Air America Dumps It's Hart[mann]

When Air America was first launched, I immediately signed up. Although our local Pacifica station (WBAI-FM) still owns my heart, I knew we needed lots of solid media coverage NOT beholding to the corporate mouthpieces.
When Air America began having financial problems, I pitched in, despite my own dicey employment status, and became a “premium” member. Some years after the fact, I have yet to know what benefits were granted other than letting the suits know there is a serious fan base in NYC. [BTW--if you did sign on for a premium, better check to see if they took your money "automatically" for a renewal, without informing you! That happened to me and began my disenfranchisement with the station.]
Al Franken's show was entertaining but when he left, The Thom Hartmann Show took his place and I couldn't have been happier. His program is a beacon of enlightenment in a swamp of news sludge and double speak. However, the local New York station, WWRL, has taken Thom off the air, replacing him with a show that the station management owns, The Ed Shultz Show. [hmmmm, conflict of interest?]
For radical, progressive New Yorkers, this is such a big comedown it's as if Thom was replaced by Alan Colmes! Ed Schultz just doesn’t get us and I’ve lost patience with trying to get him.
My personal radio goddess, Randi Rhodes has joined the fabulous Mike Malloy on Nova M, which I downstream on my computer. Thankfully, Thom's there, too, and I will continue to hear him via Nova M. But what about folks who don’t have computers or prefer turning on the radio?
So the call is going out to you, friends and citizens, even if you are not NYC residents. You can contact our local program managers at WWRL during the daytime, at 212-631-0800, and let them know what you think.
Another way to get the message through is by using WWRL’s web page contact info:
General Phone Number: 212 631 0800
Address: 333 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10001
WWRL Radio Sales: 212 631 0800 ext. 151 Please contact pcaesar@wwrl1600.com
1600 WWRL Programming: To ask a question or make a comment about WWRL’s Programming in general, please email Program Director, Rennie Bishop at bishop@wwrl1600.com
And here is WWRL's link for YOU to post topics you want to talk about:
http://www.wwrl1600.com/talkabout.asp
Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss!

Give Me Security at What Cost?

Since Benito Berlusconi (sorry, I know his name is Frederick) came back to power, I haven't given myself time to process the horror or what it will mean for the future of Italy. At least Vicenza held up against the lurch to the right. Perhaps the Italian people were constantly berated (via media, which is controlled by, hmmm?) by the fear card, causing them to vote for "stability" over those hoards of immigrants from Africa and the Balkans. But this is about two old buddies, sharing laughs and good times as they push their boots deeper into our backs.
George Bush Lauded By Berlusconi For Time 100
Mark @ 2:43 pm
Time Magazine has published it’s fifth annual list of the World’s Most Influential People. It’s a mixed collection with a few standouts for hilarity.
Rupert Murdoch made the list as a “Builder and Titan,” an honor he shares with Radiohead. Thom Yorke would make a great media mogul, and they could keep the band’s name as their corporate brand. Disney temptress Miley Cyrus is listed in a category where she challenges Tim Russert, the only “journalist” of the group. They are both listed under “Artists and Entertainers.” Which of these Russert is supposed to be, I don’t know. But Russert is apparently quite influential, as he has reportedly had Arianna Huffington banned from promoting her new book, Right Is Wrong, on any NBC program. [my bold]
Also on the list is George W. Bush under “Leaders and Revolutionaries.” I can’t see where he’d place in either group. But the truly creepy aspect of this is that the essay accompanying his inclusion was written by the Italian Murdoch, Sylvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi, media baron and Prime Minister, related his impressions of Bush as a leader who knows that…

“…justice, freedom and democracy can flourish only if there is security.”

Spoken like a true totalitarian fascist. He is, however, right about Bush, who has shown that he will sacrifice any Constitutional principle, civil liberty, or democratic process, in the pursuit of a false security predicated on fear and lies.
Having Berlusconi pen Bush’s bio for the Time 100 holds a unique significance in light of Berlusconi’s recent electoral successes in Italy. He declared after the election that “We are the new Falange.” The original Falange was the Spanish fascist party of Francisco Franco. [my bold]
Berlusconi’s supporters also hailed the victory of his party’s candidate for mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, a former neo-fascist youth leader, with Hitlerian straight-arm salutes and chants of “Duce, Duce…”, Mussolini’s version of “Fuhrer.” Bush must be proud to have his friend Berlusconi compose this touching tribute.
http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=891

Air America is a Big Fucking Whore!

Liberals cannot take a joke. Clearly, the censors at Air America were more concerned they might lose corporate funding than growing their audience. Just watch the video and you'll see the crowd was intensly responsive. As for use of the "fuck" word, Randi's a veteran, what the hell did they expect?!!! I'd just like to know where this happened, the context, etc.
From The Huffington Post:
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!'"
Watch:

Many Ways to Seize Our Democracy

Another creative approach: Let the lawyers do what they do best...SUE THE BASTARDS!
CitizenClassAction.com Because It's Time To Take Our Country Back
It's Time To Act To Save Our Democracy, Friday, 18 January 2008
[...] The practice of excluding candidates from presidential debates has become far too common and casual. Who has the right to decide which candidates the American people get to hear from? Who has the authority to select which political positions are acceptable, and which ideas should be considered? That's not a choice that the corporate media or their corporate masters should be permitted to make. The decision about which candidates are 'viable' is entirely up to the American people, and it is expressed when they VOTE. The American people have repeatedly spoken out about this issue, but they are largely being ignored.
[...] The only recourse left to concerned citizens now is to take legal action in the form of a class action lawsuit to force the corporate media to allow all presidential candidates to participate in broadcasted presidential debates.
[...] we believe that there are valid legal grounds to pursue a lawsuit in order to correct the injustices that the corporate media are perpetrating against the American people, and against our democracy.
But, we need your help. In order to effectively pursue this lawsuit, we must demonstrate that the American people support our claims, and want to remove the stranglehold that the corporate media is exercising over our election process. We need a large group of concerned citizens to join our class action suit. If you want to help protect our democracy, and are troubled by the way the corporate media is manipulating our election process, please sign up to be part of the lawsuit.[...]
Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 January 2008 )
http://www.citizenclassaction.com/
When you sign up you will be asked the usual questions as well as more specific ones. You do not have to answer them. Just to be clear, they say they have “material evidence” to convince the ACLU that a case can be made. I happen to have personal reasons to believe the ACLU is not the way to go with something like this, but … I joined anyway. Use your own judgment.