Wednesday, October 17, 2007

What a Difference a Day Makes

First of all, we would like to thank the 1,300 plus people who took the time to the post a comment on the Randi Rhodes mugging story. We especially appreciate the hundreds of right-wingers that discovered this blog for the first time. We hope you come back and visit us on regular basis.

Also, we would like to thank all conservative bloggers including such big players as the Drudge Report, Michelle Malkin, the American Spectator and Little Green Footballs for linking their stories on the Rhodes incident to our blog.

Oh yes, and then one final shout-out -- to conservative talk radio blogger Brian Maloney who for the first time mentioned Talking Radio in his "no-spin zone." Well, Maloney didn’t actually mention Talking Radio by name, but he did say that the Randi Rhodes mugging story was started by "a tiny blog whose author has been a frequent critic of [his] site."

Tiny! When’s the last time that your blog recorded over a thousand comments?

However, while we are appreciative of the response we received in the MSM and blogosphere. (We even got linked to an article in the New York Times!) we regret that the accuracy of some of the information that we presented in our post last night has come into question.

When 41 members of the U.S. Senate and members of the anti-Iraq war veterans group votevets.org expressed outrage over Rush Limbaugh’s "phony soldier" remark, the right-wing talk show host said that his critics didn’t consider the "context" in which his remark was made.

Well, we too have a "context" issue. Our coverage of the alleged attack on Randi Rhodes was presented in the "context" of several very real politically motivated attacks against liberal stations and talk hosts. We chronicled the recent shooting at a lib talk station in Houston, a death threat directed to Stephanie Miller, and a beating received by Tom Leykis. We also, referred to several incidents that may be forgotten because they occurred several years ago – e.g. shots fired at Thom Hartmann's car, transmitters blown up in Texas, and most tragically, the murder of lib talk show host Alan Berg.

If you take the time to scan the more than 1,300 comments posted to yesterday’s blog or read the posts in the right-wing publications listed above, you won’t find a single reference to any of these incidents.

We still believe that more answers are needed before we can say what happened to Randi Rhodes. The truth is not served when the media only reports part of the story.

For example, many of the comments that we received referred to an article written in yesterday’s New York Daily News by David Hinckley and Tina Moore. Also, the Drudge Report, linked to Daily News article in four items that they posted about incident.


MYSTERY: AIR AMERICA TALK SHOW HOST ‘NOT MUGGED’ IN NYC

LAWYER: She ‘fell while walking dog’ no crime

She hit her head on the street and was ‘disoriented’

ANOTHER ‘AIR AMERICA HOST ASKS ‘Is this an attempt by the right-wing, hate machine to silence one of our own?’
However, the Daily News story gives a different spin to Rhodes incident than an Associated Press article that appeared in dozens of American newspapers.

According to the Daily News, Rhodes' lawyer Robert Gaulin said that Rhodes was injured in a fall while walking her dog. Gaulin said that the lib talk host is not sure what happened, and only knows that she fell down and is in a lot of pain.

However, the AP, which also uses Gaulin as its source, confirmed that Rhodes was injured after "she was floored by someone or something" and that "she wasn't sure herself what sent her tumbling to the pavement." "She hit her head on the street and was disoriented," Gaulin said. "She's not sure what happened. She didn't see anything."

It’s funny that none of the right wing commentators or bloggers made reference to the AP story.
Furthermore, Rhodes, who is resting at her Manhattan apartment, has yet to comment on the incident.

In any case, it appears that Air America Radio wants to put an end to this story.

The lib talk radio network has posted the following item on its WebPage:

On Sunday evening, October 14, Air America host Randi Rhodes experienced an unfortunate incident hindering her from hosting her show. The reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded. Ms. Rhodes looks forward to being back on the air on Thursday.Air America vice president of programming David Bernstein said "I spoke with Randi. She said that it happened, it took her by surprise and it's over."

Also, AAR’s late night talk show host, Jon Elliott has repudiated some of the statements that he made during his show last night about incident.

"I shouldn’t have speculated based on hearsay that Randi Rhodes had been mugged and that it may have been an attack from a right wing hate machine. I apologize for jumping to conclusions based on an emotional reaction. I wish Randi nothing but the best and look forward to a speedy recovery."Since our coverage of the alleged Randi Rhodes mugging was largely based on Elliott’s comments, we have decided that we cannot support the claims that were made and that we will withhold judgement on the matter until all the facts become known.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm here to take the name "liberal" back from you folks. You've misappropriated it for years. Please feel free to use "progressive" (progress to what?), or "left" or "socialist" or whatever you want. Liberal means something very different from what you people are.

As soon as you return it to me, I'll get you a receipt.

Anonymous said...

So---- what you are attempting is #1 trying to evade responsibility for screaming "FIRE" in a crowded theatre and #2 attempting to duck responsibility for inaccurate and shoddy yellow journalism. WoW---that's a shock.

On the face of it---it appears there are several scenarios of Ms. Rhodes mechanism of injury. Most are quite unsavory!

Anonymous said...

What? This was all a media contrivance? Defenseless left wing, progressive, liberals being set upon by the RIGHT WING ATTACK MACHINE was all BS.

I would suggest that you folks take a hard look at yourselves. Denial, obfuscation, and rationalization won't get you any further regarding this matter. On face value, this young woman has the Tawana Brawley syndrome at the Al Sharpton's leapt right in. Dunces!

BTW---I fully expect any criticism to be deleted----goes with the group think.

Anonymous said...

The only person who may need to apologize (and has) is Jon Elliott.

If this were a right-wing site, they would have simply deleted the original post. By keeping the original and updating it, you've behaved honorably. Every newspaper and TV outlet has had to retract one story or another. Blogs can also be wrong.

Most of the comments to the original post expressed anything from indifference to Randi's injuries to a wish that Randi had been murdered. That documents the level of hatred that left-wing radio hosts have to endure. After reading them, I'm only surprised that Randi wasn't assaulted.

Charles of MercuryRising
www.phoenixwoman.wordpress.com

Robert said...

Actually, your blog is tiny: the only reason you got the attention you did is because your (false) Randi Rhodes story was linked on the Drudge Report. I highly doubt you'll ever have that volume of traffic again.

Oh, and one more thing: if she fell because someone pushed her, why hasn't a police report been filed? I'm glad Randi Rhodes is going to be okay, but to accuse "the right-wing hate machine" on so little evidence is both irresponsible and stupid.

ltr said...

Uhh... Robert, I've seen your own server stats and quite frankly, I'm not impressed. Well, at least you read it.

I was another blogger who wrote about the Rhodes thing. I stopped short of assessing blame, but I take responsibility for helping to forward it. Simply put, many of us screwed up. It was an easy mistake to make.

However, while your people are quick to engage in finger-wagging, they certainly aren't that quick to retract some of their own boo-boos.

Suffice it to say, the likelihood of false rumors flowing through the blogosphere based on the assumptions of an opinionated talk show host is strong. And it is not restricted to one side or the other. I'm still waiting for Michelle Malkin and her ilk to apologize for claiming that Iran's Ayatollah died. Last January. Maybe we'll see mass apologies for the Swift Vets smears. Or the whole WMD thing. Then again, we may see pigs fly.

Robert said...

Yes, I have a small, insignificant blog. I know how much traffic I (don't) get. I've never said otherwise - I'm not claiming to be a large blog...and frankly, I'm not embarrassed by that. I blog for my own amusement, and if anyone else comes across my blog, more power to them.

And just because Eliot, Air America, and the lib blogosphere paused to wipe the egg off of their (your) collective faces and then said "opps, my bad," that doesn't make you look any better. Frankly, if anything, this incident shows just how dangerous the liberal tendency to scream "hate crime" really is...and with allegations thrown around with no evidence, it's only getting worse.

On top of that, retractions were reported in this case due to the volume of embarrassment on such a blatently false story...but there are plenty of liberal lies out there that have never been retracted.

By the way, I checked out your post there. Got a little chuckle out of the re-hashing of the "mission accomplished" thing. Way to beat a dead horse.

And as for your last paragraph, I've never heard a conservative claim to be perfect...and I would disagree with the conservative that did. But the fact that we're not perfect doesn't mean we can't call out the left when they're spreading lies & hate.

ptg said...

Suckers! It was space aliens that hired those out of work seal hunters to knock Randi down and drug her.

Thus Spake Ortner said...

I still think it was the 1984 Denver Broncos.

http://3-116thsniper.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

well.. looks like this blog's 15 min of fame are over.

Time for it to return to the murky depths of the intrawebs from whince it came..........

Joy, Shared said...

So, a liberal talk radio host gets 'assaulted' and one of her colleagues puts her faux story on the air and people start blaming the conservatives for 'hate crimes' without actually looking at (or, waiting for) the facts ... you know, like the fact that no assault ever actually occurred.

Does it bother anyone else that the whackos on both sides in this country have everyone so jaded that liberals assume everyone conservative is evil, conservatives celebrate when a liberal (supposedly) gets beat up while walking her dog, and no one can find common ground anywhere anymore ... ?

If it doesn't bother you, you might want to be a bit more introspective about whether you're really part of the solution or part of the problem.

Anonymous said...

Don't you just hate it when you say you are sorry and they STILL want you to take responsibility for your actions? It just ain't fair!

ltr said...

So Robert, what exactly is it that you want from us? If you want me to come over and wash your car, the answer is no.

Needless to say, nobody really owes you squat as far as an apology goes. If you were offended at the thought of one of your own having violent tendencies, then perhaps you need to grow a thicker skin. You guys are way too sensitive.

I notice that you were rather speechless about what happens on your side of the fence. I guess that proves my point that nobody, regardless of ideology, is immune to this stuff.

Anonymous said...

She was floored by someone or something... or maybe 14 somethings!

Robert said...

Here is my final response on the matter, ltr:

I didn't know I'd claimed to be owed anything, or that I was somehow personally offended by the accusation...and personally, I don't care about apologies - they're vastly overrated...though why conservatives should accept everyone's apologies at face value after spreading these kinds of lies when liberals rarely, if ever, accept conservatives' apologies on any issue just doesn't make sense.

As of yet, there is no difinitive evidence suggesting Rhodes was attacked by a right-wing zealot, and to make that kind of accusation without evidence was both irresponsible and stupid. Is it possible that someone on the right would attack Rhodes? Yes. Does that excuse liberals (like yourself) for jumping all over conservatives with no evidence? Not at all. Heck, with the evidence at hand, this wacko's theory is just as valid:
http://gawker.com/news/developing/was-talk-show-host-randi-rhodes-jumped-by-14-ketel-ones-311453.php

Had the roles been reversed, and a conservative talker had baselessly accused the "liberal hate machine" of attacking another conservative talk show host, it would be the leading story across the US. As it is, all you have to complain about is some conservative bloggers rubbing your nose in it.

As for your blog post, you have an interesting mix of semi-valid points, regurgitated lib talking points, non sequiturs, and out-and-out crap. I'm not going to let you bait me into some convoluted point-by-point debate over every unapologized-for transgression ever committed by a conservative - the fact that I've matured beyond that and have more constructive ways to spend my time in no way proves you right. You've shown me your true nature: in the end, all you have are stupid insults and name-calling.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see that you have said the story, as heard by you, was BS. Congrats on the # of comments, pretty cools (seriously.)

I am very conservative, but, I will say, people need to lay off Randi if she was drunk at the time (not saying she was): most of us have been there and done that. That whole "casting the first stone" thing.

barooosk said...

Anon said

So---- what you are attempting is #1 trying to evade responsibility for screaming "FIRE" in a crowded theatre

First of all, I didn't make the statements that were apparently incorrect and so offended all you sensitive right wingers. I just reported statements that were made by someone else. Also, an internet blog is not the same as a crowded theatre. No one was injured, scampering to their keyboards

and #2 attempting to duck responsibility for inaccurate and shoddy yellow journalism. WoW---that's a shock.

Again I was reporting statements made by talk radio host who was broadcasting over the air. My statements about the violent attacks by right-wingers against liberal talk radio hosts were accurate and truthful. Where's the yellow journalism?

barooosk said...

this young woman has the Tawana Brawley syndrome at the Al Sharpton's leapt right in. Dunces!

Why are you right-wing nimrods so obsessed with Tawana Brawley? Didn't that happen 20 years ago?

There's no comparison between the controversy over what happened to Randi Rhodes, a public figure and accomplished host which will probably be resolved in the next few days and the Tawana Brawley case which involved a teenager and dragged on for a couple of years.

Let it go, pleez

barooosk said...

I'm here to take the name "liberal" back from you folks. You've misappropriated it for years. Please feel free to use "progressive" (progress to what?), or "left" or "socialist" or whatever you want. Liberal means something very different from what you people are.

Sorry you can't take it back. In fact, in American history "progressives" have been further to left than "liberals." The progressive Bull Moose party was pretty socially active at the beginning of the 20th century, pushing for Unions and taking on big business. Also, the Progressive Party in the 1940's led by Alben Barley was much further to the left than liberal Democrats at that time.

barooosk said...

well.. looks like this blog's 15 min of fame are over.

Time for it to return to the murky depths of the intrawebs from whince it came..........


This blog has an excellent readership with the constituency that we serve -- people who work in the talk radio industry and fans of liberal talk radio. I just returned from the NAB convention in Charlotte and the talk radio people that I spoke with there are very familiar with Talking Radio.

I am sure that you right-wingers will be back the next you get your marching order from Matt Drudge.

Texas Tea Blogger said...

"We chronicled the recent shooting at a lib talk station in Houston, a death threat directed to Stephanie Miller, and a beating received by Tom Leykis. We also, referred to several incidents that may be forgotten because they occurred several years ago – e.g. shots fired at Thom Hartmann's car, transmitters blown up in Texas, and most tragically, the murder of lib talk show host Alan Berg."

Lets take a serious look at these instances:

Alan Berg was killed by a white nationalist Nazi organization more than 24 years ago.

Leykus was assaulted by a caller he humiliated on the air.

There is no evidence that whoever left bullet holes in Thom Hartmann’s car even knew who he was.

And the shooting of a liberal radio station in Houston takes the prize. I live in Houston and have never heard of this station. The shooting took place in a part of Houston that is near an old office of mine that we moved out of 5 years ago because crime had gotten so bad. The station s]was play6ing music at the time (1 AM) of the shooting

The only story you posted with an actual "right winger" in it was Stephanie Miller’s “death threat” which was actually a grotesque wish, not an actual threat, by a guy who sent a letter and signed his own name. she called him at his home the next day, on the air.

These do not add up to the "right wing hate machine" that you are implying.

Anonymous said...

If it is true that Randi was on some sort of drug when she had her accident, then she should take her problem head-on and deal with it.

Y'know, like Rush Limbaugh did?

M.R.F said...

Great blog. I'll visit often.

RE: Randi's accident/mugging--Guess we'll find out today (Thurs) what actually happened. Not that I really care--I'm just glad she's OK and that she'll be back on the air.

If all these cons leaving nasty comments would listen to Randi or Thom Hartmann's shows for a few days, they might actually learn something about what's really going on in this country + the world. Then again, listening to someone else talk is probably beyond them.

Anonymous said...

Oh, OK, the Tawana Brawley case is irrelevant since it happened 20 years ago, but the Alan Berg one is not even though it happened more than 24 years ago.

That must be the New Math that the Progressives want to teach in our schools.

Anonymous said...

You're on top of this story, you've got hits on this site to show for it and LTR/Fighting Irish can't stand it. Maybe part of the reason the hits just keep on coming on this site (unlike FI's) is you let people - even those who disagree with you - respond. If you took issue with something on FI's site, how much you want to bet your reply would never see the light of day over there.

PS: The way to tell an authoritarian wing-nut is their use of the phrase "shouting fire in a crowded theater." That phrase (by fascist Oliver Wendell Holmes) came from a supreme court decision upholding a law making it a crime to criticize the government and office holders. Holmes also favored eugenics and exempting baseball owners from anti-trust laws.

AAR should dump Elliot. They should dump everybody but Rhodes and Hartmann and make deals with Jones and Nova M to relay Miller, Schultz and Malloy on their feed for the convenience of stations.

ltr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ltr said...

Emacee! Is that you?

Still obsessed with me, huh? Well, if you didn't feel so compelled to post all that racist and xenophobic trash on my blog, perhaps I'd still let you post there, but noooooo...

To answer your question, I think Baroosk is doing fine. He's had to put up with a lot of grief over this whole thing, and has held up well.

And no, I'm not jealous. Not in the least. I do this as a hobby. I've got other things in the real world that take up most of my time.

Look, unlike you, I don't really have the desire to childishly air dirty laundry on Baroosk's joint here. If you have some concerns about me, instead of cowardly slamming me on a third party blog, email me (ltradiomail@yahoo.com) about your gripes.

Emacee said...

Fighting Irish, you are a liar.

My last attempt to post on your blog was a mention that although WLSD, San Diego is dropping libtalk, the legendary Michael Jackson is returning on station which can be heard in the market.

Maybe you should look up "xenophobia" in the dictionary.

You demonstrate that wing nuts can be found on both the left and the right. You are the Maloney of the left. You even imitate his "style" on your blog.

A true authoritarian, you are intolerant of opinions which differ from yours. And you expect those who read your blog to know their place. As Nazi Franz Liebkind said in the original Producers, "You are the audience. I am the author. I out-rank you!" That typifies your attitude. This is illustrated by your rant when Raccoon Radio and I added some information to one of your posts and you shot back angrily that you already knew about it; "I don't live in a cave."

You have repeatedly responded to my posts (and others') saying I should put my comments on my own blog. Now, when confronted where you can't delete my comments, you play the racism card. Left wing nuts scream "racism" like right wing nuts scream "terrorism" anytime they face a viewpoint they can't handle.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame keeps losing.
Even to Michigan. Maybe next season they will play in double A.

ltr said...

Why do you assume I'm a Notre Dame fan?

My team is actually the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I already put up with enough grief over this - they really suck, so your half-assed attacks really don't mean squat.

Other than that, since you see fit to wage war with me everywhere else and obviously don't have the stones to contact me directly, then we really have nothing else to talk about. You're really just a miserable grouch who lives vicariously through blogs and message boards.

BTW: It's KLSD. But you're such an esteemed expert on radio, I imagine you knew that stations in California start with a "K."

raccoonradio said...

The clip from Randi's show has her

explanation
. "I was watching football in an Irish pub, I went out to smoke a cigarette...I don't know if someone hit me from behind or if I just fainted...my fall was broken by my face on a steel grate"

ZuluGhost said...

Goddamn... at least get your facts straight... regardless of the "context."

Milking your incompetence and inaccuracy for hits and links is pretty pathetic.

What was the problem... the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" or the deadly "Right Wing Hate Machine" that contributed to your confusion?

When you're too busy labeling anyone who disagrees with anything to do with the set-in-stone, can't-be-discussed political left's agenda as "hate spewing, violent storm troopers, etc." you're going to miss a lot of these things most journalists call "facts."

Just keep concentrating all your energy on shrill, shrieking desperately paranoid
name-calling of all those who DARE TO QUESTION YOUR BELIEFS!


...just like all the other fucked up religions. You idiots sound just like the psychotic baptists and muslims of this world.

Emacee said...

> ltr said...

> Why do you assume I'm a Notre Dame
> fan?

Because you use "Fighting Irish" (not any variation of "Gopher") as your handle.

> BTW: It's KLSD.

Sorry. A typo. Possibly I am hard wired to precede LS with W.

Now you report Randi stepped outside from watching "football" in an Irish pub and she fell. Consumption of alcohol can have that effect. Was is American football or what they call football in Ireland (soccer or rugby)?

Anonymous said...

> ... We chronicled the recent shooting at a lib talk station in Houston, ...

That's not a lib talk station. It's KPFT, a Pacifica station. I think it's mostly music (in fact I was interviewed about my musical "act"awhilst back at their "house" (literally, it's built in an old home.)) We have to stream, satellite or podcast for liberal talk around here in Houston, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

Also, google KPFT's history. It was bombed off the air I think twice in it's early years. One time, it was in the middle of their playing Alice's Restaurant.

Culturismo sin Tonterias said...

If this were a right-wing site, they would have simply deleted the original post. By keeping the original and updating it, you've behaved honorably. Every newspaper and TV outlet has had to retract one story or another