Hunting The Muse

Agreed in full. Air America has such talented and wonderful peaople as Franken and Grafalo, but then this shrew gets on the air. Her mannerisims, her voice and her personality are all offensive. She is every bit as bad as Rush, I guess we needed a liberal version to keep the scales balanced ;)

After listening to her for awhile, she's sounds convinced that only her view of things is the correct one and all those who don't agree with her are either morons or idiots. Hardly worth listening to to get an objective view. At least O'Reilly pretends to listen to other viewpoints even if you don't agree with him, he does say "let the audience decide". It seems to me if you disagree with Randi, wether you're from the right or left you're an idiot in her view. The problem with "liberals" like Randi is that they believe that they are smarter than everyone else and that you should always agree with them. Unfortunatley Randi is really not a liberal but rather a radical that gives "liberal" a bad name.

Randi fulfills an important function. I, for one, don't find her strident at all; when she calls Bush an idiot, she's only telling it like it is. Plus, unlike Grafalo, she's really funny. It's Grafalo whose self-righteousness I find difficult to take. Randi has something wonderfully self-deprecating about her -- doesn't take herself all too seriously. Plus, she's really well informed, cuts through the bs. I know a lot of people find this hard to take, including liberals, so used they are to the milquetoast voice of the liberal on NPR, personified in the most annoying talkshow host on the air, Neil Conan. It's the first time I've ever heard anyone on regular radio to have clearly articulated points of view, backed up by solid research. She's the best, and I'm enjoying every minute of her show (Franken is next).

I find it amazing that human debris like you liberals are trying to state that what happened to that kid from Philadelphia and the Abu Ghraib stuff.

Randi said Bush should be killed by his family the way Fredo was killed in Godfather II. She's scum and should be dropped ASAP by these Air America people claiming they're so much better than the right. What a joke. If Limbaugh said such a thing we'd have outrage and boycotts.

If you want to understand the message of rough speaking people do not pay attention to HOW they say things, pay attention to WHAT they say. I have been listening to Randi for 5 plus years because she has the best message of all those on radio and TV. She lines her facts with details and references that are undisputible. She is very good at making the connections. If I wanted opinions I'd listen to someone else. Give her some more of your time and her messages will come through. If nothing else she'll give you plenty of great sources to read.

Please, all you Bush supporters out there, give me one example of what Bush has done right and expalin why it was right.

http://www.LU13.TK RANDI RHODES RULES!!! ALL WHO OPPOSE HER ARE NOW HEARBY CURSED IN THE NAME OF SATAN!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.RandiRhodesArchives.com

Oil and money, oil and money is all that matters to Bush and his cronies. All of them had Iraq on their minds BEFORE they STOLE the election in 2000 and 911 (which was known about as well) was their excuse to attack Iraq. Go ahead and researh it, its true. Lieing, thieving, corrupt, crooked republicans. If that man Bush is re-elected then I will probably have to commit myself. Thank you Randi Rhodes for helping people to think for and educate themselves about the wrong doings of this administration.

She may be rude, and yeah, she talks over callers a lot. But she does her homework, and she makes for good radio. Wait until the numbers start coming out in the markets where she's on the air.

I think people are making way too much of what Randi said about the whole Bush/Fredo connection.

I listened to the show in question and my memory of it was her saying that, like Fredo Corleone, George Dubya has betrayed and disgraced his family name and that she was surprised that some of the more level-headed (if that even exists) members of the Bush family hadn't taken Bush out fishing to whack him. This is something that Dana Carvey and Will Ferrell messed around with in an SNL skit a few years back that depicted Bush I and II on a hunting trip with the Elder Bush seriously contemplating ending the poor sap's misery.

The conservatives who gripe about how outrageous it is to even imply such a thing need to back the hell off and get a grip on themselves. The news is full of stories about people like education secretary Rod Paige referring to unionized teachers as "terrorists", Pat Robertson talking about nuking the State Department, and other crap from people like Michael Savage who are never called to task for anything they say.

And as far as Randi Rhodes being a bully, there may be a kernel of truth to that but I don't care. It's about time we had one on our side and if you don't like her style, then don't listen to her show. I agree with one of the other comments above who said they were sick and tired of the same old anesthetizing schtick on NPR. Air America has plenty of other voices to listen to. She always has her facts in order. And besides, anyone who can put Ollie North's cojones in a vice is OK in my book.

Randi is awesome. Having a backbone does not make a woman a "shrew". I think the people protesting her style and information the most are the ones with their heads furthest in the "hole in the sand"....

Randi is funny, opinionated, often crass and border line raunchy but always very well informed and intelligent. All talk show hosts on radio and TV specialize in cutting off guests and sheparding them to stay on their agenda. Randi is brusque in doing that, but she is so compelling that I overlook all of that. She is also partisan and completely honest about it, unlike other failed liberal media personalities struggling to be *fair" and failing. People are not looking for fair. They are looking for people who articulate their hurt. It could be the pent up frustration of listening to agile right wing opinion mongers for so many years, but there is great need for a Randi Rhodes. I still like NPR, but I am tired about its propensity to play ball by the conservatives' rules. This is the era of Randi Rhodes. Watch out, Rush! This woman will run rings around you. The status quo may or may not yet know it, but in their world, this is the most dangerous person in America.

Randi Rhodes is concise, well-researched and entertaining. She brings to the forefront the inconsistencies propounded by this government. And she does it with historical accuracy and perception. She is a bright shining star and Bob is right-- watch out, here she comes! She's great! Franken and she delineate the inconsistencies and blatant lies of Savage and Ruch and the rest of the uber-right with panache and humour.

America will know her name. Thank God she's arrived. And don't worry-- she WILL be on bigger systems.

Christopher

Thank goodness Randi calls it like it is (most of the time). Wake up Republicans! Dubya has no clothes! This is one of the darkest times of our modern history. I know that you don't care what others think about us outside the USA, but these are the same folks with whom we must partner to fight the real terrorists! And they're the ones whom we need to help make Iraq successful!

"The conservatives who gripe about how outrageous it is to even imply such a thing need to back the hell off and get a grip on themselves. The news is full of stories about people like education secretary Rod Paige referring to unionized teachers as "terrorists", Pat Robertson talking about nuking the State Department, and other crap from people like Michael Savage who are never called to task for anything they say."

Er... where have you been? Rod Paige and Robertson were major news stories, Michael Savage is constantly maligned and was thrown out on his ass by MSNBC the moment he crossed the line. Randi Rhodes has been called out... by one columnist at the NY Daily News who was met with by nothing but hate mail. "Back the hell off" about the suggestion that the president of the United States should be taken out and shot and killed by his own family? That's funny.

Also here is the SNL sketch: "George Bush: [ stands up, points rifle towards George W., then lowers it ] Nah.. can't even think about it. First of all, it's against the law. Babs wouldn't like it.. Well.. it's probably just four years.. Hey, wait for me, son! I'm right behind ya!"

Not exactly the same thing...

>>Er... where have you been? Rod Paige and Robertson were major news stories, Michael Savage is constantly maligned and was thrown out on his ass by MSNBC the moment he crossed the line.

Er, the last time I checked, Paige, Robertson, Savage and more recently Florida Rep. Pat Carroll - who recently hinted that Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton should be assassinated (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1122435/posts) - still had their frigging jobs and no one had yet called for their doors to be kicked in by the Secret Service.

Randi Rhodes quit, she is now just another old liberal hippy in the unemployment line, but I guess she'll blame Bush for that also. Liberals are a sorry bunch.

what do you mean she quit? she's still on air america.

Hey Tunesmith. Don't you get it? Libcrusher is a Neocon! Lies are their stock and trade! The truth always destroys their bogus political position so they never go near it. With them, the lie rules everything. Just like MonkeyBush.

I think Randi Rhodes is great and interesting and a wonderful relief from the extreme right, 'fire and brimstone' noise machine that has dominated the media for years. I had given up watching television news channels because they are chock-full of right-wing propaganda and nonsensical half-truths, if they are even half true, that is. The singing Ashcroft bit and his oily annointment (by a Supreme Court Justice) into public office put the lid on it for me.

I like all of the programming on Air America Radio and will continue to listen and support and spread the word getting friends and family to do the same.

They have only been on a short while and have few stations broadcasting them and still their listener base has grown exponentially.

That says it all.

Randi Rhodes is a great teacher. Remember the old '60's bumper sticker---"Know thy source"? Randi reminds us constantly to look it up & to back what we say with reliable sources.She doesn't suffer fools. She won't allow callers to clutter her show with nonsense. She is cordial & encouraging to people who have the facts & real questions. Hemingway would have said that her crap detector is in good working order.She is an acquired taste. The more you listen to her, the more you appreciate her intelligence & humor.

I think she said it herself... I HATE (Full of) to tell you... Also, I'm mad, angry, pissed off, confused, don't understand,etc. That's the TRUTH, Randi...

I can listen to Rush because he's entertaining...He has fun and seems to find the talk show host role amusing. Randi must lighten up!

I have not called Randi on her show yet so I have no clue as to the manner in which my call would be greeted, but I give her this: SHE BACKS EVERY COMMENT SHE MAKES WITH SPECIFIC, VERIFIABLE INFORMATION INSTEAD OF JUST MAKING UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS THE WAY RUSH, HANNITY AND OTHER CONSERVATIVES DO. As such, and at least to that extent, she has my respect. I would just love to see a debate between her and Hannity. My money is on her all the way

Randi's humor 'implies' outrage in some cases, and those 'trip' some audience members over their own prejudices. Implication of a grevious charge is not same as 'accusation' of grevious charge; which incidentally, the Bush Dynasty
and cronies rightly deserve for miserable failure on all counts, All. Randi is not a bully. She's morally outraged, not hateful, not liberal more than moderate and temperate. Whomsoever falls on his sword, figuratively speaking, in the finally realized failure to understand the liberal argument become Moderates. Which brave Righties Falling argued most inaccurately, most inarticulately, most irrelevently, etc.. ?? ?? ??

Old liberal hippies blame Walmart for devising a product delivery system that takes
more than THRICE the gasoline over Main Street marketeering.
How happy were fuel industries to support Big Box?

Thank you Randi ! Thank you and RAA !!

!! RADIO AIR AMERICA !!

!! RAA !!

I've discovered a true treasonous women on the Liberal radio station, Air America, her name is Randi Rhodes and I've dubbed her "Baghdad Randi". Like Tokyo Rose and her counterpart Hanoi Jane this Randi is spewing hatred for this country and our president during a time of war.. It never ceases to amaze me how the liberal left has nothing but hatred for this country. This country, in their eyes does everything wrong from taking the country from the Indians to using too much of the earth's resources. This terrible country, America, is where these hate spewing Liberals make their money and drive their SUV's and have the freedom to babble out their hateful rhetoric. I've heard enough and I'm trying to circulate this around the Internet. This radio station, which is a Bizarro copycat of conservative radio, will die off soon enough but a lot of harm can be done in the interim. There is no substance, originality or entertainment value to this station. Listening to it is like holding your hand closer and closer to the flame, until the pain is unbareable, and you stop. So do your thing and forward this to all. Remember end Air America, let the clean air in.

Regarding the previous comment - every time I see one of those trains of thought that appears genuine, I'm fascinated. There's plenty of that rhetoric coming from GOP politicians and columnists, but in those cases it's almost always spin and an attempt to manipulate public opinion, to serve some sort of agenda - they don't actually *believe* it. But once in a while someone repeats it from actually believing it, and it's fascinating.

Maybe I'm surprised that that entire comment was written with only one obvious spelling error. Because usually, that line of thought is only held by people that are stupid enough to be conned by it.

I honestly don't know the right approach to dealing with people that believe this horseshit and also seem reasonably intelligent. Do you just patiently explain that just because the U.S. manages to do something, it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do? Of course the U.S. does good things, but it's also capable of doing bad things, and sometimes it does. But what kind of moron actually believes that just because the U.S. does something, it means BY DEFINITION that it is good? How can you reconcile that attitude with the ability to spell correctly?

My mind is still boggled.

Right on chattipaula!! There are plenty of intelligent people who share your beliefs. I am not easily "CONNED."

With regards to tunesmith and your fascination and boggled mind. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider or rethink your views. You seem sincere enough, but you put a lot of emphasis on correct spelling, as if it equals intelligentsia. Sometimes a persons adequacies are in their heart, unlike Miss Randi and most liberals who think that by insulting people’s inadequacies, it makes them right. I’m interested in what rhetoric you thought I repeated in my comment. You obviously don’t think I’m stupid, and I don’t think it’s necessary for you to figure out the “right approach” in dealing with me at all. Deal with your own thoughts, they need to be transformed, not mine. I think you’ll agree this is a great country that doesn’t just manage to squeak out only a few “good things”. It is a hallmark of generosity and compassion. It is the sum of its people, Democrat and Republicans alike.
A station with the misnomer, Air America is divisive and degrading to an America that I’m proud of. I’m also not walking around with blinders on. Yes there have been mistakes this country has made. Nothing is perfect. That’s why I believe in positively building a more perfect nation not tearing it down on the airwaves, during a time of war.
Where did you read in my comment that I said the US can do no wrong? That’s where the danger lies, when people are misquoted or misinterpreted, just to prove a point. You should investigate which side of the isle does that, as you just did. Don’t be so condescending, you may even learn something from a conservative who can spell almost everything correctly. I spelled unbearable incorrectly, on purpose. You know why.
Oh and thank you Jewlzq…I know

Chattipaula, let's start with "treasonous". Why don't you display to me the law that says that Rhodes' show is treasonous. If you can't, then try defending a law that actually would make her show treasonous - write out the law so we can examine it.

Or, why don't we just let the treasonous thing go, and chalk it up to a bit of irresponsible exaggeration on your part. So, just prove to me that Rhodes hates America. Spell out to me the difference between passionately disagreeing with a nation's course in favor of a better course, and flat-out hating the nation. Prove to me that Rhodes isn't doing the former, and is only doing the latter.

I understand that Air America might seem degrading to an America that you are proud of. One possible explanation is that the America you are proud of doesn't actually exist. If that's true, that vision of America would need to be to be degraded in order to become more in line with the truth. A belief that many other conservatives hold is that Iraq was behind 9/11, that 9/11 therefore justified the Iraq war, and that it is inappropriate to criticize America defending herself since she was attacked. It's false, so the truth will attack that falsehood, and those clinging to the falsehood would take it as an attack on "their America".

I don't believe that you think that America can do no wrong, thanks to your second comment. However, that's because you are backtracking. You said, "..the liberal left has nothing but hatred for this country." Then in your second comment, you said, "It is a hallmark of generosity and compassion. It is the sum of its people, Democrat and Republicans alike." Those two comments don't exactly line up.

If you honestly accept that America can do wrong, then you'd accept that it would be appropriate for people to point those wrong things out and advocate a better course, wouldn't you? But, you don't advocate that. So, I'm left with the conclusion that you're either a lazy thinker, or you're dishonest.

So, my conclusion is that you aren't genuine. Instead, you have an agenda. I now doubt you believe that Rhodes and other liberals don't have their own positive vision for America. Instead, you're just more interested in painting it that way. To serve an agenda. You're not being conned - you're trying to be one of the con artists.

To tunesmith or Curt, talk about an agenda and con artists. But I made no secret of “my agenda”, it is to stop Air America and Randi Rhodes. I can’t help it if you missed that. That does not make me ingenuous. I don’t think advocating a better course is wrong, only the ways and approaches that one takes can be interpreted as wrong. You have done what most Liberals do and that is to put words in my mouth that I didn’t say. Unfortunately for you it’s all here in black and white. You also didn’t answer any of my questions; therefore I will do the same. You skirted those issues, by bringing in 9/11, which I made no reference to, and summing up my comments incorrectly. Double talk and insults will not be enough to change my mind and those of thoughtful people who believe in the strength and goodness of America, which by the way does exist, and not just in my mind. In conclusion I don’t think it is my honesty that is in question here….last post for me so I guess you’ll go to town at my expense, or not.

Well, thanks for the points you were able to give. Believe it or not, I did answer your question in the previous comment. Re-explained: To be fair, when you expressed the belief that it was inappropriate for the folks at Air America to oppose the administration's policy, I assumed that it meant you thought that everything the administration was doing was the right thing to do. Thus, the assumption that you thought we were doing "no wrong". I think this assumption gives you the benefit of the doubt, compared to the assumption that you were saying it's inappropriate to protest even when we *are* doing something wrong. I initially thought better of you. My mistake.

Yes, I'm being "snarky". But let me point out what you did, free of liberal rephrasing. You accused liberals of hating America. You said Randi Rhodes was a treasonous woman. You've referred to "spewing hatred" and tearing the country down, and appended "in a time of war", as if it makes protesting policy more inappropriate. This is a hateful, stifling attitude, insulting the patriotism of anyone that protests this administration, and you deserved to be called out.

With regard to the inane and jingoistic comments of "Chattipaula:"

You people (the radical right) started the incivility in our political discourse, and we liberals are going to finish it. Deal with it, you simple-minded fool.

By the way, the numbers in NY have Al Franken at Air America cleaning El Rushbo's clock.

We're letting the clean air of liberalism in. You cannot stop the will of the majority, no matter how hard you freep, you creep.

Is Dead Air America still on the air? Since Big Al took a pay cut to stay on the air, I figure he will be like all other great liberal media failures (NPR, Chris Matthews &MSNBC, Charles Jaco, The Daily Show, etc.): loved by fellow libs, but last in the ratings and a joke in the adworld.

Hey Roscoe, have you seen the ratings for Air America? We're going to beat you clowns senseless in the ratings. Most people don't think like you wacky-right radicals. Get a clue; your time is past. Take that flag off your face before you smother, moron.

BTW, The Daily Show has incredible ratings for a cable show. It's idiots like Joe Scarborough who are bombing. Of course, people like you never let facts get in the way of your ideology. Therein lies the problem. You and Wolfowitz: Perfect together. Why don't you pick up a gun and enter the Iraqi quagmire yourself?

It’s plain to see how scullygrrrl’s insolent attitude comes from his Liberal views. I see it often when dealing with the likes of such peremptory people,
Calling Roscoe a moron and me an inane creep, probably gives him a kind of magisterial image of himself, much needed by those with inferiority complexes.
By the way Roscoe I heard "O’Franken" is giving AA a freebie, not just a pay cut. Desperate times…..

By the way, I returned from Iraq three weeks ago, and my brother is over there now. I know you clowns are rooting for us to lose, but you must be busy reading Chairman Mao's Red Book to realize that.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200406%5CPOL20040608a.html

Just as CBSpolls more Dems than Republicans, so does Zogby. Even a pro terrorist creep like Zogby (who slants his polls to agree with his brother's crackpot statements) has to concede that the Kerry "electability" was a lie and another media fed talking point.

There's a difference between being liberal and being leftist. And that Randi Rhodes has "indisputable" facts?? - whoever believes that is no better than any right-winger out there. Rhodes full-scale atttack on Reagan this week is just poor. You can make any President look like he wasn't doing his job, i.e. Clinton (take his entire "policy" on Africa - you could make a case that Clinton was trying to destroy a whole continent). And of course, I don't believe that Clinton was, but a case COULD be made for it. Rhodes is constantly hammering that Reagan had NOTHING to do with the downfall of the Soviet Union---I guess she knows better than Gorbachev, who publicy stated otherwise. We are NEVER going to get ANYWHERE in this country unless SOMEONE brings some rational, intelligent discourse to the table instead of SPIN.

Conservatives hate Randi Rhodes because she asks the questions for which they have no answers. I am always reminded of the conservatives' accusation that Gore claimed to have invented the internet". When I explain to these naysayers that he never made that claim (I believe it was Rush during one of his drug-induces rantings) but that he did actually spearhead the funding for the Pentagon to develop the internet, the typical reply is "well, what about Clinton's blowjob?" This how how these dunderheads think.
I am truly convinced that these die-hard conservatives are idiots and Bush is truly their king.

I'm curious how many of the people on this thread have ever listened to Rush at all. I have never heard him talk over a caller that disagrees with him. He may trivialize their commentary, and he'll attempt to keep them focused on their topic - but I haven't heard the rudeness from him that this bitch comes out with. Her interview with Ralph Nader was completely disrespectful. I'm not a big Nader fan, but a little professionalism from bitch Randi would have been nice. I'm sure Nader would have gotten that courtesy from any of the conservative talk shows. As I recall, Nader finally tired of the rudeness and hung up.

I believe that part of the difference is that Rush's producers screen his calls very aggressively so he rarely has to deal with anyone who disagrees strenuously with him. I don't think that Randi's show screens like that.

Randi operates much like Michael Moore; twisting facts to fit her argument. She let's callers spew complete garbage w/o questioning their veracity. I have listened to callers bitch about the 'lousy economy' and how interest rates were better under Clinton. That's b.s. . Interest rates have been at 55 year lows for the past 4 years. On the economy, Clinton didn't have 911 to deal with. Bush haters say 'AHA - 911 was Bush's fault'. Clinton could have had Bin-laden's head on a platter, but wouldn't take custody from the Sudanese when he had the chance.

Randi says follow the money. I say, great, let's look at the UN and how many billions have been outright stolen from the Iraqi people in the oil for food program by the UN and its corrupt personel.

War for oil? I need gas to get to work. US industry needs oil to function and support our country. Without oil, and no alternative energy supply, we would be living in the era circa 1900. Saudi Arabia is extremely unstable. If hardline islamists take over, bye-bye oil. Think of Iraq as our backup.

FYI - Randi raves about Michael Moore and his F-911 movie. Did you know Carlisle group owns Loews theatres which is screening his film. I guess Michael,Bush and the Saudis are all in cahoots.

Honestly I don’t see why people are so upset about accuracy. The government’s accuracy rating has been rock-bottom since January 2001 and the nation didn’t seem to mind.

“Interest rates have been at 55-year lows for the last four years.” The closest reference I could find to this in the news was from the AFP newswire:

“Oct 28 2003–Washington The US would freeze key interest rates at a 45-year low this week, even as the economy looked poised finally to bust out of a long slump, analysts said.”

Hm...it doesn’t say “has,” “did,” or “have been.” It says “would.” I’m still looking for the news item that says it actually happened. I’ll let you know when I find it.

“On the economy, Clinton didn’t have 9/11 to deal with.” He did have to deal with $500 billion projected deficit. Sounds kinda tough, neh?

“Clinton could’ve had bin Laden’s head on a platter, but wouldn’t take custody from the Sudanese when he had the chance.” I could buy this charge if there was a reliable source for it. There isn’t. Every line of inquiry on this charge—every book, every article, every reference— leads to one source, Mansoor Ijaz. And nothing else is corroborating his claim.

I’m not doing really well here. I can’t find a solid fact to back you up, Dave.

Wait, wait, I got one. No sign of the Carlisle group, but the Carlyle Group did buy the Loews Theater chain for $1.46 billion. Wow, it’s documented all over the place. You can follow the money and everything.

Oh, before I forget, by 1900, the petroleum industry had been around 40 years. We weren’t driving as fast or burning CDs, but we did have oil. God bless Standard Oil.

Joe,

You can't find a solid fact. I've got solid facts.

Your fact checking was almost correct. Interest rates are at the lowest levels in 45 years not 55 years. That was a terrible subtraction mistake on my part.
ftp://ftp.ny.frb.org/prime/Prime.txt

In regards to Clinton, Sudan and the bin Laden affair, you are sadly mistaken. You can hear Clinton speaking on the subject at http://newsmax.com/clinton2.mp3
If you only listen to Randi, I can see why this has never come up.

Here is the transcript.
------------------------------------------
You must credit NewsMax if linking or republishing this article or audio.

"Mr. bin Laden used to live in Sudan. He was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991, then he went to Sudan.

"And we'd been hearing that the Sudanese wanted America to start meeting with them again - they released him.

"At the time, 1996, he had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America.

"So I pleaded with the Saudis to take him, 'cause they could have. But they thought it was a hot potato and they didn't and that's how he wound up in Afghanistan." (End of excerpt)

Since last December, Ijaz has insisted that he negotiated the deal for bin Laden's release from Sudan. But he maintained that the White House declined to take advantage of the offer because of legal technicalities - a detail now confirmed by the ex-president, as NewsMax's tape proves.

But shortly after his account first appeared in the Los Angeles Times, former Clinton officials trashed the bin Laden extradition story as an exaggeration at best - a complete fabrication at worst.

Asked to respond to Ijaz's account in January, ex-NSC aide Nancy Soderberg told Fox News Channel, "He's living in a fantasy land. There was no such Sudanese offer."

"He's lying ... he's a crackpot," said Jennifer Palmieri, a former White House aide who now serves as chief spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, of Ijaz's story in May. "The guy has absolutely no credibility. You'll see that you never see him on television anymore once he was outed as being a fraud."

Mainstream reporters, apparently unaware of Clinton's February comments, have also trashed Ijaz's account.
---------------------------------------------
Keep in mind this is after the first world trade center bombing, and attacks on two U.S. embassies
linked to bin Laden.

Oh, before I forget. I don't think there were many households with cars around in 1900 or household electricty and indoor toilets; not like today where most households have at least one car and most of us have electricity and plumbing. We need the oil, but we can't drill for it here due to misguided environmental concerns. There are no plans for new nuclear plants due to environmentalism Until these policies are addressed we will continue to rely on foreign oil.

Found some facts? Good job, Dave. It’s kind of a shame, though. If they weren’t all warped and distorted, they’d be real shiny facts.

Most of them are from only one source. An unreliable one at that. NewsMax is especially notorious for spin-doctoring. Citing them weakens your argument, rather than solidifying it.

I find it difficult to trust any single news source. I check several, favor a few, but ultimately trust none of them. Kinda X-Files of me, but hey, even the best journalists make mistakes from time to time. I prefer to cross-reference stories and look for paper trails.

So no, I don’t listen exclusively to Randi Rhodes. Besides, her show is news talk. News talk is largely entertainment with a little discourse thrown in. It’s about opinions, not hard information. Relying on news talk alone—any newstalk—is like calling a movie review the equivalent of a college course in filmmaking. No, to get the whole picture, you look elsewhere.

Re the economy, your ftp isn’t much help. It’s a quick ‘n’ dirty table of prime rates, the rates at which banks charge each other for overnight loans. You referred to interest rates, the ones people like you and me use for the same thing. You don’t have to take my word for it. Look up the definitions at http://invest-faq.com/articles/regul-fed-reserve.html and http://www.bankrate.com/brm/definitions.asp?channelid=18&letter=0 . Unless you show the math as to how the prime interest rates figure in the calculation of interest rates on an annual basis, prime rate charts can tell you only how the banks are doing. We might as well call Metallica a really ticked-off gospel choir by sheer dint of rock music’s origins.

Re Ijaz, Clinton, and bin Laden. For a wonder, the NewsMax item reveals a distortion of the facts...mainly by propagating it. International law, specifically a lack of evidence, was precluding us from taking custody of bin Laden. Clinton decided not to bypass due process, fabricate evidence, or otherwise conclude that the ends justified the means. Mansoor Ijaz brokered an extradition deal without any legal grounds. What was the point of that? Bin Laden would’ve gotten off on a technicality, gained some credibility (ick!), and made us look stupid no matter what we did. Some offer. Meanwhile Ijaz is peddling a story based on a false premise and loads of spin, profiting from it in the process. Now show me exactly where it was Clinton and not the Sudanese, the Saudis, or Ijaz himself who let bin Laden slip through our fingers.

Re oil. I’m not disputing our need for oil. We need it for practically everything now, and as far as I’m concerned, we should have ended our dependence on foreign oil before it was cool to fear turbans. Nuclear power in the US was discredited by scandal, not environmentalists. Solar power was treated like a joke. We’re dabbling in fuel cells, bioenergy, and electrics for cars, but the automobile and oil industries are resisting. And the current administration has yet to make a sizeable dent in that resistance. If we’re going to wage a war for oil, a token effort to avoid it would’ve been a nice gesture—at the very least.

I don’t question your desire to get at the truth of things. You obviously care about this country, or else you wouldn’t work so hard to stay informed. But we’re Americans, dammit. We’re entitled to free information, not for some upper-class elite to twist it up and bottle it. Hell, that’s what the Cold War was supposed to be about.

Wait, one sec. That comment about listening to Randi Rhodes...was that an ad hominem attack? And with so little to back it up? Now that’s class.

Randi Rules! Best host in the country.

NOT

She talks over everyone, even people who agree with her. I think she is equally rude to everyone. It kind of bugs me, but it doesn't mean she is always wrong.

Yeah, that's true! It's one of the reasons why I don't listen to her show maybe once every few weeks. It's a verbal rugby match. Not good, not bad, just not for everyone. All the raised voices and loud invective, even when I agree with it, it wears you out. And there are plenty of news talk hosts who do that. Unless there's another fairness doctrine or a renewed push back to public civility, we're stuck with a need for facts and verbal self-defense. And that problem is more serious and far-reaching than the topic at hand.

I have been listening to Randi for quite some time, now. I disagree with all of those who would call her a "bully", a "shrew" or other such derogative terms. If she were a male, the issue of her personality and her means of conducting interviews / answering calls would never be called into question! She is a shrewd, intelligent and forth-right person who does what she does for the love of America, and for the education of all those within the sound of her voice. And, speaking of Randi's voice, I too come from New York and my voice sounds the male equivelant to hers, so enough critique on the way this woman talks. You insult her, you insult all New Yorkers, in my book! In the words of our future First Lady...SHOVE IT!

Hello hello... is this the randy roadshow? I've been listening now for however long it's been on in the Portland, OR market. Great stuff! I hate to be one to put a hex on my intuition, but it seems to me that dub loses in a landslide. Watch George, NU....CLEAR. Now pronounce those two together just like you were taught in grammar school. Oh, Texas grammar school? Never mind. I'll give you 8 to 5 and half your money back if you take the bet that more than one person has been fired from the administration when he (too often) attempted to teach dub the proper pronunciation. This doesn't make dub dumb, just ill educated and mentally lazy. Just what you want for a prez. With folks like Wolfowiz Pearle Ashcroft and Cheney in charge, who needs Osama bin forgotten? When you are absolutely convinced that you're right why would you ever need to look at the facts? Who needs facts that might cause doubts? Not a slow thinking mouth breather.

John Kerry in a landslide win!!! Randi Rhodes spreading the word across the nation. Balding Rush and O'Reilly--years of spewing which resulted in a stolen election thanks to brother Jeb. Now that Randi's on the air, the truth is spreading like wild fires!!!!! Ha, Ha, Ha!!!!!!! We know it hurts-too bad!

Miss Randi certainly gave it to those fundamentalist Christians that are waiting for the rapture. Calling them evil and likening them to the fundamentalist Muslims. Only according to Miss Randi the Christians are even worse cause they're not willing to die themselves, and want the Jews to die first so they can be raptured....Wrong...Get it right Miss Rhodes. Out of all your loyal sheep, none have taken you to task.. Seems she hasn't done her homework on this one. I guess reading the Bible would burn her eyes.
First there is the rapture, then the 144,000 (Jews)from the twelve tribes of Israel accept Christ as their savior and fight the antichrist (whoever he or SHE may be). Frankly if I were Mr. Kerry, I wouldn't want her spreading the word for him. The truth took a nose dive on her show, but them it's a 50/50 toss on Kerry's truths.

I totally agree with the first couple of guys. She is rude and obnoxious. She doesn't help the liberal cause at all with her behavior. I wish they would push her slot to later at night so I could here better speakers like garafolo, seder and malloy.

- Chuck

Randi's voice conjures up images of Mike Teevee from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." Her voice & bullying aside, I think she's the best radio personality on Air America (Al Franken is funny, but not nearly as experienced -- and I'm disappointed with the once-admired Janeane Garofalo's on-air skills).

Some of Randi's facts are off, but all in all she's the best thing that Air America has going for it.

I just recently discovered Randi Rhodes. At first I was turned off by her strident style. Then I discovered that she is a fascinating, well-informed radio personality. I'm pretty well-informed myself, but have learned a lot listening to her.

Randi R. is an intelligent woman, an out-spoken liberal and does tell the truth with a solid foundation of facts. She is articulate if strident. What I object to, however, is that she really does not listen and often tramples the speaker with her own diatribes. Part of what would make her a better spokesman for liberal causes would be to develop an ability to actually listen and to respond and then to listen to the caller/guest's response. Randi, if you read this...remember to check your passion at the door and allow for others to speak.

I try to listen to Randi because I agree with her, but honestly, she rudely interrupts her callers and it sounds as though she smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day. Get rid of her and her raspy voice. Too many nights in too many bars is the impression I get.

The episode with Patti Smith sealed it for me. When I posted an honest criticism on her message board I got band. Go figure for being liberal mecca of ideas. Regardless. The only person worth listening to on Air America Radio is Mike Malloy. The Majority Report is boring. Al Franken is alright but his cohost can be annoying with that piercing laugh. Talk Radio should be fun, but not full of mundane satire.

Randi? At first I liked her. She seemed spontaneous and entertaining. But she quickly wears thin. I see her now as a crass loudmouth radical who is doing more harm than good. I mean really, she's preaching to the converted. Who in mainstream America wouldn't instantly be turned off by the voice, the attitude, the arrogance (and what makes her an expert, an authority on politics and economics? What's here background besides a stint in the Air Force and a few years as a talk show host?), the views that are far to the left of most of America?

I could say many of the same things about Randi's right wing talk jock counterparts. So, why is she any better? Better? No. More self-righteous? Yes!

True Colors. I'm impressed with the left for finally seeing La Rhodes for what she is. I'm sitting here patiently waiting, just give her enough rope.......

Revealing your own true colors, I see, o faint-hearted specter of the banquet. After hiding for months and a handful of posts on Randi's off-days, you see fit to come around and gloat at this Pyrrhic victory. Air America Radio now has over 30 affililates, is knocking neocon screaming heads out of the upper rating brackets, and Randi Rhodes just isn't going away. Good luck getting Air America or Randi Rhodes off the air. Well, not really, but you'll need some.

Lastly, a thought to ponder:

"No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots." --Barbara Ehrenreich

Pyrrhic victory, bet you couldn't wait to use that one, King Pyrrhic would be proud, should have concentrated more on affiliates. Hey we all make mistakes. Why do I feel more Liberal?

Maybe you feel smarter? That wouldn't make any sense, though, because of that incoherent run-on sentence. I was going to give the capitalizing of "liberal," but even the AP Stylebook doesn't allow it in that context. D-

I was so happy when I found that Air America was picked up in my area. After a few days of listening though, I found that liberals screaming are not much better than conservatives screaming. While I agree with most of what is said, we've lost the ability to agree to disagree. The message is getting lost and no one seems to care anymore. Liberals aren't paying attention to the Bush administration, which is not a good thing. We must pay attention to both sides, this is the only way compromise is attained, but no one wants to try to please all sides anymore. We as Americans have become self-absorbed and victimized. The Christian right won't forgive and the liberal left isn't in it for everyone anymore. Think I'll move to socialism.

Randi Rhodes is an embarrassment to all thinking people.... left AND right. She is a sophomoric simpleton who prefers her facts sprinkled with snotty hyperbole. Her "manners" are actually her strong point, if you get my drift. She is a big thunderous DUH!

Gee, I'm shocked how threatened you neo-cons get when confronted with the truth. I think that you right-wingers are just not used to hearing the truth from your people. What Randi uses is something we grown-ups call logic. You're just sour that all your media hacks are embarassing disgraces to not just journalism, but to entertainment.

Garafolo, and Franken are talented? At what, blue humor?

Randi is a liar, as are the most people on "Air America".

Oh yeah, it is illegal to even joke about killing the President. You can spin it anyway you want, you screwed up. Making light of it, saying it is funny then saying it is not funny and you don't condone it, then make jokes about it, then you rationalize it some more. Grow up.

Randi Rhodes puts down ignorance because she wants to get the truth out - not the "items" that pass for news - and educate people and get them to think instead of just listening to FOX News or O'Reilly and nodding their heads going, "Yuh, that's right!" No, in fact, it isn't.

I am a centrist democrat. Thought I'd put in mt 2 cents
I Just listened to Randi Rhodes comment....scummy. But it will probably impove her ratings.
She IS kind of scummy in general. However, I'm sure there's plenty of Republicans who listen to Rush, and don't agree with some of his methods but listen anyway because Rush keeps it interesting.
The bottom line is, THEY ARE BOTH PROVOCATEURS, and are not committed to even-handed and meaningful discourse, but rather ratings. And I'm sure that if you asked Rush or Randi off-the-record, they would agree. I've heard Rush and Randi hint at that fact on-air, (and Michael Savage).

It seems that those who support and those who oppose Randi Rhodes do so for nearly the same reasons. She's outsopken, and won't let the unschooled try to school her. Yes, she interrupts people too much. So does Rush Limbaugh and so does Bill O'Reilley. It's a very common thing with hosts, especially radio hosts. They can't let one person go all day, or only a few would be heard. They're up against breaks a lot. And frankly, when they do let someone go on and on (which Randi and all the rest do, believe it or not), typically, it turns out to be an anticlimax. Shouting people down does make you look like you can't afford to hear the other person out. And I would indeed urge Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy (her male equivelant on Air America) and *ALL* radio and TV hosts to apply a 60 second gag rule to themselves when a caller introduces themself and starts talking. But in the end, it's their show. And we really can't expect a formal debate format to prevail in such an environment. If it did, it would probably loose ratings, because it wouldn't seem as interesting. After all, even though we *can* now watch cable broadcasts of the U.S. Senate, how many of us do so for very long?

Randi Rhodes is like an unfunny joke a child insists on telling a you a million times. She's not entertaining. I know she likes to have her facts in order, but she is terrible about twisting them to meet her needs. When she does hit a point, it's often countered almost instantly by some halfwited defense of Clinton that is as empty and diatribic as anything a Bush supporter will toss out there. When it comes down to it, I just find her boring. Even obnoxious radio has to be entertaining. I'll take Michael Savage over her any day. I may hate what he says, but at least he says it in a way that doesn't sound like the one millionth "knock knock" joke in a row

The guy prefers Michael Savage over Randi Rhodes? I think John P. Wiley and his ilk have been smoking some bad crack. No principles and no brain cells. His comments about Randi Rhodes being like a child telling an unfunny joke a million times simply have nothing to do with anything that faintly smacks of reality. Try rehab.

Randi Rhodes says she has 5-10 million listeners. HUH?? Washington D.C.'s station that broadcasts Air America ratings are 0.2 not 2.0 but 0.2!!! She seriously beleives she can influence the House to draw up articles of impeachment for Bush. She spewed on and on last year that if Bush is relected-He will reinstate the draft, overturn Roe vs Wade, He will produce Osoma Bin Laden (because Osama was sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom? I quess), right before the election, go to war with Iran......and when Bush won fair & square, she went on and on like a sour apple spewing hellion, the elections were rigged. Bottom line-Randi Rhodes is mentally ill.