ALL-liberal Air America and talker Randi Rhodes apologized yesterday for a "bad taste" comedy bit in which President Bush was shot. The Secret Sevice said yesterday it was looking into the incident to see if it constituted a threat to the president.
Rhodes opened her Monday afternoon radio show with an announcer blasting the president for his Social Security plan:
"A spoiled child [Bush] is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he's gonna fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [sound of three shotgun blasts].
"The AAARP — the American Association of Armed Retired People [sound of rifle being cocked]. Just try it, you little bastard."
"It was a bit. It was bad. I apologize a thousand times," Rhodes told listeners yesterday on WLIB (1190 AM), adding: "I'm not in charge of the bits."
"Our normal vetting process failed . . . and we regret it," Air America's Jon Sinton told The Post.
Informed of the bit at a White House press briefing, spokesman Scott McClellan said: "It sounds very inappropriate and over the line."
Secret Service spokesperson Lorie Lewis told The Post that "if we determine that questions need to be asked, we will attempt to get them answered, but at this point we have not made any inquiries to anyone connected with the show."
During Dan Quayle's vice-presidency, ex-WABC lefty Lynn Samuels was investigated by the Secret Service for saying "Too bad it can't happen here" while discussing a vice-presidential candidate getting beaten up in South America.
Yesterday, on her Sirius Satellite Radio show, Samuels drew the line at shooting:
"There are very few things that you absolutely, positively cannot do on the radio," she said, "and pretending to shoot the president is right up there at the top."
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:58 am Posts: 2105 Location: Austin
I can't stand most of the people on Air America, but Rhodes is far and beyond the most irritating and idiotic. Hearing her interview with Ralph Nader when the station first opened really pissed me off.
Post subject: Re: Air America Radio Apologizes For Bush Comedy Bit
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:20 pm
too drunk to moderate properly
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
<--- One of the 10 people listening to Air America. I missed the bit though, so I didn't get to be shocked.
captainloveboat wrote:
Yesterday, on her Sirius Satellite Radio show, Samuels drew the line at shooting:
"There are very few things that you absolutely, positively cannot do on the radio," she said, "and pretending to shoot the president is right up there at the top."
Actually, I think that you can. Maybe you "shouldn't," but I'm betting that you can if you want to.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Post subject: Re: Air America Radio Apologizes For Bush Comedy Bit
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:27 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:47 pm Posts: 9282 Location: Atlanta Gender: Male
just_b wrote:
<--- One of the 10 people listening to Air America. I missed the bit though, so I didn't get to be shocked.
captainloveboat wrote:
Yesterday, on her Sirius Satellite Radio show, Samuels drew the line at shooting:
"There are very few things that you absolutely, positively cannot do on the radio," she said, "and pretending to shoot the president is right up there at the top."
Actually, I think that you can. Maybe you "shouldn't," but I'm betting that you can if you want to.
while I don't really see it as a big deal either, "free speech" dosen't exactly apply to broadcasters because of thier broadcasting on the public airwaves.
I can't remember what the principal is called, but this kind of thing can get huge fines levied and station licenses revoked because some of the public tend to believe what they hear on the airwaves. (War of the Worlds) Even though that is somewhat silly, That's how I was informed in broadcasting school.
It's in the same vein as saying "fire" in a crowded theatre when there is no fire.
Broadcasters are held to a slightly higher level than other people.
Rhodes statement was completely a cover her ass type of deal "I don't do the bits" Yeah right.
Just B. I would actually listen to your show. Punk David too.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Electromatic, I know a lot of Air America fans that hate Randi Rhodes.
Did anyone get in trouble for War of the Worlds? I know broadcasts have to have a certain standard, but I think they're still allowed to run satire. I don't think the argument was that people actually thought Bush was shot. I don't know if it's legal or not ... seems to me that it should be.
Quote:
Rhodes statement was completely a cover her ass type of deal "I don't do the bits" Yeah right.
I agree with you there. RR was claiming the next day that her producer ran the bit, and she was pissed when she heard it. Assuming I believe that, I don't think I'd put my name on a show if I didn't have control over those bits. It's not like the show is called "Afternoon Rants." It's the "Randi Rhodes Show."
Quote:
Just B. I would actually listen to your show. Punk David too.
I think the technology exists to let us have a show w/o leaving our homes.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
good question, that's all I could find on it at the moment.
I'm not sure if WABC was punished or not.
I do know that fines have been insane in the last 5 years or so becuase of all the idiots calling in and complaining, with incidences like the split second "boob" at the superbowl.
Drudge provides a link to a fan site's mp3 of the skit. Not surprisingly, doing so has overwhelmed the servers and the file in unavailable.
Update (1911): Eugene Volokh clarifies:
Quote:
Joking about shooting the President certainly isn't a crime as such; threatening to shoot the President is. Threats (whether against the President or not) are indeed constitutionally unprotected, but to be a punishable threats, a statement must at least be understood by a reasonable listener as a true threat, rather than just hyperbole (or humor).
He cites and excerpts the relevant case law, especially Watts v. United States (1969) and Virginia v. Black (2003).
The upshot is that, while people who make jokes about killing the president or bombing an airplane may well be subject to harrassment, they're not subject to criminal penalty under current law.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
I listen to Air America, and I can say that Randi Rhodes is the most ignorant, closed-minded, and far-left of all their personalities. She's as irritating as she is didactic. She also rallies on the concept of "fear," the one thing that she claims that the Bush and his cronies use all the time; she has said numerous times that a draft is imminent and we have to stop him.
Springer on the Radio is pretty fucking entertaining. He's a smart guy when you get down to it.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:57 pm Posts: 941 Location: Buffalo
Electromatic wrote:
I'm sure the 10 people listening were shocked.
exactly
_________________ So we finish the 18th...And I say, 'Hey, Lama, how about a little something ,you know, for the effort.' And he says...when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.'
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