For using insulting language towards an elected official.

Air America host Randi Rhodes called both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton "whores" in a recent appearance, seen below. Rhodes, who hosts a weekday radio show on Air America, said to the cheering crowd, "What a whore Geraldine Ferraro is! She's such a fucking whore!" She then proceeded to say, "Hillary is a big fucking whore, too" to a mixed audience reaction. "You know why she's a big fucking whore? Because her deal is always, 'Read the fine print, asshole!'"

The networkÂ’s reasoning?

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.

UhhhhhhhhhÂ…Â…

Yeah.

Right.

Sure.

Especially when one considers history.

Randi Rhodes, the leftist talk-radio host who found herself in hot water yesterday for airing a skit that warned President Bush with gunfire, has joked about assassinating the commander in chief before.

Last May, Rhodes, who hosts a show on the struggling Air America network, imitated the sound of gunfire while saying somebody ought to take the president fishing and then shoot him.

On May 12, New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin wrote a piece criticizing Air America, saying he had listened to the liberal radio network one day for 10 hours.

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

A review of the show's recording reveals Rhodes said the following in a discussion with a caller:

"The Fredo of the family is the president of the United States, so why doesn't his father or his brother … take him out for a little fishing, and let him say some Hail Marys – he loves God so much. … You know, Hail Mary, full of grace, God is with thee – pow [gunshot sound] – works for me."

Now let’s see here. You can revile the troops and compare them to soldiers of Adolf Hitler, one of the three most murderous left-wing dictators of the twentieth century. You can suggest the murder of the President of the United States REPEATEDLY on your show. None of this will get you suspended, or even disciplined – even if you do them on the air.

On the other hand, direct a couple of curse words towards a liberal politician off-air event and you will be suspended. But then again, maybe Air Hypocrisy executives are a little bit touchy about whores at the moment

So much for the notion that Air Hypocrisy has a consistently applied policy on ad hominem insulting language – and as such, this (well-deserved) suspension of Rhodes is an act of gross hypocrisy on the part of the failing radio network. Indeed, the only way for Air Hypocrisy to redeem itself in this instance is to immediately reinstate Randi Rhodes with an abject apology to her – or else fire her for her cumulative record of repeat violations of the policy for which she has been suspended, and put the rest of the network’s on-air “talent” on notice that they will face sanctions for similar offenses in the future.

But we won’t see either happen – after all, Air Hypocrisy is in the tank for the Democrats.

H/T Hot Air, The Caucus

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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