!! For cryin’ out loud, already! Sheesh!

Heck, even investigative journalist Greg Palast, whose article I reported on the other day regarding the whopping 2% the Big Pharma MIGHT give up, as TYT reported above, threw all of his training away for Obama. Glad he’s regained some of it, but it is way too late for us/US now. We’re stuck with Obama for 3 1/2 more years, thank you all so very much for that. (That is sarcasm, in case anyone missed it.)

By the way, did you notice that TYT guy above still cannot quite get out the words that HE has been had? That he didn’t bother to look under the surface? Nope. Not one bit – he bought that stupid “Hope!” and “CHANGE!” crap all the way to Obama being in the White House. Thanks shitloads. Sure would have been nice if you had maybe asked some pertinent questions like, “Why does Obama have NO records available from his time in the IL Senate? How can that be?” Or, “Why DOES Obama have close ties to Tony Rezko/Bill Ayers/Jeremiah Wright/Khalid Rashidi (pick one)?” Or how about this one, “Why does everyone say he has made so much of himself from his “humble” beginnings when he went to the most prestigious school in all of Hawaii and his grandmother was the VP of the biggest bank in Hawaii?” Or maybe, “Isn’t it pretty sexist of Obama to say that Hillary Clinton was only going to tea parties whenever she went abroad as First Lady? Especially since we know she helped to foster some amazing programs?” Obviously, I could go on and on and on. Feel free to add your own.

The problem is, people like TYT and Greg Palast and just about EVERYONE at Huffington Post (since TYT mentioned it) DIDN’T ask questions like that. No, their questions were more like, “Gosh, isn’t it hard to tear yourself away from the mirror when you are SO good looking??” Blech. Or, “Just how much time do you spend practicing your three-pointer?” Or any number of insipid questions like the ones Charlie Gibson asked Obama (while hammering Sarah Palin, even using made-up concepts to try and make her look bad). Pathetic for alleged professionals to act that way, if you ask me.

As I mentioned to Kathleen (Wynne, of HCPBNow.org, who was kind enough to send me this video), most of our elected officials, by the time they are bought by special interests have been there a while. Obama was hardly in there for any time at all, which makes me think he CAME this way. Huh – maybe THAT was the “Change!” to which he was referring?

In any event, if TYT is right, and this is already a done deal, it doesn’t just speak to how badly Obama screwed over his followers, and the rest of us, but how screwed DEMOCRACY is. And that is the biggest problem of all…So, yeah, I would be up for a revolution, TYT, since you mentioned it. Anyone else?

I would like you to think about some numbers:

In the 2004 Presidential election there were more than 122,000,000 votes cast. In 2006 for the Congressional race, which put the Democrats in charge of both the House and the Senate, 80 plus million people voted. I was surprised that 42 million folks decided not to vote.

Now look at the media numbers. According to Drudge Report, the number of folks watching nightly network news is less than 22 million:

CBSNEWS w/ Couric shed a half a million viewers, falling from 6.4 million to 5.9 million;
ABCNEWS dropped from 8.1 million to 7.6 million;
NBCNEWS slumped from 8.2 million to 7.8 million.

The numbers for cable shows is even less. Fox News, with O’Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes, sits atop the heap with around 4.3 million viewers. CNN and MSNBC combined rarely exceed 4 million viewers. Let’s be generous and assume that no one watches more than one show and that the “viewers” are individual and unique. For the national news shows we are talking around 30 million people tops.

Radio, by contrast, reaches over 160 million people each day. And conservatives appear to continue to dominate in this market. Rush Limbaugh, for example, attracts around 14 million listeners. (Note–I have not located a comprehensive summary breaking down total numbers for conservative vice liberal radio stations. If you have it please post below or send me an email and I’ll update this piece)

So where are most of the people who are voting getting their information? It looks to me like radio, rather than network television, is the key medium. I’m also curious about the televised medias’ constant drumbeat against Sarah Palin while she continues to to draw record crowds to her events. Sarah’s authenticity, like that of Joe the Plumber, has struck a chord with average Americans that the media elites don’t comprehend.

I also think on some sort of bizarre level that it actually does suggest that a potential Hillary V.P. pick might not be the worst idea in the world.

OK, for about the billionth time:

Why is it so difficult for party insiders to understand the bitterness and anger of Hillary voters? I’m not sure what planet Kamarck was vacationing on during the Michigan and Florida mess, but as a member of the Rules Committee – and as someone WHO WORKED FOR AL GORE’S CAMPAIGN IN 2000 – even she must (or should) comprehend the frustration of the rank and file with the party’s inability to arrive at a solution until the last minute. Unsubstantiated rumors? How about disenfranchisement as an issue, which is quite substantiated thank you very much? How about assigning delegates to a candidate who did not campaign for them or win them fair and square? Does she remember what happened in Florida in 2000? Maybe hanging around Hahvahd Yahd for all this time has clouded her memory. I, on the other hand, remember that travesty like it was yesterday. And you can bet that if Republicans tried to pull this stunt on the Democrats during the general the Dems would be screaming bloody murder, and justifiably so.

Then there’s this:

The worst thing that can happen at a convention is that it can be real.

Oh really? So respecting and listening to the points of view of ALL the party’s members, not just those with whom you agree, is the worst case scenario? Well, maybe for this crowd it is. Finally someone tells the truth.

And Michael Cohen was on a roll, until he blamed Hillary for everything and announced that it was her responsibility to put a lid on her supporters. Not a word about the sexism and calumnies the woman endured during the campaign. Not a peep about how the media, the blogosphere, “progressive” radio and Democratic mandarins dogpiled on her and tried to push her out of the race almost from the get-go.

There’s a lot more to talk about but I’ll leave that up to you.

Writes Taylor Marsh: “The above video is pretty silly, but it started circulating late last night so I thought I’d share it. It blames everything on my friend Larry Johnson over at No Quarter, which is laughable. He wasn’t anywhere near Rhodes when she let loose her screed against Clinton or Ferraro. Today’s reports do make it official.”

Out of context, my arse. And there’s no way that Green360 or Randi Rhodes can spin themselves out of the hate speech promulgated by Rhodes, including calling Geraldine Ferraro “David Duke in drag” — as well as calling both Ferraro and Hillary Clinton “big f–king whores.”

ALSO: This was not a “private” event. It was a pro-Barack Obama event, and it was advertised on Barack Obama’s official site. (Click on the image, or click on the original story, to see the full-sized screenshot.)

Green360’s spin focuses on blaming No Quarter for their and Rhodes’s woes. Instead, they can simply look in the mirror to find out who’s at fault.

Read all of our stories on the Randi Rhodes scandal, thanks entirely to her own hate speech.

SEE especially, this story with the screenshot of the advertised event featuring Rhodes and placed on Barack Obama’s official site: “Barack & Randi, Cozy As Can Be [Three Updates — Third from Larry Johnson].”

Thank God for archives. The post below was written on December 11, 2007 in response to a rant that Air America host Randi Rhodes (her ghost as far as I’m concerned) went on regarding Oprah Winfrey and her "blackness". Now, it appears, Randi is rimming Obama, obviously in an attempt to make good on the rant that occurred back in December because Black folks were PISSED and we should have been. I’m not, nor will I ever be an Obama supporter, but there are some things that are still off limits my white friends! Don’t get it twisted. Now, Hillary is in her crosshairs and Air America put her in theirs. –SUGAR

______________________________

From December, 2007

Today, "liberal" talk show host Randi Rhodes set white America back at least 30 years. She decided to stick her ignorant foot in her mouth by saying that Oprah was "acting black" during her recent speeches while stumping with Barack Obama.

This is what I heard as soon as I got into my car this afternoon on my way to the gym. And, before I go any further, let me say that for at least the past two months, it has been my routine to get into my car after work and turn on the Randi Rhodes Show so that I could hear what I considered enlightening, intelligent conversation about all things doing with the war and politics. I’ve told almost everyone I know, including other bloggers, about how much I’ve loved listening to Randi keep it real. Well, today, "keeping it real" went wrong.

Randi, who must be blind in one eye and can’t see out the other, said that Oprah was "acting black". She said that Oprah "turned her blackness up a notch or two", Oprah "went all Maya Angelou on us", Oprah was really acting like Harpo, saying, "That wasn’t Oprah up there! That was Harpo! That was Sophia!! You tole Harpo to beat me!" and "we haven’t seen Oprah that Black since The Color Purple" [Of course, that must be Oprah's one and only film since Randi said it was right? Stupid bitch. I just bought Beloved on Saturday]. As I sat in my car in the parking lot at my gym, my mouth hung open for what must have been five minutes straight every 20 minutes. Caller after caller, black and white, called in to tell Randi she was out of line and to try to give her some insight into Oprah’s approach during her two most recent speeches, but she wasn’t hearing it. She yelled at people, she berated them and she acted like an absolute savage [what's new?]. This, only minutes after her previous story was about how she rarely gets to go on television because execs say "we are afraid of you", basically because she acts so damn ignorant and wild. Today, she proved them right.

She went on to say that the Oprah we see on the Oprah Winfrey Show is the way Oprah always acts and she couldn’t believe that Oprah would be different at home or amongst her friends, namely black ones. A lady called in to tell Randi that Oprah is in essence on her job while doing the O.W. show and that she might have been more relaxed around the black audience. Randi went off, telling the woman that she just couldn’t accept that black people have to live "dual lives and if so, that’s pretty pathetic and I wouldn’t want to live that way." Before I insert a "fuck you", let me let Randi know–most of us do live dual lives and I’m about to show you a bit of it.

Bitch, what in the hell do you think we’ve been ranting and raving about all of these years!? It is an open and often spoken of reality among us, professionals and otherwise, about how we have to "Wear the Mask". Has she never read that FAMOUS (at least among black folks) poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar? Has she never watched the Dave Chappelle Show? ANY black comedians–I can think of at least five comedy bits about the fact that many of us have to switch it up when we are at work. The Sugar in the boardroom is not the same Sugar when I’m in the comfort of my own home.

As I listened to Randi rant and rave about how Oprah must be a fake if she’s different from how she is on the show and how blacks who have to switch it up will never get promotions because they act one way at work and then switch it up when they are home, I realized that there was no need in getting my blood pressure worked up any more. There is only one thing I need to do, because her mind will never be changed–and, that is to stop listening to her show.

I call on all of you who listen to it, or even thought about it, to stop doing so as well. The comments today were unacceptable and downright unbelievable. I felt betrayed, hurt, bamboozled and everything in between. Black people struggle enough as it is in this country without some fool getting up on the radio claiming to know how Oprah is when she isn’t on the show, when Oprah probably doesn’t even know who the fuck she is. I felt like maybe she was trying to use black folks, who hasn’t, to garner some publicity for herself for saying something over the top and I thought about not writing this blog post, but I needed to get it off my chest.

It was almost as if Randi didn’t even want to acknowledge that Oprah is black. She repeatedly said things like, "Oprah was sounding like a black preacher", "Hillary does it" (she does) "Al Gore does it (he does) and "Now Oprah did it"…what this stupid bitch didn’t seem to remember is that Oprah IS black. She isn’t acting black!!! I’m trying to temper my swearing as much as I can, because I tend to be hot-headed, but those comments and the revelation that Randi Rhodes is really an ignorant racist has pushed me over the edge.

We all really need to learn more about one another, but as of this moment, Randi Rhodes is dead to me [thus the picture in the post]. I won’t listen to her show again, I don’t care who she has on. And, if I see the bitch on television, I’ll be hitting channel up or channel down. The thing is, she had so quickly started to have an influence on me, there’s this commercial that runs during her show that suggests buying gold from some company called ITM that I was really going to look into. Not now. She’s done in my world. Silly bitch. –SUGAR 

We’re following this with a highly relevant post by No Quarter reader, Sugar, who — we were pleased to find out — has her own blog and does some great writing there.

I wonder if AAR will bring Rhodes back.

And isn’t this a dandy way to begin Monday morning?

:::::::

Special thanks to C.S. for locating this video.

A week? How about months of the “progressive” blogosphere’s incessant attacks on both Hillary Clinton and her supporters? This vitriol has far-reaching and potentially lasting implications, beyond the hate speech of Rhodes, Obama’s spiritual advisers, and two individuals — Huffington Post’s Allison Kilkenny and talk radio’s Ed Schultz — who I called out last night in “Obama Supporters Take the Low Rhode.” What does this phenomenon really say about progressives? In a rather severe but noteworthy indictment posted at the Liberal Rapture blog — “The Obama infection and the lynching of Hillary Clinton” — John writes:

Obama has injected a poison into the body politic of the United States. The ugliness Obama has stirred up is real and severe – all the more damaging because he is so charming. We are past now the dizzying, frothing, mindless adoration from Huffington and the Daily Kos. We are now past the snotty, childish attacks on Clinton by Olbermann and Cafferty. We are into a new realm … The hatred quietly coached and encouraged by Axelrod is now bubbling forth everywhere.

Then John wrote about the real meaning of what Randi Rhodes did to Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton:

Randi Rhodes called Senator Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro “fucking whores” on stage. Do the math with me on this one moment: a liberal female talk show host called the first female V.P. candidate on a major party ticket and the first viable female Presidential candidate “fucking whores”.

For fun.

This is a symptom.

Read all of John’s post, “The Obama infection and the lynching of Hillary Clinton.”

The Daily Howler notes the myth about “progressives” and “progressive” radio:

For years, there was a self-flattering story we liberals liked to tell about the nature of talk radio. Theoretically, liberal talk radio would never work because we liberals are so bright, so intelligent, so independent—such non-ditto-heads, we kept saying. To be honest, this tale never made much sense. But Rhodes, and others, have made this week a time for some sober reflection.

Are progressives really brighter than conservatives? As a group, we tended to believe it when John Dean (who we admire) wrote that book. But uh-oh! This week, we emitted a low, mordant chuckle at one part of this David Sirota piece, to which we’d been linked by the person who has kidnapped Josh Marshall.

Most of us, if not all of us, heretofore considered Air America Radio a good station to tune into. Most of us, if not all of us, thought highly of Josh Marshall and his Talking Points Memo site.

Did they change? Or were we wrong about them?

But I didn’t realize, until I read the Daily Howler, that Josh Marshall had been “kidnapped.” (By aliens, or by _____?) Or that the TPM writer Greg Sargent’s “short break” has been extended so long — perhaps indefinitely? And that his “short break” began — what a coincidence — shortly after the popular, widely-read Sargent had the nerve to point out the negative media coverage of Hillary Clinton.

At any rate, the viciousness of the attacks is unrelenting, and it has claimed many victims — including people who have been banned from “progressive” Web sites simply because they support Hillary Clinton as well as those who dare to speak their minds such as Geraldine Ferraro.

Where will this hate speech and these attacks take us? I’m worried.

What becomes of a nation when one of its three leading contenders for the presidency of the United States has this man listed on his official campaign Web site as a spiritual adviser to him?

What becomes of a nation when its “progressives” stand silently by while hate speech is spewed at pro-Obama events — as Randi Rhodes did at an Obama gathering in San Francisco?

What becomes of a nation when its “progressives” stand silently by while a priest like Father Pfleger — who is supported by and featured by Barack Obama on his official campaign site — defends Louis Farrakhan, so bigoted that the Southern Poverty Law Center lists his organization as a “hate” group?

Maybe it’s just that whoever likes my man Barack is cool with me.

Can it be just that crass? Is there no discernment? Do any of the Obama followers ever take a pause when they hear such hate speech? Especially when their candidate remains strangely silent about the hate speech being spewed at his honorable opponent who, if any of her surrogates uttered such words, would never heard the end of it from the MSM and blogosphere.

* Ed Schultz, the radio show host until recently a Republican but is now a Democratic party “expert” on TV pundit shows
* Allison Kilkenny, a venal writer for Huffington Post

ACTION NOTICE: Sign this petition to demand a stop to sexism on our nation’s radio stations. (There are more details at the end of this post.)

I wish these people were “exceptions to the rule” among Obama supporters. But, reports of delegates at caucuses and conventions prove their behavior is a too-often norm for Obama’s followers. Someone I know was a delegate at the King County convention today in Seattle, Wash. where the Obama delegates booed so loudly when they were asked to say the Pledge of Allegiance that the convention chair gave up and skipped the pledge. (Maybe they took their cue from “The One”?)

Apparently, our symbolic rituals of patriotism are passe´ — even at official American political party events that decide who will be the candidate for the Presidency of the United States.

BELOW, read what the buffoon Ed Schultz said and what poison-pen writer Allison Kilkenny wrote. WARNING: Ms. Kilkenny’s language is vile and adult denigrating to both men and women …

DISCLAIMER from SusanUnPC: I am not a supporter of John McCain. I plan on voting for Hillary Clinton in November. But we can surely attack McCain on the substance of his politics and his record without resorting to these kinds of attacks that have no place in a supposedly civilized society — the quality of which is under threat from the likes of these people.

ALLISON KILKENNY perpetuates the Randi Rhodes sexist, disgusting attacks in her Huffington Post story, “John McCain Is A Big F*cking Whore.” Here are some repulsive examples from her article:

[...]

Ladies and Gentlemen, John McCain is a big fucking whore.

[...]

John McCain is, in short, a whore.

Matt Welch carefully explains in McCain: The Myth Of A Maverick how the McCain of yesterday transformed into a lobbyist-humping, lying whore.

[...]

John-Whorebag-McCain spent more than three decades living in the Beltway, a far cry from his claims of existing outside Washington.

[...]

If and when the press gets over their love affair with McCain, they’ll realize they’ve been in bed with one of the biggest Beltway sluts. On the McCain bus, there’s no time for message consistency, especially during a campaign season packed with the act of getting down on both knees and suck, suck, sucking until the cash flows. …

If that isn’t sexist filth — even if the verbal garbage is tossed at a man by a female writer — I don’t know what is. Arianna Huffington should to be taken to task for permitting this kind of sexist hate speech on her blog.

::::::::::::::::::

ED SCHULTZ via the New York Times blog:

On the air, Ed Schultz, a liberal talk show host based in Fargo, N.D., is well-known for his blunt criticisms of the Bush Administration and the Republican Party. But Mr. Schultz, a fervent supporter of Senator Barack Obama, may have gone too far late Friday when he called Senator John McCain “a warmonger.”

Mr. Schultz, whose program is syndicated nationally, made the remarks while revving up a group of Obama supporters at a $100-a-head fund raiser at the North Dakota Democratic Party’s convention in Grand Forks.

As is typical, Barack Obama did not apologize for Schultz’s remarks but let a campaign staffer do the job:

Mr. Obama did not refer to the incident during a speech Saturday morning to 8,000 people who had gathered at the University of Montana basketball arena. But a spokesman, Jen Psaki, issued a statement that distanced him from Mr. Schultz.

“John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such,” she said. “He’s a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged.”

I have plenty of problems with McCain’s persistent support for the Iraq War and the surge, but I wouldn’t call him a warmonger — especially if I were speaking on behalf of my favored presidential candidate at a $100-a-plate dinner! And most especially if my remarks were the top story, instead of my candidate’s own campaign stops.

::::::::::::::::

HERE is more on the petition:

You have received an invitation from Stop Sexism to support the following petition.

Let’s show them how much we mean it when we say Stop Sexism in the Media

Stop Sexism on the Radio

The treatment of women as second-class citizens must stop. The assault on the integrity of women has continued with a wide range of attacks including name calling, sexual innuendo, and degrading comments about achievements and place in society. With the recent events of name calling including Randi Rhodes and Don Imus, and the ongoing assaults of women in our society and the media, we the undersigned call for you to do your part to end sexism in the media. We call upon you to end all support of media personalities and end sponsorships with companies who engage in or support sexist attacks of any kind.

IF YOU WANT a reminder of the sexism spewed regularly on radio and on stage by these nationally syndicated radio show hosts, catch this new YouTube of Randi Rhodes (quickly, before she or the San Francisco radio station contacts YouTube and demands it be taken down):

It is unconscionable that those Obama supporters whooped and clapped when Randi Rhodes called Geraldine Ferraro — a woman who has fought for equal rights for decades and was named to the National Women’s Hall of Fame — a “David Duke in drag.”
___________________________________

Yes! Our story yesterday — “Air America’s Randi Rhodes Suspended: We Did It! [Updated x2]” — was the top featured story this morning at the New York Times’s blog tracker, Blogrunner.

[Click on the image to see the full screenshot.]

Did you see that Ms. Rhodes is in a snit about her “indefinite” suspension? From the Huffington Post’s Jeff Norman:

“They [Air America Radio] are in breach of my contract and have damaged my hard won excellent reputation in the broadcast industry…” Rhodes added she received thank you letters from representatives of Air America, the San Francisco affiliate and sponsors praising her for the performance that now has her in hot water.

I smell a lawsuit. Don’t you? She seems like the litigious type.

Below the fold, we have video of Fox News reporting today on the pre-event publicity announcement that appeared on Barack Obama’s official campaign Web site.

Here’s the link to the abhorrent video, which was posted first here at No Quarter. (If it’s still available; now the Obama fundraisers are claiming “copyright” privileges. We are fighting back.)

We reported this earlier today here — with a screenshot of the Obama campaign site’s publicity for the event — in our story, “Barack & Randi, Cozy As Can Be [Three Updates — Third from Larry Johnson].”

Also below the fold, you’ll also see Geraldine Ferraro’s response to Rhodes’s statements — including Rhodes calling Ferraro a “David Duke in drag” —

Fox News’s coverage today of the pre-event publicity on Barack Obama’s official campaign site:

John Gibson is demanding that Randi Rhodes apologize. And that will happen … when?

Geraldine Ferraro and more from Hannity & Colmes last night:

[MORE TO COME. STAY TUNED.]

Great thanks to C.S. for his masterful, fast video magic!

Barack Obama condemned Don Imus, and demanded his firing. (But he won’t condemn his 20-year pastor.) Will he condemn Randi Rhodes, and demand her firing? Maybe not. After all, she spent every minute of every day of her show touting him, and dissing Hillary in the most disgusting ways possible. Click on the image to see the full view.

OF NOTE: It was here at No Quarter that people first saw the video that brought Randi Rhodes down for her disgusting behavior, thanks to our very own video expert C.S. putting the video up on YouTube.

C.S. has called the campaign to see if they will repudiate this:

Here’s a photo for you of the Barack Obama website advertising this campaign “Evening with Randi Rhodes”

I also called the campaign and asked him to “repudiate” these comments and to “speak out against sexism”.

The lady on the phone was a bit upset to hear about this.

By the way, C.S.’s video has had 180,000 hits, and is ranked #2 at YouTube.

:::::::::::::::

UPDATE 1: Here is the link a new site with info on Rhodes: Obama Stole My Vote.

UPDATE 2: Nashville Talking has an excellent story on the Obama fundraiser at which Rhodes spoke: “Randi Rhodes Suspended For Remarks At Obama Event.”

UPDATE 3: (From Larry Johnson). I take no delight in the heat Randi is feeling, but what would we be saying if Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or any other rightwing radio personality appeared at an unofficial event and referred to Barack Obama as a “nigger”. Just writing the word is radioactive. Well boys and girls, as someone who has been married for thirty plus years let me assure you that a woman does not like being called a “whore”. This is an equally radioactive word. And Randi knows better.

I worry that Randi may be suffering a form of post-traumatic stress syndrome following  her mugging last year. I have been a guest several times on Randi’s show. Since I started advocating for Hillary I have become persona non grata among the progressive women radio personalities–Randi, Rachel Maddow, and Stephanie Miller. I have had the pleasure of meeting and chatting at length with each of these ladies. I found them delightful. But they, better than anyone else, should understand the misogynistic culture in America that encourages men to refer to women as whores, or cunts, or bitches. Those words are meant to dehumanize women and are similar in intent to the various vile terms used to deman African Americans.

Randi calling Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton “whores” is way out of line.  And I think the punishment is appropriate.  Randi, Geraldine and Hillary are accomplished, professional women and merit respect.  Unfortunately for Randi, she has tarnished her reputation.  I would simply encourage fans of Hillary to not engage in the same conduct in talking about Randi or any of her progressive radio show colleagues. They may be wrong, but calling them equally vile names does nothing to advance the argument that Hillary is a viable candidate and a classy lady.

Do you remember the video we posted on April 1 — in which Randi Rhodes called both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton “whores”? The YouTube that our video whiz C.S. created from an ordinarily non-transferrable source, and posted at YouTube? (It’s below the fold for those who missed it.)

C.S.’s YouTube video went “viral” (writers posted it all over the blogosphere!) — and now Randi Rhodes has been suspended from Air America Radio. Here’s Air America’s official statement:

STATEMENT OF AIR AMERICA RADIO, FROM CHAIR CHARLIE KIREKER
By air america

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2008

New York – Air America has suspended on-air host Randi Rhodes for making inappropriate statements about prominent figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, at a recent public appearance on behalf of Air America in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station.

“Air America encourages strong opinions about public affairs but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our Hosts,” said chair Charlie Kireker.

UPDATE x2, from the New York Times, at the end — her suspension is “indefinite”:

Thank you, C.S. You made this happen.

(And thanks to Pacific John for sending me the official statement of Air America Radio.)

:::::::::::::

UPDATE x2:

From the New York Times’s Caucus blog today:

Randi Rhodes, an afternoon host for the progressive Air America radio network, was suspended Thursday after repeatedly insulting Hillary Rodham Clinton at an event last month.

Ms. Rhodes used vulgar language that likened Ms. Clinton to a prostitute at an event sponsored by KKGN, the Air America affiliate in the San Francisco area, on March 22. A video of Ms. Rhodes’ remarks was published to the video-sharing Web site YouTube on Tuesday, prompting condemnations by some bloggers.

In a statement, Charlie Kireker, the chair of Air America, said the radio network “encourages strong opinions about public affairs but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our hosts.”

The network called Ms. Rhodes’ suspension “indefinite” and did not elaborate on the fate of her daily three-hour radio show. “The Randi Rhodes Show” is normally broadcast from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Sam Seder, another Air America host, was scheduled to fill in for Ms. Rhodes on Thursday…

(Thanks, Ron, for sending me the NYT post.)

I feel so informed now. Isn’t it a good thing we now have “progressive” radio nationally?

What else is going on in the world?