Franken: Air America Not Filing For Bankruptcy Today
By on Sep 15th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Franken: Air America Not Filing For Bankruptcy Today
Inside Radio reports:
Despite reports the liberal talk network would file for bankruptcy protection by week’s end — that apparently isn’t happening. Franken tells listeners “we’re not in Chapter 11″ and pokes at conservative talk hosts and websites for getting it wrong with quips like “who’s gloating now Bill O’Reilly?” We still believe it’s a tough economic situation at the libnet — and several staffers have been laid-off.
On Wednesday, ThinkProgress reported “Air America Radio will announce a major restructuring on Friday, which is expected to include a bankruptcy filing.” We made a judgment that our sources were knowledgeable and reliable. We regret the error.
We wish Air America a long and successful future.
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I actually thought it was a lovely error – a real hoot to see the huge flock of trolls come charging into that thread but having nothing to say about the important political issues and Bush’s gaffs, lies, and mistakes on other threads.
It might be entertaining to throw the trolls a piece of candy like that every once in a while. Like maybe a report about an obscure Democratic local politician going to jail or something.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:07 pmDamn it – don’t help the right wing spread their lies. You shouldn’t have spread the rumor. Wait until something happens, this is not celebrity gossip, what you report has consequences.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:11 pmWe ALL wish AA a long and successful future.
It remains to be seen how the outlets who run AA and other programs will adjust their lineups.
One positive note is that AA and the outlets who carry them got an idea of just how popular they are.
Franken has long noted that even BO had a hard time getting off the ground and was a losing proposition for the first couple of years.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:13 pmIt takes time to establish an audience, and the station needs sponsors, but it’s hard to sell a program to sponsors who require an audience.
The right loves to poke at the left, but they forget their own shaky past.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!
OMG, I just got off work and this is great news. I think I’m gonna go get myself a hooker, smoke some dope and drink a beer.
Of course, I’ve never done a single one of those things, other than the beer. ;)
However, there is reason for celebration!!!
September 15th, 2006 at 5:14 pmI still think you should not have published the rumor, this is not celebrity gossip. Wait until something happens, you don’t need to get their creditors in a dither. You ever hear of the self fulfiling prophesy?
September 15th, 2006 at 5:14 pmI’m psyched that Springer’s off the network. My only regret is that they didn’t give Rachael Maddow her late morning slot back, but I guess Seder will be fine there.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:19 pmAmerica’s Least Wanted
I am reminded of Sameul Clements quote, “The reports of my death have been greatly exagerated”. And just so you know, many progressive radio shows get better ratings than conservative talk shows on TV.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:20 pm1. You sure got that right. They came in like a pack of vultures attempting to feed on a live carcus. They kept telling it, that it was dead but it wouldn’t listen.
They kept on saying that it had died of all sorts of terrible things. Which was news to it.
They pranced and strutted around the thing they claimed to be dead. Saying it was in its last throws. Like their leader says.
Oh yes it is dead and done for. No hope for it.
As it kept on broadcasting and kept on exposing the lies of their leaders.
The vultures just hate it when live things don’t behave like they are told to.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:20 pmHow do we know their copy machine didn’t just run out of toner, so they have to wait until Monday to get the papers filed in Bankruptcy Court.
Anyway … b f d !
Ford announced elimination of 75,000 jobs … 75,000! Just because a firm goes into Chapter 11 doesn’t mean they’re going out of business. The whole purpose of chapter 11, actually, is to prevent liquidation of businesses that are essentially viable, but just need temporary protection from creditors while they reorganize.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that AAR can’t make it — in spite of the Satellite Sisters, Jerry Springer, Armstrong Williams, and the other self-imposed obstacles to a real progressive outlet.
They don’t even own their own stations — that has to help on overhead.
Furthermore, what never ceases to shock me into apoplexy every time I think about it is that AAR STILL DOESN’T HAVE AN AFFILIATE IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.
What? Are you kidding me? It’s the fifth largest city in the country in a blue state with a Quaker heritage.
Philadelphia has radio stations nobody listens to. Air America would be a storm of energy and success on the airwaves there.
C’mon, Air America. You can do it. We love you. Get it together!!!!
September 15th, 2006 at 5:20 pmDustin, on comment #4, most progressives/liberals/democrats don’t have to “get a hooker”
September 15th, 2006 at 5:21 pmI’m just saying!
Even if they did file for Bankruptcy I didn’t think for one second it was that big a deal. It’s like with a new stock, the opening value is artificially high and opening trading only makes that worse. But when the stock value drops, that doesn’t mean the company is in trouble. It just means that it was too much too soon.
I’ve always felt the same about Air AMerica. There is a definite market for AA and that market is going to constantly grow. However, instead of allowing that growth to happen naturally, they seemed to forcefull spread it around the country too quickly and too soon.
I think that ended up costing them when they realized that you can’t really force your growth to speed up just because you are spreading quicker.
Whether they went CH.11 or are just restructuring, I believe AA is fine and will continue to grow. They just needed to slim down a bit to make sure that everything was done more efficiently.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:21 pmThank you for clarifying the record and taking responsibility for the mistake. Keep up the good work.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:23 pmI still think you should not have published the rumor, this is not celebrity gossip. Wait until something happens, you don’t need to get their creditors in a dither. You ever hear of the self fulfiling prophesy? Comment by Yankeluh
OK, we got that but Judd stated that had sources and he apologized. Are you 100% in everything you do? Further, if the AAR’s creditors saw the thread they would have seen support from the progressives here.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:28 pmIt doesn’t even matter if AA is going to declare bankruptcy or not. Its just another disinformation agent to fool people into thinking that some form of official dissent exists in the US. It doesn’t.
With “gatekeepers” like AA pumping up the democrats and positing that voting this Nov. will actually mean something, who needs enemies with “friends” like this? This is all a tragic comedy, but it isn’t funny. Both parties are completely bought off, and neither are working for their consituents, but for global corporations.
If AA did go bankrupt, it wouldn’t be a bad thing in my book. When will the sheeple wake up?
September 15th, 2006 at 5:40 pmPlease burn your source.
Keep them from doing it again.
Viva La Young Turks! Good luck on Air America!
September 15th, 2006 at 5:41 pmLet’s see, first AA’s going bankrupt then Oops, their not going BK.
First I voted for it but then I voted against it…. D’OH!!
Sounds familiar huh Marge?
September 15th, 2006 at 5:48 pm[...] Update: Think Progress has retracted its story. Note the quote from wormy Al Franken, who has the brass stones to blame conservative media for getting the story wrong when it was the Leopoldian idiots at TP who bungled it. Lies and the lying liars who tell them indeed. [...]
September 15th, 2006 at 5:50 pmI don’t think its a retraction, its an update.
Billy O’lielly will have to retract his story, sorry trolls.
September 15th, 2006 at 5:59 pmThe trolls were unstoppable in their glee when the rumour about AA filing for bankruptcy started…but now that the rumour has been put to bed, they’re strangely silent…
Helloooo? Here, trolls…where you hiding?
September 15th, 2006 at 6:10 pmWho the hell were your sources, Jason Leopold and Jayson Blair?
Looks like it.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:18 pmWell, since ThinkProgress “broke” the story, and I’m willing to bet hundreds of right winger whackjob blogs and websites linked to it triumphantly, then I guess it’s that many more conservatives that got some exposure to some fact and some truth and some progressive framing.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:19 pmPut Randi Rhodes on Comedy Central after Colbert.
Please, finish the trifecta!
September 15th, 2006 at 6:21 pmDRxJ, I was just doing it for effect. Thanks for reading my drivel tho!
September 15th, 2006 at 6:28 pmI am happy to see that Air America is fine.
I also commend TP for admitting their mistake.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:33 pmTripmaster Monkey
Those trolls are on the rest of TP’s threads, using their infinite wisdom, moral authority, and impeccable logic to counteract the progressive ideology….um, er, well, ahh, I guess, oh,……no, they’re not.
“Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk” – Curly
September 15th, 2006 at 6:38 pmThanks for setting the record straight, though I’d love to know where the rumor came from.
Thanks for all you do TP.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:54 pmWe regret the error.
so do i, and many others…
but, thank you, judd… you are a REAL MAN…
We wish Air America a long and successful future.
again, so do i and many others…
CAP is only one of the many organizations benefitting from AirAmericaRadio’s existence… i learned of CAP and ThinkProgress from listening to AAR… good that you acknowledge an important ally…
thanks again…
September 15th, 2006 at 7:20 pmjust came in from the garden… looking forward to check out the results of the time-out… hey, all…
…
Should’ve been titled: “Dozens of people around the country rejoice as Error America doesn’t file bankruptcy.”
Almost enough listeners to throw together a decent potluck. As long as you all don’t sign up to bring napkins and spoons.
September 15th, 2006 at 7:31 pmGood Publicity Stunt in My Opinion.
This ‘Incorrect News’ got me to their website the other night, and I found out that the ‘Young Turks’ are going to be replacing ‘Jerry Put me to Sleep Springer’.
I went to the Young Turks website, watched part of their show, and it seems much more peppy than sleepy Jerry.
Mike Malloy, still gone, with a fill in during his time slot but the website still features him on air from 10 – 1. So maybe the webmaster was let go, who knows…..
Being a New Yorker (out in Long Island) , I used to listen to the last Hour of Sam Seder and first Hour of Malloy on my car radio, but that isn’t possible now because of the climb up the dial to 1600.
But a new car is on the way, but I might go with Sirius over Xm, because my wife has XM and XM is starting to play Commericals!!!! — also I am interested in what the ‘PlayBoy’ channel is all about, and yes, Sirius has the Playboy Channel!
But back to Air America…. I hope the Young Turks do it… Jerry Springer was a total bad move in my opinion. Sam’s sidekick Garafolo packed it in, I am not surprised, she got fed up with it all.
Al Franken’s show just fell apart when his sidekick left, what’s her name, I can’t think of it at the moment, but you know who I am talking about, since then, I really haven’t listened to the Al Franken Show much.
September 15th, 2006 at 7:45 pmI suspect that people like Franken (who works his ass off and puts on an excellent show in my opinion) are prepared to dip into their own pocket books to weather the tough financial times at AA. Why can’t some of the bigshots on the left step up to the plate here? Don’t the gazillionaires in the entertainment industry understand just how critical radio is as a medium for influencing the masses on a day to day basis? Where’s Clooney and Penn, Robbins and Sarandon, Streisand and Midler? Can’t they circle the wagons to help AA?
You have to figure that the powers that be on the right (both political and corporate) have done everything possible to choke off corporate sponsorship to AA. They need help, they cannot be allowed to die!
The fact that they’re suffering through difficult financial times sort of puts the lie to the O’Reilly’s of the world whining about all the money that George Soros sinks into “liberal attack dogs”…no? I mean, AA (and the Jones network) are outnumbered thousands to 2 and 60-something % of the American populace have had enough of this rightwing nightmare….something doesn’t add up.
September 15th, 2006 at 7:54 pm…[it's] that many more conservatives that got some exposure to some fact and some truth and some progressive framing.
Comment by Dave M. — September 15, 2006 @ 6:19 pm
that is a very positive way to look at it… from lemons, lemonade…
September 15th, 2006 at 8:04 pm…
As a proud Troop-Loving, Patriotic American Lberal, and in honor of Bill O’Liely’s personal opinipon of “my kind”, I plan to celebrate the continued vitality of Air America by joining Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi in torching a bible wrapped in an American Flag in front of an all-night needle exchange and abortion clinic that performs gay marriages by day….Maybe we’ll even snap a few pics of the three of us dancing nude over the flames and e-mail them to Osama’s secret web account……here’s to you, Bill-o.
September 15th, 2006 at 8:10 pmGreg, if you’re listening out on Long Island, you won’t be hearing the Young Turks. WRRL is keeping its existing morning show. They didn’t turn the entire station over to AAR, just a big chunk of the airtime.
September 15th, 2006 at 8:16 pmIt was the conservative site that cast doubt on the story- for the record.
Click my name to see it.
September 15th, 2006 at 8:27 pmIt’s ALIVE. Thanks for that. I’ve recieved the new schedule, and the slot that used to have Mike Malloy is now totally empty. I’m sure there are listeners still awake past 10 pm. Also, the station in New York is the one that carries Armstrong Williams and the Satellite Sisters. I’m sure with enough pressure from all these “blue-state” New Yorkers, we can change that.. can’t we? Write or call the station. I’m trying to find a number for them, or an email, but their website is under construction, still. Grrr..
September 15th, 2006 at 8:27 pmI hope you will do some self-examination at Think Progress after this episode. What’s more important: getting a scoop to increase your site traffic, or furthering the progressive cause? In this case, I think you got it wrong. You should promote progressive ideals while reporting truthfully. Getting this “scoop” hurts Air America by contributing to the impression that it is on its last legs. Great job, Think Progress. Perhaps the egg on your face will teach you folks a lesson.
September 15th, 2006 at 8:39 pmThink Progress, you should be ashamed. NEVER start or repeat negative rumors about progressives without first getting your facts straight. The r/w media provides more than enough of that kind of BS thank you very much. I expected more of you, and you owe Air America and all its listeners a HUGE apology. You really screwed up this time. Do I now have to start questioning EVERYTHING you post?
September 15th, 2006 at 8:55 pm. Why can’t some of the bigshots on the left step up to the plate here? Don’t the gazillionaires in the entertainment industry understand just how critical radio is as a medium for influencing the masses on a day to day basis? Where’s Clooney and Penn, Robbins and Sarandon, Streisand and Midler? Can’t they circle the wagons to help AA?
Comment by Jay — September 15, 2006 @ 7:54 pm
Jay, maybe they don’t like AAR since Mike Malloy got fired?
September 15th, 2006 at 8:57 pmSettle down folks, it was probably a well placed source that reported accurately on circumstances that weren’t yet finalized and things changed. Happens all the time. The more important issue at the crux of this is that AA is struggling with its finances and this seems beyond debate. Luckily, there’s a HUGE audience for the truth, so one way or another the inexplicable dominance of nitwit rightwing radio is probably behind us.
September 15th, 2006 at 8:59 pmShelby, it’s bigger than just one guy and I’m pretty sure the politically informed and active know this. It has to be a sustained movement with interchangeable parts. See FOX/ClearChannel et al.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:02 pmThanks, Judd.
You can’t beat that for free advertising. Getting all the Freepi whipped up into a frenzy and having the phrase “Air America Radio” further burned into the collective mind of the right. It’s like the earwig that burrows into the brain, then medically removed, but not before it had a chance to lay thousands of eggs.
“It doesn’t matter what they say, as long as they get the name right”
September 15th, 2006 at 9:26 pmThanks, Judd.
You can’t beat that for free advertising. Getting all the Freepi whipped up into a frenzy and having the phrase “Air America Radio” further burned into the collective mind of the right. It’s like the earwig that burrows into the brain, then medically removed, but not before it had a chance to lay thousands of eggs.
“It doesn’t matter what they say, as long as they get the name right”
September 15th, 2006 at 9:27 pmWhat will Bill O talk about now. He was looking so forward to this; for a couple of years now. What’s a guy to do if he can’t see his enemies demise.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:33 pmSorry for the double post.
“pigboy” has just made a brilliant analogy here.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:36 pmSiding with Shelby on this one. Robbins and Sarandon appeared on the last Morning Sedition shows and were huge fans and said they hated to see it go. They, like a lot of other celebrities, probably had no impact on management’s poor decisions.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:47 pmStill gotta wonder why half of the AAR affiliate stations which are owned by Clear Channel are not promoted by the billboards of which CC owns the majority. There were two in Los Angeles (one on top of the ABC radio station – gotcha!) when they first went on the air, and I kept looking for more. A billboard campaign would catapult the ratings of these stations by funneling in listeners.
I remember when AAR started and they had fully funded subway posters and billboards all over NYC. Plus they fully outfitted brand new network radio studios in a regular office building. Big staffs of comedy writers for each show. Then when the cash started drying up quickly, there were all these clueless cries of “Where did the money go?”
It may well be that Clear Channel is the best possible distribution network for AAR’s content. They need to recruit a radio-savvy CEO who will immediately forge a strong partnership with Clear Channel, pressing for killer billboard campaigns in each city perhaps in return for more air clearance. Otherwise Clear Channel is going to end up with the format anyway (their P1 division already owns Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller), which is still a risky proposition for liberals considering that they were career sponsors of W.
September 15th, 2006 at 11:27 pmLeather Penquin… Thanks for the Heads Up….
Oh well, I am on the net most of the day, I’ll tune in to them online to see what they are all about.
1600 Blows out in Long Island Anyway.
September 15th, 2006 at 11:29 pm[...] UPDATE 4, Sept. 15: Good thing I had all the “ifs,” because Think Progress has retracted their report, based on this statement from Al Franken today on his show (reported by Inside Radio; another story is here) – Franken tells listeners “we’re not in Chapter 11†and pokes at conservative talk hosts and websites for getting it wrong with quips like “who’s gloating now Bill O’Reilly?†We still believe it’s a tough economic situation at the libnet – and several staffers have been laid-off. [...]
September 16th, 2006 at 12:03 am[...] Think Progress » Franken: Air America Not Filing For Bankruptcy Today Despite reports the liberal talk network would file for bankruptcy protection by week’s end — that apparently isn’t happening. Franken tells listeners “we’re not in Chapter 11″ and pokes at conservative talk hosts and websites for getting it wrong with quips like “who’s gloating now Bill O’Reilly?†We still believe it’s a tough economic situation at the libnet — and several staffers have been laid-off. [...]
September 16th, 2006 at 1:00 amUs Liberals need to ban together and start boycotting radio stations and their sponsors who won’t support liberal views. We need to fight. These cons are cowards and if we stand up, we can take these losers. They are miniscule in their thinking and in their antics. We should also figure out what we need to do to help raise money to help air america. There obviously is a demand. Al is kicking rush’s ass in NY as well as O’lylies.Look at the success of Olberman, Daily Show, and Colbert Report. WE need to trust bust the corporate stranglehood on the media and return the fairness doctrine. Don’t most of you agree we need an independent media? or do I no longer live in America?
September 16th, 2006 at 1:07 amNice job blowing the Air America story, morons. Good journalism. Oh, I forgot, you’re not journalists, just Internet hacks.
September 16th, 2006 at 1:09 amAl Franken was on a local radio station today here in the Boston area and the right wing ass weasel who runs that show, a Greg Hill, opened the interview with that question (with a sneer, as you can expect): How’s Air America doing, Al?
The rest of the exchange can be found at my site under my Maureen Dowd article. There are also links to the podcast streams of the interview.
September 16th, 2006 at 1:10 amWill Air (anti) America now return the $875,000 it stole from the Boys and Girls Club?
September 16th, 2006 at 1:28 amWhy do the rightwing thugs always have to lie about everything? Take the complete lie by the idiot above. That AA “Stole” money from the Boys and Girls club?
Is this the only thing they have going for them? Lies?
The story has been debunked since it happened but as usual the rightwingers lie about everything. I thought they were supposed to be the party of “Traditional Family Values”?
Or were they thinking of the Gambino Crime Family values?
It’s just amazing how much they lie.
Why is that? Do they really think their pointy widdle heads will explode if they tell the truth? Yeah I guess they do, so like the idiot, Tom, above they just keep lying about everything.
September 16th, 2006 at 2:57 amSo…when’s the Radio Tranquilizer going to retract all the lies he’s been spreading all this time? On his blog, he was demanding a retraction from ThinkProgress for the story, which his dumb ass posted on his blog anyway.
Hell, I posted a link to the TP story about 20 minutes after it was up, but I’m not mad at you guys. These things happen. But I do find it ironic that Brian Baloney spends all his time pushing pins in his Air America voodoo doll, in retribution for his failed radio career, publishes lie after lie, and has posted NO retractions for any of it. Well, at least he’s doing a good job promoting Air America. Perhaps they could hire him in their marketing department.
Well, I guess we were all had, but that’s life. Take care guys!
http://ltradio.blogspot.com
September 16th, 2006 at 3:31 amOn comment #22
Randi Rhodes?On comedy central?After Steve?How would I ever get to sleep by midnight?
September 16th, 2006 at 5:32 amIsn’t the failure of Air America a strong indication to you that the larger population of America just isn’t “buying” liberalism / progressivism?
September 16th, 2006 at 8:14 amJason,
I don’t think you’re paying attention. AirAmerica is pulling respectable ratings numbers and there are certainly more Americans that agree with progressive ideas and ideals but too many been duped by the “mainstream” media and the rightwing money machine’s relentless campaign to demonize all things “liberal”. I suggest you pay attention to the deeds and not the words of those on the right and those on the left, really close attention, and then you decide who you support.
Progressives started and built unions, fought for women and minorities rights, created the middle class in this country, stood up to predatory corporatism and tried to arm the people with some protection against the powers that consolidate wealth to the wealthiest (although you make make a strong case that Democrats no longer do)…..you see, progressives actually have a track record of standing up for the little guy, something that the rightwing lie machine claims they do. It’s a joke and you’ve been suckered.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:36 amThey may not be filing bankruptcy but they aren’t setting the world on fire either. What they need is entertaining programming. Somehow Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller and the Young Turks manage to make left/moderate talk radio fun. These guys are at best boring to listen to if not down right irritating. It’s no wonder no one is listening to them.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:40 amyou see, progressives actually have a track record of standing up for the little guy…
Comment by Jay — September 16, 2006 @ 9:36 am
which is exactly what bothers the jasons… all those things listed in your comment – it all gets in the way of the jasons’ objective… you see, they are proud sponsors of the “TINKLE Down Economics 101: I’VE GOT MINE, PISS ON YOU.”
September 16th, 2006 at 11:52 am(HT: west virginia hillbilly and brisneadh na faire, 8/30, FAST)
Katy,
I agree that there are elemets of the right that make your point, but there simply aren’t that many “conservatives” that “got theirs”, they just believe the counterintuitive and utterly dishonest message that sleazeballs of rightwing radio and TV have been been perfecting for 30 years, which is why they’re suckers. I’m assuming that the vast majority of the “right” doesn’t identify with the top 2% (you know, the folks calling the shots….reaping the benefits of abolishing the “death tax”, etc) but they believe what the TV and radio tell them. Germany, early 30’s….
September 16th, 2006 at 12:33 pm61 Jay,
they just believe the counterintuitive and utterly dishonest message that sleazeballs of rightwing radio and TV have been been perfecting for 30 years
This, of course, is the most frustrating thing out there. If wannabe conservatives want to try to convince us that the true goal of conservatism– to get wealth and power to a minority of people they deem to be society’s wisest and best members– then that’s fine. We can have that conversation. But we have conservatives who honestly believe that the destruction of government is in their best interest. The alleged “Jasons” of the world believe they’re still fighting communist totalitarianism, and the battle won’t be won until the public sector is completely eliminated, and then we will be more prosperous, more free, and more in line with the intentions of the American tradition. Which is, as you said, completely counter-intuititive.
September 16th, 2006 at 1:14 pmIf you really support Air America, you might consider going to their site and paying to join their premium service…
Really!
September 16th, 2006 at 1:38 pmCome back to Atlanta. We miss u Randy.
September 16th, 2006 at 2:37 pmHonestly, I don’t give a poop about Air America. I don’t need to listen to some radio jockey to know what to think. That’s what dumbasses who think they are conservative do.
September 16th, 2006 at 3:28 pmWow, did AA find another boys club to steal from or something? This is great news. I think libs should go after Girls clubs next, then maybe Make a Wish foundation can be raided…check into that Stuart, would you? I heard you ain’t been paid in a while, and I, for one, move that Stuart Smalley get the first $$ that comes in from the next Boy’s club, and hope there will be enough left over to pay a staffer or two.
September 16th, 2006 at 4:42 pmIn the meantime, Boy, those trolls sure were duped ha ha ha….they have no idea how many non-profit oganizations we are into deep enough to rip off their funding and leave them broke ha ha ha. We can always pull one out of the bag and make O’Reilly look stupid ha ha, especially when he quotes a left wing liberal website like TP. (hey, thats the same initials as toilet paper, and both used for the same thing HA HA HA….).
Well, even though AA has laid off over half their staff, hell, WE ARE GETTING BIGGER everyday. In fact, we just added 30 new stations. Next month, when we add 50 more, we will be laying off another 50% of staff. I bet those trolls never would have believed Randi Rhodes was right HA HA HA. Well, I need to go get another Thorazine shot, then there is Electro Shock Saturday, so I have to report to the shock room by 6pm. Go Libs/dems/AA DOH!!!
Of course us wingnuts were dupes to believe anything TP has to say. How could anyone even suspect that there might be any financial difficulties at Airhead America when they have such huge ratings and advertisers flock to buy up time on their programs. Take NYC for instance. That 0.8 rating they have there means that there are dozens of people listening who can’t be reach by any other means. And those dozens of listeners generate several hundreds of dollars of purchases each and every day. To even suspect that there might be financial difficulties is absurd.
AAR—reaching audiences all across southern Quebec with the truth about evil chimpy McBushitlerhaliburton.
September 16th, 2006 at 6:15 pmHey Pat, it’s your country too that’s being flushed down the toilet, how about easing up on the lever every once in a while. How’s the Bush regime working out for you? You want to keep living paycheck to paycheck and sending American boys to die for somebody else’s profits, have a it. Now please excuse the rest of us as we fight to get our country back. Ha ha ha!!!! ya, it’s a big friggin joke.
September 16th, 2006 at 6:22 pmYou mean like your judgment that Fitzgerald was going to indict Rove any second now . . . ? Or perhaps you mean the President’s judgment that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
By your own standards, you are all a bunch of liars.
September 16th, 2006 at 6:53 pmI am one of the conservatives that followed Drudge’s link to the original story. I found it interesting that this site had technical difficulties from the fraction of Drudge traffic that came here. Some might think it’s telling.
I’ll admit that most of the righties posting in that prior thread were trolling. But what can you expect when the regulars here consider any form of right-leaning expression to be considered “trolling”?
This wasn’t my first visit to TP. I spent about two weeks in February trying to genuinely debate many of the topics that came up. With the exception of maybe two or three regulars (I remember “Walt the Man”) who moderated their conversation with me, I was overwhelmingly greeted with accusations of “TROLL”. After two full weeks, it didn’t improve one bit. How can you honestly wonder why “reich-wingers” come here only to troll, when you consider all conservatives to be either evil or stupid??? The elitism expressed on this board is what makes it a delicious target for trolling. I can’t blame them one bit, but I’m not going to join in.
Anyway, I for one am glad Air America is not declaring bankruptcy. I agree with very little they broadcast, but feel that it at least gives an outlet to a far different voice than mine. Their financial troubles are an indication of either: 1) the limited acceptance of their views, or 2) the corruption or incompetence of their management. Most of you are in denial about this, and that is fine, I suppose.
I fully expect to be branded a troll, somehow both evil AND idiotic, for my post…with very likely some Nazi or Fascist references thrown in. That won’t bug me; I’ve been through it here before. It would only further confirm what I wrote about this audience seven months ago (at my regular hangout) after my last experience.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:03 pmYeah, probably no reason to speculate that Rove might be indicted….I mean, he only had to appear in front of the GJ 5 times. Besides, I’m not so sure the fat lady has sung on the Plame investigation….as far as I know, Fitzgerald’s still working on the case. The Bushies and WMD in Iraq….now that’s another story.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:04 pmSeth,
I don’t get the sense that you’re a troll at all, i welcome debate on any topic and I struggle to understand how seemingly reasonable and well-intentioned righties (you) still support the rightwing establishment in this country when so much of what they’ve done is obviously detrimental to the interests of the vast majority of Americans? I think Democrats are just as bad as Repubs (the one’s in office) for going along with, in large part, so many of this adminisrations policies. There’s nothing elitist about speaking the truth. Do you still support the Republicans and their horrendous agenda? If so, why?
September 16th, 2006 at 7:13 pmWell, if not for the innacurate rumors of AARs demise, I would not have heard of ThinkProgress. I guess every cloud HAS a silver lining!
September 16th, 2006 at 7:14 pmJay / Katy,
If you want to pick up the banner of the early unions / suffragets / civil rights activists, that is an admirable start, but it appears we all agree that the Dems have strayed far from those noble aims – teachers unions which no longer teach, feminists who seek female only classrooms and institutions, and civil rights “activists” who provide “rent-a-rally” services for $50K (cited from Enough by Juan Williams), while extorting targeted corporations for heavy donations.
This evolution of the Democratic party from street level activist to activist lawyers and judges has merely created a backlash / counter-initiative – passing constitutional amendments prohibiting rulings from courts that are in defiance of electorate. Too bad, sometimes the courts do help, but a tactic to defeat those behaviours has grown from necessity.
Air America was one of many initiatives from grass / net root movements to communicate a particular viewpoint that, for better or worse, has created an image of Democrats, when their defacto leaders, the Clintons, were working so hard to remain nebulous / nuanced. This image has been very easy for Karl Rove to parody – “cut and run”, unpatriotic, pro-terrorist, pro-criminal. Regardless of what you may intend, the handywork of progs will be realized in the CT Senate race.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:18 pmseth ii – for what it’s worth – those technical difficulties at TP have been going on for several annoying weeks now… look around, on any post, the comments are full of the complaints…
September 16th, 2006 at 7:27 pmthat particular thread (Exclusive!…)(grrrr) was the proverbial straw… i was there – in an hourandhalf there were a healthy 80ish comments… then, whoosh, another 120+ in less than an hour… other threads were suffering with the drain… any semblance of discussion deteriorated rapidly …
TP did the correct thing…
jason – stop listening to the LIES… it only makes you look foolish… find out for yourself what the facts are… GET SMART. YOU’RE NOT HELPING.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:31 pm…
#76, katy,
What lies? The Mass. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage through a court ruling, while SF Mayor was allowing illegal gay marriages in his city. In response, many hetero-only marriage amendments were placed on state ballots – around 20 have passed. Those are FACTS, not lies.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:39 pmPopularity is neither an indicator of intelligence or greatness.
I have listened to right wing talk radio and it sucks. I mean, these idiots control all branches of government and all they can do is whine about liberals and try to defend their failed policies 24 hours a day. And all they offer their audience is ignorance and fear.
I love Air America because it introduces me to bright, articulate and wise people whom I never would have otherwise heard. I have only been an AAR listener for about a year and it has been the most intellectually stimulating time of my life.
So even if AAR went under tomorrow, they already made a positive difference this American’s life.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:41 pmThanks, Jay. You are one of the few here not so bitterly judgemental to just assume malicious intent. I respect that. Villification of opponents’ motives is, I feel, the largest obstacle to honest debate these days.
I think a common misconception is that somebody on the right is obligated to appreciate every aspect of the Bush administration. That is not so. I am closer to a libertarian than a Republican, so the massive growth of government under Bush and the Republican Congress does not please me at all. In essence, I felt that Bush was a better choice than Gore in 2000, and a better choice than Kerry in 2004, and nothing since then has really made me regret my decisions. Bush is certainly not the perfect president, but I’m not going to hold out my vote waiting for such a figment to arrive.
The elitism I see here comes from two observations: 1) insistance that the opinion here is truth, and 2) insisting that countering opinions are motivated by evil or idiocy. These are tactics that a lot of people, myself included, accuse the religious right of practicing. They aren’t any more tasteful coming from the left. They serve as an artificial castle wall to protect the practitioner from actually having to face opposition.
I hope this post finds you well, Jay. I don’t know that I’ll be on here for the rest of the evening. The wife wants Indian food, and I can’t complain about that!
September 16th, 2006 at 7:41 pmJason+M…
Karl Rove is going to parody, and lie shamelessly, about anything that stands between him and his next “victory”, I don’t believe the images that the rightwing Wurlitzer spends so much time creating have much to do with the facts on the ground. See the smearjob they did on John McCain in SC, the Swiftboating of Kerry or the fact that Joe Wilson was dead on for poof of that. The problem is our “mainstream media’, the profit motive as r’aison d’etre and who possesses the power in this country. American democracy is very close to dead, and the Fox/Rush followers of the world think it’s all a big right/left competition and funny.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:48 pmkaty,
I based my assumption that the Drudge link caused the problems on the updates in the original post:
If I’m mistaken, however, I apologize. I don’t frequent here and so haven’t been aware of prior issues. I certainly understand server problems, though. The forum I do frequent had a crash a few weeks ago, was down for a whole week, and when restored had lost four month’s worth of posts! The blood almost ran that night!
September 16th, 2006 at 7:51 pm#80, Jay,
I agree that the mainstream media is now taking aim at the netroot movements that produced the likes of Lamont, etc. I suspect they are rallying behind Hill’reh and Lieberman, fancying themselves as moderate Democrats who are holding off an insurgency from the “extreme left”.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:54 pmIndian food….mmmmm, no reason to disagree with your wife on that.
OK, so there’s been nothing that’s happened since you voted for Bush to make you regret your decision? I have a problem with that. The truth is available if you read enough and on so may issues it has been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that this adminisration has committed countless crimes. I do my homework man, this is not debatable at this stage of the game. So I believe that you’re not evil and you certainly don’t strike me as an idiot…so I have to conclude that you’ve been misinformed and that’s fine….let’s talk about the truth when you have some time. I think you’ll be shocked when you really dig in and look at the cumulative facts. I mean no disrespect, the truth is all I’m after.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:03 pm#84, Jay,
Nobody and nothing is perfect, I simply understand how flacid this country would be under the “leadership” of Gore or Kerry – Gore would never have taken down the Taliban, and Kerry would be in full retreat.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:10 pmJason+M,
There are only a few on tv that have stood up to the cancer that infects the msm: Stewart, Colbert, Olbermann, Cafferty on CNN….and that’s about it. So comedy and parody are effective, but the mass media conglomerates are openly undermining our democracy with the garbage that they try to pass off as journalism. The internet and AA keep me sane.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:14 pm#85, Jay,
Brinkley was good. Unfortunately, Cokie and Sam weren’t able to fill his shoes, and Stephanopolous is an obvious Clinton cronie.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:19 pmFull retreat from what exactly? Cavemen? Boogeymen? All of the demons that the right has convinced us that we need to be afraid of? What does the world’s most powerful, technologically advanced nation have to fear? You think that terrorism, a tool of the oppressed, weak and desperate is something we need to fear? I thought this was the land of the free aand the home of the brave?
please watch “Why we fight”. Google it, order it, watch it and then tell me what we need to fear. K.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:30 pmStephanopolous is a Clinton crony? Um, sure, ok.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:32 pmjay – just want to pipe in to tell you how much i appreciate the way you are stating the facts, as an argument, without resorting to the “i know you are but what am i” method… really refeshing… and IT WORKS.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:38 pm…
#87, Jay,
Didn’t you watch the “Path to 9/11″ on ABC? Terrorists killed over 3,000 in a single day in the continental USA, or do you believe the US Government did that, like they blew up the New Orleans levees?
Right now, we are the most economically and militarily powerful nation in the world, but in 50 years, muslim nations (Pakistan already) will have nuclear weapons, and China / Indian will be approaching our strength economically. At that time, China will be the unequalled Asian superpower.
The US is and will lose its manufacturing capability, as unions kill any productivity we may have once had. The US auto companies will soon (5-10 years) stop making autos as China enters the market – I am guessing China will probably purchase most of the assets / nameplate rights.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:41 pmJason,
Didn’t you follow the stoy behind ‘Path to 9/11″? It was a rightwing propganda piece produced by hardcore evangelicals that have stated that their goal is to “transform” Hollywood? You didn’t? Oh, well you should look into it. Here, let me give you a head start:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200609080007
This article highlighs the “conservaative” criticism of the crockudrama.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:08 pmExcuse the typos…I installed Redhat on a really old laptop that has sticky/broken keys…aside from that it works great.
Thanks katy!!
September 16th, 2006 at 9:12 pmJay,
We stayed in tonight. Maybe vindaloo next week. :(
No, nothing has happened that make me wish that Kerry or Gore had won their respective elections. There are certainly people who I would admire more as president than Bush, but Gore and Kerry are not among them.
See, the problem with the so-called “truths” that come from this site and other Progressives in the media are that they are usually speculations driven by opinion. A perfect example is the Valerie Plame affair. That Rove intentionally leaked Plame’s name as retribution was repeated around here so often that it became accepted as fact. I certainly believed it was possible, and if true would welcome charges being filed.
But now we know that it wasn’t Rove, it wasn’t wasn’t intentional, and it wasn’t retribution. But the prior speculation has become so ingrained as fact among Progressives that the true story, when revealed, was barely covered at the regular sites (TP, DU, DK, etc.). When it did come up, it was blown off as Armitage taking the fall, or the State Department memo being planted for him to take as bait, or whatever. Further speculations were being generated to justify why the initial speculation was still correct, despite the facts.
Now, I’m not wanting to derail this thread into the Plame affair, but it probably will and I apologize for that. My intention was simply to demonstrate that issues sternly argued as facts on this site and others like it are often no more than mere speculation. Progressives surely aren’t the only group guilty of that, but they certainly are guilty.
So I basically find a lot of accusations against the administration having at least a shadow of a doubt, and many of these issues still being quite debatable. The things that frustrate me most about Republican leadership right now I have no reason to believe would be any better under Democrat leadership. The government does seem to work better under split leadership, one party having the executive and the other having the legislative. There’s a decent chance that will happen this year, and I won’t fret very much if it does.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:41 pmWow – Seth, congrats on some strong takes. I like your straight forward style. You raise excellent points regarding the media being quick to judge (Rove / Plame) and then nowhere to be found when Rove is proven innocent, but that’s the problem with the extremes. They are so vested in Rove’s guilt that they can’t bring themselves to admit that MAYBE, just MAYBE Rove is a decent guy that is just fighting hard for what he belives in (like Gore, Clinton, Kerry, etc).
The Blog issue is that people that act partial and informed say things like..
The truth is available if you read enough and on so may issues it has been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that this adminisration has committed countless crimes
I mean honestly, with as tense as it is between parties since Clinton, can a serious person actually believe that the above statement would be true but nothing done about it? I am sure that this blogger has used as part of his Bush indictment this Plame/Wilson leak, and now refuses to accept the truth, but feels free to level the charge. Silly.
September 16th, 2006 at 10:25 pmwhy was my last post removed?
September 16th, 2006 at 10:32 pmbones, so i’m supposed to believe that you’re a serious person?
September 16th, 2006 at 10:33 pmI’m not trying to prop myself up – i’m merely stating that it is self serving to for you to say things like
i welcome debate on any topic and I struggle to understand how seemingly …..
I think Democrats are just as bad as Repubs ……
and then lead right into your comment above about how clearly there is are crimes committed….. My point is that YOU are not serious or genuine in your comments. You try to come off as objective and analytical, but you still deep down believe that a PROVEN CROOK is the president of the US. Those two things (your beliefs and your words) are totally at odds with each other.
September 16th, 2006 at 10:44 pmSo John Podesta and Judd Legum will not allow PNAC to be discussed here?
September 16th, 2006 at 10:45 pmThat raises some questions as far as I’m concerned. what gives guys?
bones, tell me what was inaccurate or not genuine about my comments? You can’t fathom the fact that I have problems with the Democrats because they lack the spine or the will to stand up to the criminal Bush admin?
September 16th, 2006 at 10:57 pmLike I said, there is no question that the Bushies have commited a number of crimes both foreign and domestic. Do you think I’m maKING this up?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4999734/
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bush_Administration_War_Crimes_in_Iraq
Jay,
I’m with you on the naan (if it’s what I think it is). And a side of saag (sp?).
Drudge is not my primary source of news by any means, and you’re jumping to conclusions if you think so. Anyway, the majority of Drudge’s site simply links to media stories of interest to him. If a story he links to is wrong, as Think Progress’ initial story about Air America was, I don’t see how he’s to blame. Pretty much anybody that reads Druge, though, knows the links are influenced by his leaning.
Of course Karl Rove was trying to discredit Wilson; Wilson began the affair by trying to discredit the administration. If you think the administration should just keep quiet in the face of accusations they think are incorrect, you are severely biased. And Wilson’s accusations were not completely accurate. The administration had every right to respond.
Now Rove was clearly not the initial source of the first story revealing Plame. The attribution of what Rove told Matthews is said to have occurred AFTER the Novak column, so it cannot be the leak. If it’s true, it was not classy at all and probably not the right thing to do, but there was nothing left to protect regarding Plame’s identity. She became part of the story by her and her husband’s own actions, but her identity was revealed inadvertantly by Armitage, not Rove.
Which leads to the PNAC letter. I have to ask, what is your point with that? I know there are several PNAC conspiracy theories, but the only difference I can tell between PNAC and the Center for American Progress (besides ideology, obviously) is that PNAC actually has influence that CAP surely wishes it had. That you can get these letters off PNAC’s own website helps demonstrate that there is no cabal.
Maybe you meant to show that Armitage agreed with regime change in 1998. That’s fine, but his beliefs in 2003 are much more relevant to his intention regarding Plame. That he told Powell he was the source and offered his resignation as soon as Novak’s story came out indicates that it was not a planned event. That they withheld that information from the public while a special prosecutor spent years and millions to investigate nothing is a BIG problem.
I agree that more could come out during the Libby trial and will reserve judgement until then. But if nothing new does come out, that will be interpreted that no initial crime was committed, and so the perjury charge is probably based on an error rather than a lie. Bush will probably pardon Libby, and I probably won’t blame him for it. Progressives will go absolutely nuts about it, but even that’s not too different from where we are today.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:04 pmJay,
You’re right — one of your comments was removed. My comment at 11:04 was a response to it. I tried to retrieve it from my browser history, but it was already replaced with the current version. I don’t know why it would have been wiped. Far less rational comments persist…
September 16th, 2006 at 11:08 pmDamn, you lefties better figure out a way to hush up my man Jason. He’s well versed in facts that you can’t tear down.
I’ve listened to AA from time to time because I want to all sides. Unfortunatly, all I would hear is rabid rants by folks who rarely if ever accept call in rebuttles from anyone who disagees with thier “Hate America” speak.
I have a few Dem friends who are looking to leave the party because how it’s being hijaced by the “haters” on the left. When you see knuckeheads like Sean Penn, Michael Moore and Tim Robbins buddy up to the people that want us turned to ashes, there’s a problem. These are the ones who the party leaders love to rub elbows with…??
What you lefties can’t seem to grasp, there are a lot of bad people in this world who want us dead and are willing to kill themselves to achieve it.
Their leaders have failed them, they live in squaler with absolutley no future for them or their families so why not become a martyr and end up w/ 72 virgins for eternity. (Say Wha??)
One more thing, if they win, the lefties would be some of the first to get the “All off the Top” haricut becuse of the total lack of family values, trumpeting homosexuality, and sexual freedoms. Don’t get me started on what they would do the women. (Picture Hillary of Gloria Steinem in a burka being beaten for making eye contact with a man)
Look at the furor over a message (completly taken out of context) by something from history the Pope voiced. The radical Muslim leaders stir up their blind followers to burn and attack Christian places of worship.
This is a great forum for free speech which we enjoy and if I dare to say…
September 16th, 2006 at 11:10 pmGod Bless America!!
Well at least I know where you stand…jeez, how’s the view from kooksville?
Quotes from your sources..
First the ever reliable MSNBC. Bottom line – Gonzolas warned Bush that kooks out there may want to come after him in this passage:
It is difficult to predict the motives of prosecutors and independent counsels who may in the future decide to pursue unwarranted charges based on Section 2441 [the War Crimes Act],” Gonzales wrote.
Nobody in the admin thought they were guilty of war crimes, they were just worried about their spineless political enemies using anything they can to come after them. Oh, and guess who was an objector of this…you guessed it, Hero Powell himself. I wonder if this was before or after he and Armitage decided to start leaking classified info to protect their asses? Weird how that works. Nice source – try again.
Second source. Here are some quotes from your esteemed author of the second passage
But the most important issue is, legally and morally, who initiated the unlawful invasion of Iraq and why
The Iraq war is illegal, and the US Congress did not have the right under international law to authorize a preemptive, aggressive war without any justification. (See 13 defied UN agreements and sanctions under the IRAQ WAR: JUSTIFICATION section
So we return to the fact that the invasion of Iraq was a “crime against peace”, which is the number one count and criteria in the Nuremberg Charter for indictment of the Nazi war criminals:
Hmmmm….maybe someone with an axe to grind here, not sure. Nazi? Nuremburg? Wow – Is this from the same guy that created Star Trek? Honestly, the fact that you quote this is enough said about your crazy ass.
The sickest part is that you call this ‘quoting facts’. A memo about possible charges from their polical enemies (since they are more interested in bush’s demise than the terrorists demise) and a bunch of Nazi comparisons with the US Army. Pathetic – utterly pathetic.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:12 pmmy comments are in reponse to Jay’s #99 post
September 16th, 2006 at 11:16 pmPlame’s cover being blown was no accident and Rove was part of a concerted effort to crush him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/12/AR2005071201367.html
What exactly was inaccurate about Wilson’s statements? He was trying to stop an illegal, unnecessary, poorly conceived/executed war where 10’s of thousaands of innocent people died. The point on PNAC is that it is the source of much of our current foreign policy and Armitage, who the right is now tryin g to paint as a peripheral figure in this mess, is part of the team on planning and executing the war plan, in this case from a pr standpoint. Rove and Armitage were working in conceet to achieve common goals.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:23 pmOh yea, give the “Club Gitmo” detainees AC/3 squares/the Koran/clean clotes… Now you want to give them lawyers. (Isnt’ the trial lawyers the biggest PAC the dems have…talk about conspiracy)
What do they do with our prisoners…Can you say beheadings….
September 16th, 2006 at 11:27 pmSounds even to me…. D’Oh!!
Mike Malloy deserves to go. He was the official AAR hater!!!
September 16th, 2006 at 11:30 pmbones, best of luck, you’re too far gone. I hope you’re a young guy, maybe there’s time for you to see just how misguided you were. When Bush, rummy and condi go to jail, don’t say you never knew it might happen.
So if Newsweek (not msnbc) and former Reagan appointee paul craig roberts aren’t factual sources, please let me know who is….
September 16th, 2006 at 11:32 pmAnother horrible link to support your argument.
First of all – it is an article dated 7/13/2005. A few thing have happened since then, most notably:
1. No charges against Rove
2. NOBODY charged with outing a CIA officer
3. Armitage admits he was the leak
Secondly – this article is filled with the kind of spewing hate that you love in sentences like ..
Rove…He’s also the kind of ethically unconstrained guy Bush has wanted around when the going gets tough and then goes to cite the following evidence of that………NONE. And it’s not just Rove who’s been caught up in the coverup – Well, now we know there wasnt anything to cover up, since they did nothing illegal, at least according to Fitzgerald.
At least this article waited until like the 6th or 7th paragraph to mention Watergate. With all the panting going on in the media (and I’m sure your basement) in July 2005 it must have sounded like prom in yuppie Georgetown bars.
Why don’t you check out this link Jay:
http://this.is.just.a.link.to.make.it.look.like.i.know.what.im.talking.about/but.the.truth.is.that.i.dont.have.a.clue
September 16th, 2006 at 11:33 pmAnother horrible link to support your argument.
First of all – it is an article dated 7/13/2005. A few thing have happened since then, most notably:
1. No charges against Rove
2. NOBODY charged with outing a CIA officer
3. Armitage admits he was the leak
Secondly – this article is filled with the kind of spewing hate that you love in sentences like ..
Rove…He’s also the kind of ethically unconstrained guy Bush has wanted around when the going gets tough… and then goes to cite the following evidence of that………NONE. And it’s not just Rove who’s been caught up in the coverup – Well, now we know there wasnt anything to cover up, since they did nothing illegal, at least according to Fitzgerald.
At least this article waited until like the 6th or 7th paragraph to mention Watergate. With all the panting going on in the media (and I’m sure your basement) in July 2005 it must have sounded like prom in yuppie Georgetown bars.
Why don’t you check out this link Jay:
http://this.is.just.a.link.to.make.it.look.like.i.know.what.im.talking.about/ but.the.truth.is.that.i.dont.have.a.clue
September 16th, 2006 at 11:45 pmA conservative on this blog must always remember that progs throw around links like fundamentalist Christians throw around Bible versus – who needs sound rational argument, when you can just quote from your own scripture, which progs write and rewrite daily.
September 17th, 2006 at 10:43 amI’m about as conservative as they come (proud to say I’ve voted for Jesse Helms three times) and while I passed along the Think Progress story about Air America’s impending bankruptcy to the local site where we argue about politics it was with very mixed feelings.
When AA does inevitably shut down it will be to bad, not only is it a needed alternative to (the far superior) conservative talk but when it shuts down it will cause many of the lefties to start whining for the return of the “Fairness Doctrine” (and further repeal of free speech).
If AA (or it’s successor is going to work) you have to come up with a real business plan. NO ONE on the right PAYS to have their broadcast carried, radio stations pay a LOT of money to carry Rush, Hannity, and Boortz, and they pay it because people like to listen to those guys.
You lefties need to come up with shows that people really want to listen to, once you have people listening than advertisers will be willing to pay good money to advertise on your shows.
Jeff DeWitt
September 17th, 2006 at 11:19 amThe misinformation from the righties at the tail end of thi thread is astonishing.
There is no excuse to be that ignorant of the truth. Jeff, the rightwing radio phenom has been funded by Richard Scaife, Adolph (ahem) Coors, the Heritage Foundation, AEI, et al. It’s been a 30 effort.
As for providing links, would you dimwits prefer to read the story as written by journalists or not? Is it the reading that you hhave trouble with? i’m asking that sincerely.
Are you people really this deluded? This country is in deep fuc*in trouble.
September 17th, 2006 at 11:28 amJay,
That WaPo column you linked was an editorial, not a hard news article. A lot of the language and argument are purely suppositional.
Furthermore, the editorial states in no uncertain terms Rove is “the culprit.” When it was written in July of last year that was widely suspected. But now we know that it is not the truth. The culprit has now admitted his actions, and yet nobody (including those of you here who were the most up in arms) is calling for his dismissal and charging. Why is that???
BECAUSE YOU WANT ROVE! You’re not getting him, not on this issue anyway. But you want him so badly that you’re willing to cite an EDITORIAL that is now horribly OUTDATED as proof of his “crime”. This is what I meant when I said that many Progressives tend to consider suppositions as facts. I didn’t realize how strongly those suppositions would stick even in the face of contradictory factual revelations.
You asked how Joe Wilson was inaccurate? From FactCheck.org:
Notice that Wilson’s omission (in bold) affects his main thesis: that there was known to be no uranium sought by Iraq from Niger. In fact, he himself found that there quite possibly WAS uranium sought by Iraq from Niger!
I quoted the entire entry to hopefully avoid accusations of “cherry-picking”. Yes, the second paragraph states that White House officials’ statements were also inaccurate. So there we have it. Nobody is an angel. Nobody is holding Rove up as an angel, just disproving that he’s the Devil. You would be wiser to not consider Wilson infallible.
September 17th, 2006 at 4:49 pmRegarding PNAC, is it really any surprise that policies proposed by a conservative think tank would be fairly highly regarded by a conservative-majority government? The day that Progressives are sworn in as the leadership of this country I fully expect PNAC to be out on its ear and Center for American Progress, among other organizations, to become highly regarded. Will the conservatives howl about it and propagate conspiracy theories? I kind of doubt it. Even when Clinton was President, the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy(TM) charge was thrown about. It seems the left requires conspiracy theories in order to make a case.
September 17th, 2006 at 5:19 pmThen let AA pay for the billboard campaign. Radio stations support shows that they pay for, that’s why you will see billboards for Rush, AFAIK all the stations carrying AA are being paid to do it, radio stations typically don’t pay to advertise programming like that.
So? They invested because they expected to make a profit, that what business does. The investors in Rush have certainly made their money back and a very nice profit besides!
Right wing talk isn’t a loss leader, it’s not an advertising campaign, it is and successful because it MAKES MONEY.
The bottom line is the bottom line, if something makes money we see more of it, doesn’t matter if it’s conservative talk, reality TV or overpriced sneakers being pushed by some NBA star. Liberal talk hasn’t found it’s voice yet, hopefully at some point it will, but it hasn’t yet.
Jeff DeWitt
September 17th, 2006 at 9:14 pmThen let AA pay for the billboard campaign. Radio stations support shows that they pay for, that’s why you will see billboards for Rush, AFAIK all the stations carrying AA are being paid to do it, radio stations typically don’t pay to advertise programming like that.
So? They invested because they expected to make a profit, that what business does. The investors in Rush have certainly made their money back and a very nice profit besides!
Right wing talk isn’t a loss leader, it’s not an advertising campaign, it is and successful because it MAKES MONEY.
The bottom line is the bottom line, if something makes money we see more of it, doesn’t matter if it’s conservative talk, reality TV or overpriced sneakers being pushed by some NBA star. Liberal talk hasn’t found it’s voice yet, hopefully at some point it will, but it hasn’t yet.
Jeff DeWitt
September 17th, 2006 at 9:16 pmOpps, sorry about the dual post…
September 17th, 2006 at 9:19 pm[...] Liberal Website Retracts Story – Al Franken Blames Conservatives By Doug Think Progress has retracted its story on rumors that Air American Radio was going to file for bankruptcy. Now, TP is most definitely on the left side of the political spectrum, but check out their quote from Al Franken. Despite reports the liberal talk network would file for bankruptcy protection by week’s end — that apparently isn’t happening. Franken tells listeners “we’re not in Chapter 11? and pokes at conservative talk hosts and websites for getting it wrong with quips like “who’s gloating now Bill O’Reilly?” [...]
September 17th, 2006 at 11:57 pmJay, good effort. Seth et. al. – what are you yellow elephants doing in the USA? Your leader needs you in Iraq. Get thee hence.
September 18th, 2006 at 12:05 amSo when are the caring, compasionate, deep thinking, high minded, tolerant libs at Air America going to return the $825,000 to the Boys and Girls Club? Perhaps if those kids had been aborted they wouldn’t need the money?
September 18th, 2006 at 12:39 amOf all the moves AA could make , getting rid of Springer stands out. The guy has been nothing but an anchor on the network. He knows nothing about polotics . He had no guests on. He reveled in anything that had to do with his own tittilation and MSM b.s. . I almost went insane when he had to tell us about how he got stood up for his high school prom every spring. You gotta give the girl some credit for taste though.
September 18th, 2006 at 2:31 amMy only regret is that Stephanie Miller isn’t available for the morning slot but anything beats Jerry the putz.
bernard – #120,
So a person is only allowed to take a position different from yours if they are currently in combat??? That’s as stupid as me telling you to go join the terrorists in Iraq if you are so against the war. You’d have a palpatation. Grow up and become as open-minded as you pretend to be.
September 18th, 2006 at 9:17 amI got so much enjoyment from the intellectually stimulating, thought provoking commentary:
Rove…that Bastard
O’Reilly… that bastard
Limbaugh… that bastard
And the hillarity!! I could listen for hours and hours on end. Its shuch a shame.
September 18th, 2006 at 2:48 pmHey Al, don’t forget to turn the lights off on the way out….
Baaa Haaaa!!
FYI. AA WILL declare BK, in that way, they will not have to pay back creditors and especially The Boys & Girls club….Pretty sad for people who are supposed to care Then, they will reorganize, blame the “vast right wing conspiracy” on their past failures and go on with thier hatefilled diatribes, not learning or addapting to the free market.
Thank God (inwhich ironically they don’t believe) for the courts, for again, that’s the only way the left get’s any victories since they always get pasted at the ballot box.
(Check out your leftist bud’s in Mexico, they lose, can’t accept defeat and they will probably send that county even deeper into the abyss)
Rudy in 2008!!!
Take that Bee-outch!!
September 18th, 2006 at 3:44 pmOops. Missed that one, didn’t you folks?
While I frequently criticize the astonishing incompetance of AAR’s management, the radio network is the most valuable source of information available to us today. It truly is a Godsend, and combined with the presence of the blogs and the internet, gives us a real opportunity to properly inform Americans.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to stem the tide of American Fascism and salvage the republic before it’s too late.
Oh, btw, I don’t have the heart to tell our friend Homer Simpson that Rudy is a supporter of abortion and gay rights. Oops.
September 18th, 2006 at 11:06 pmHey Danny Thomas, I think I’ll now vote for ALGORE…
That lard butt could end global warming tomorrow if he’d stop spewing the
warm swill out of his pie hole!
Nice line up. Gore, Hillary, Ned Lamont, Harry Reed, Pancy Pelosi. Yea, with that Martian crew running the country, I’d sleep real good at night….
Who’d France have to call on when the crap hits the fan?
Hello…Mc Fly!!
September 20th, 2006 at 11:52 pmEvery other news source, (aside from this pathetic one) confirms that Air America WILL IN FACT BE FILING CHAPTER 11. Bye bye Al…
October 13th, 2006 at 1:43 pmAir America Bankrupt? Why would you say such a thing!
October 15th, 2006 at 11:42 am