Randi Rhodes On Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton

Warning: Language

Well I mean, at least she didn't call her a monster. Randi's been suspended by Air America. Their site says this:

New York - 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.

Personally, I would have given her a raise. Somebody might actually start listening to Air America again. I will when Randi comes off suspension. Well, if she does. I hope they don't fire her. The comments are over the top, granted. But the right gets away with so much more than the left is allowed to. We are such wimps and we're supposed to be the radicals. Back in the olden days, the 60's and 70's, when I was a youngster, being a radical meant you could say radical things.

Ok, maybe I'm romanticizing it. Hell, she'd probably have been fired back then too. Still I think the Rush Limbaughs, BillO's and Coultergeists get away with a lot more than the left does without their bosses freaking out. Not so long ago O'Reilly said something about going on a "lynching party" against Michelle Obama and not a peep out of his bosses at Faux. No suspension. Nothing. Maher gets away with quite a bit on HBO, but I don't know if he'd get away with something like this. It was pretty harsh.

But I understand Randi's frustration. Clinton's been running a nasty campaign that is fracturing the party at a time when Democrats should be a shoe in for the White House. Nobody would really be against Hillary Clinton staying in the race to this point and beyond if it hadn't been for the negativity, dirty tactics, race baiting, and intimating that John McCain might make a better president than Barack Obama. In fact, several months ago I thought it might be a good thing for them both to run until the convention. But the Clintons' win at all costs tactics are making me wish she'd go away. And making me feel about her pretty much the way Randi expressed. And Bill too. Nobody wants to say things like this. But when you play dirty, that's the way people start to feel. Nobody wants to say it and nobody should. And then again I thank god there's someone with the guts to say it.