Libtalker Furious Over Limbaugh's Weight Loss, Leno Visit
MAGNOLIA'S MALCONTENT
Rush's Accomplishments Infuriate Libtalker Reagan
Every village is said to have its idiot and in Seattle's isolated Magnolia district, that odd man sometimes seen wandering into the commercial area is a president's son.
Beyond an inability to succeed in the entertainment business, no one knows quite what makes Ron Reagan Jr so miserable.
Over the past six months or so, however, Reagan's radio style has changed. Gone is the faux sophisticated, erudite persona, it's been replaced by an overtly frustrated, angry malcontent. And there's no better topic to bring this sentiment to the surface than fresh reminders of Rush Limbaugh's continued success.
In this caught-on-tape clip, Reagan burns up over Rush's recent weight loss, as well as the favorable reception the latter's appearance on Jay Leno's show generated:
REAGAN (02:04): Rush Limbaugh is so proud of his new, less blubbery physique that he went on Jay Leno’s show last night to share it with the world; of course, even a slimmer Limbaugh is still Limbaugh; insecure, narcissistic, and dead certain he still somehow still being picked on.
(plays audio clip from Limbaugh/Leno exchange, with Limbaugh talking about ABC News)
REAGAN (02:38): Get the feeling those weight loss pills he’s been popping have a bit of speed in them? Yeah; he was kind of revved up there, wasn’t he?
Having acknowledged Limbaugh’s shrinking adipose layer, Leno then led the de facto head of the Republican Party into the more familiar territory of his still-obese ego.
REAGAN (06:21): He's like a fat little kid reaching for the candy jar or something; gummy little fingers and all.
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Libtalker Admits: Rush And Sean Were Not So Bad To Work With
THEY'RE NOT EVIL?
In Candid Moment, Libtalker Makes Startling Admission
*** CAUGHT-ON-TAPE ***
Even the bizarre world of liberal talk radio has forbidden zones, topics that are not to be explored under penalty of career death. Topping the list: any portrayal of conservative hosts in an even remotely positive light.
Admit their opponents are human beings? To the left, that's unthinkable.
That's why this candid and amusing admission from veteran libtalker Lynn Samuels (formerly of WABC, now with Sirius Left) has caught our attention:
LYNN SAMUELS (28:35): I have worked surrounded by right-wing people my whole radio career, because I worked at WABC.
I worked with Rush and Sean for years, but I’ll tell you one thing – I probably shouldn’t say this, but it’s true -- you could talk to Rush. I saw Rush every day and we had a lovely relationship because you could just talk to him about a movie, a TV show, you know, if I had been a football fan, you could have talked to him about that.
You can talk to Sean about all kinds of things.
Samuels has already been on our radar screen for recent criticism of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. She appears to be carving out a niche as an independent leftist, rather than a partisan hack.
Another key difference: Lynn is a real broadcaster, having paid her dues over many years. That's unlike a number of Air America hosts who've walked in off the street and made every on-air mistake imaginable, while resisting coaching from seasoned professionals.
Real broadcasters are all about the show, rather than using talking radio as a temporary career crutch or stepping stone to some other pursuit.
Samuels has made a keen observation about the qualities necessary for success in this field, whether left or right. Ultimately, you've got to be a regular person, not a phony media concoction.
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Left-wing Anger Over Limbaugh Quote In WSJ's Ted K Obit
TOUCHY ABOUT TED
One Month Later, Left Still Obsessed With Kennedy Coverage
More than a month after his passing, the death of Senator Ted Kennedy has finally faded from the headlines. Now, the focus is on the battle for his seat in Massachusetts, which has temporarily been handed to a family crony.
But for some on the left, including their New York Times allies, there is lingering anger over the belief that weeks of fawning Ted K coverage wasn't quite positive enough. Apparently committing a cardinal sin was the Wall Street Journal, which dared to insert a single balancing paragraph, which happened to feature Rush Limbaugh's take on the media's excess.
Critics Claim Ideological Creep at The Wall Street Journal
By David Carr
Many fans of The Wall Street Journal worried that the newspaper would become a cat toy for Rupert Murdoch after he bought it, but the paper’s shift toward a more general interest newspaper has not been accompanied by tendentious politics, near as we can tell.
But the Full Court Press blog found deep meaning in a recent insert into the obituary of Sen. Edward Kennedy.
“When Teddy Kennedy died last August, the Journal posted a lengthy and balanced obituary on its website by Naftali Bendavid. But when the same article appeared on the front page of the newspaper the next day, the piece had a new seventh paragraph which hadn’t been there before:
Blasting what he called “slobbering media coverage” of Mr. Kennedy’s death that ignored his past “bad behavior,” conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday said Mr. Kennedy was a politician who “uses the government to take money from people who work and gives it to people who don’t work.”
Journal reporters immediately started complaining to their friends at other newspapers that the Limbaugh paragraph had been inserted at the insistence of editors in New York. Naftali Bendavid and Journal Washington Bureau Chief John Bussey both refused to comment when asked by FCP about the change.”
For his part, Carr of the Times is somewhat dismissive of the assertion, yet he did find time to cover the "controversy" at length.
Is it really that hard to overcome the thought that not everyone loved Ted Kennedy? And what is wrong with 1% balance against 99% lionization?
Finally, the larger "issue" raised here, that right-wing "bias" has overcome the Wall Street Journal due to the insertion of a quote from Rush Limbaugh, is far too absurd to explore here in detail. While the editorial pages are largely conservative, its front page reporting remains safely left-of-center.
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Libtalkers Use Murdered Census Worker To Smear Right
JOE DID IT
Smear Machine Cranked Up To Take Advantage Of Death
Taking full advantage of a US Census worker's death for partisan purposes, liberal talk radio has begun to tie the attack on Bill Sparkman (shown here in AP image) to Congressman Joe Wilson, conservative talk radio and the kitchen sink.
Already, two examples have been documented, with one covered by Lachlan Markay at NewsBusters and the other found exclusively here at the Radio Equalizer.
Here, libtalker Stephanie Miller throws anything that might stick into the mix, despite the lack of any evidence to support her statements.
Here's the clip and transcript, which came from today's program:
MILLER (30:38): you know I have to ask you (directed toward guest Rep. Bobby Scott, D-VA-3) obviously having had this debate with Eric Cantor and being from the same state, you know we were just talking about his comments that oh, "Nancy Pelosi is living in another world" if she thinks that this kind of debate can lead to violence and then we just have, you know, the hanging of this worker, this Census worker, just yesterday with the word "Fed" scrawled across him.
We’ve seen people at guns with Town Hall meetings, meetings where the President is going to be. I mean who’s really living in another world here? I mean, who really thinks this is a civil debate, we’ve been having with people yelling “you lie” at the President.
MILLER (45:43): If you don’t think, you listen to what we just listened to, what Glenn Beck just did on TV. I mean this debate you try and say there’s no connection between Dr. Tiller being shot to death and Bill O’Reilly targeting him countless times on his TV show as baby killer Tiller and whatever. These tea parties, the 9/12 things the tea party things.
If America could die a slow death by stupid people that would be it. (Miller then played a sound bite of a woman with a southern accent at the 9/12 protest)
Hey, why wait for the facts to emerge when this poor man's death can be exploited for partisan political gain?
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Hold it right there! The Republicans lie! The want to see you dead. They’d rather make money off your dead corpse. They kind of like it when that woman has cancer and they don’t have anything for her.
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Utilizing the same mob-rule tactics that have come to define "progressive" activism in the Bay Area, San Francisco politicians are "encouraging" the new owner of KNGY-FM, known as "Energy 92" to bring back the full-time gay programming it featured until earlier this month. In a national political environment where a crackdown on political talk programming still looms, the outcome of this battle could prove telling.
Now run by Golden State Broadcasting's Ed Stoltz, KNGY's call letters have been changed to KREV and the outlet has switched from dance club beats and gay-themed talk to basic Top 40 hits.
As KNGY, ratings were abysmal, especially considering the Bay Area's far-left climate and substantial gay population. According to Arbitron, the station earned just a 0.6 overall audience share in the most recent figures released two weeks ago. It failed to rank even in the top 35 stations locally, placing just behind Air America's KKGN (Green 960), which also had a 0.6. By comparison, top-rated KGO's share was 6.1.
But that hasn't even been a consideration for Bay Area politicians and activists, who see the format change as an affront to their community. As a result, they're "encouraging" Stoltz to rethink the move. The resolution introduced by Supervisor Bevan Dufty is a step in that direction.
If he knows what's good for him, is it safe to refuse the "request"? Activists have already begun a pressure campaign that includes phoning Stoltz at home and peppering him with questions about the operation.
Since there is little doubt "progressives" will back Obama's coming crackdown on talk radio, how could they possibly walk away from the chance to strong arm KNGY's forced return to the airwaves?
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High Praise For Libyan Dictator During Sharpton's Radio Program
DAFFY FOR KHADAFY
Farrakhan, Sharpton Await Libyan Dictator's Visit
What could be more fun than a visit from a murderous, thuggish dictator whose puppet government has long been a state sponsor of terrorism? In the wacky world of liberal talk radio, this kind of "historic" event is cause for celebration.
Listen as "Calypso" Louie Farrakhan and host Al Sharpton provide a sneak peek at the upcoming festivities. Welcome, "Brother" Khadafy!
Lockerbie? Never heard of it!
Here's the clip and transcript from Sharpton's Thursday program:
FARRAKHAN (14:23): Next week, as you may know, the General Assembly of the United Nations is opening and brother leader Moammar Khadafy along with many many other African, European and Asian and Latin American and Caribbean heads of state are going to be visiting the UN and the United States. This will be the first visit of Moammar Khadafy to the United States and since we have had a very long and fruitful friendship almost for the whole 40 years of his leadership of the Libyan Arab Jamariya we wanted to come into New York and say to our brother, welcome to the United States of America and welcome to New York City.
SHARPTON: Now, I understand Minister Farrakhan, that Colonel Khadafy will be addressing the United Nations and I saw in the interview in the Amsterdam (newspaper), you don’t know exactly what he is going to say, but you think it will be an historic address.
FARRAKHAN: Well you know, Brother Khadafy has been on the terrorist watch list for the United Stated for a long long time and this country and others have put sanction on him and Libya and his country worked through those sanctions and worked their way out of those sanctions and this year Libya is a part of the Security Council and it will be a Libyan Diplomat that will head up the General Assembly and so Brother Moammar Khadafy is coming to America to deliver a message. As you may know. This past year, he was voted Chairman or President of the African Union.
Good to know it's all been straightened out, Louie.
This exchange begs to be parodied on the Rush Limbaugh Show, doesn't it?
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When talk radio stations turn in record ratings, how does it occur? Is there some kind of magical force behind the results?
While the state-run media seems unable to solve this grand mystery, your Radio Equalizer can offer a hint, utilizing these two initials: "R" and "L".
Still stumped?
That could be a sign your publication is beyond hope. But we already knew that, didn't we?
Yes, the release of Arbitron radio ratings for August 2009 created quite a stir in Los Angeles last week when it was revealed that AM news-talk giant KFI had moved into first place.
But judging by the coverage in the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Business Journal, this feat was somehow accomplished without the help of the medium's star performer, Rush Limbaugh.
Is it really that hard to admit Rush could be so popular in their own backyard?
Here's what we know about Limbaugh's contribution to KFI's feat, along with some new details on his performance elsewhere during August:
In Los Angeles, The Rush Limbaugh Show gained a full share point overall, from 5.9 to 6.9 to take first place with a weekly cume of 635,700 listeners. With men 35-64, the jump was from 4.7 to 5.6. In the 11am hour, Rush pulled in a mammoth 6.3.
In San Francisco, it was another big gain on KSFO, from 4.9 to 5.6 and a second-place ranking overall and 332,400 total listeners. In Nancy Pelosi's backyard, that's quite an achievement.
In New York City, Limbaugh's audience share grew from 4.7 to 5.4, ranking fourth overall and with 653,500 listeners.
Taking second overall in Chicago on WLS, the program moves from 5.0 to 5.3 to rank second with 319,700 tuning in. With men 35-64, it's a 5.7 to 6.0 gain.
Houston delivers huge numbers for Limbaugh, with a 7.2 to 7.4 share gain and 337,300 listeners. With men 35-64, it's a staggering 9.8, up from 9.4 in July.
In St Louis, it's an even bigger victory, with first place and a 10.8 share, up from 9.1 last month, logging 204,400 weekly listeners.
Once again, Rush is number one in Detroit with 7.1 share overall, up from 6.2, 245,600 is the head count.
In Seattle, Rush is number one in his time slot with a whopping 10.1 share on KTTH versus 9.3 in July. Audience is 159,500 in the Puget Sound Area.
Phoenix outdoes even Seattle's tally with an 11.0 share, up from 10.5, good for first place. Head count: 245,600.
San Diego provides another first place finish with a 7.7 share and 134,000 total audience.
As frustration with Obama's policies reached a boiling point during August, Americans clearly turned to Rush for help. Apparently, the state-run media has yet to take notice.
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During an unusually candid moment on his radio program, MSNBC libtalker Ed Schultz has made an analogy that speaks volumes about the left's true perception of American government in the Obamist Era.
To "progressives", Rep Joe Wilson's (R-SC) real crime was insubordination, as Congress merely works for His Holiness, Barack Obama. Does Wilson really want to be seen as part of a disloyal "opposition", when his only true role is to pretend one exists at all?
SCHULTZ (02:51): Our health care system, for lack of a better term, we're on life support, OK?
[Refers to Obama as Wilson's "supervisor":]
SCHULTZ (05:49): Ask yourself this question as you try to put this in perspective. Do you think it was professional? And ask yourself, if you acted like that in the workplace, how would that be received by your supervisor and do you think you'd be able to hang onto your job?
SCHULTZ (07:44): There has never been this level of disrespect in the chamber. The only thing that was missing was the Hitler signs. It's the only thing that they didn't bring out.
SCHULTZ (08:49): Well, what happened was, within two hours this congressman had issued a statement, apologizing, his emotions got the best of him, and he doesn't believe that. This guy's a Southern white racist is what he is. You can't accept that apology, can you?
If you believe this was a mere slip of the tongue, then take a look at faux parliamentary chambers overseen by ruthless thugs and tyrants in places like North Korea, Venezuela, Saddam-era Iraq and elsewhere. How far are we really from that kind of scenario here at home?
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By now, you've probably heard all about Rep Joe Wilson (R-SC) and his public display of dissent during Obama's healthcare speech last night. While Wilson has since apologized for calling Obama a liar, the matter certainly isn't settled as far as ruling Democrats are concerned.
Interestingly, while Democrats including turncoat Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter are calling for Wilson to be punished, liberal Rep Barney Frank (D-MA) has a much different view.
Here are our exclusive clips, followed by the Politico's earlier coverage of Specter (which didn't include the audio as we have now provided) and a transcript of Frank's interview:
Specter wants Wilson censured
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), who's looked at POTUS from both sides now, was just on the Bill Press radio show suggesting the South Carolina firebrand Joe Wilson be censured for his heckle heard round the world.
Said the Republican-turned-Dem:
"He apologized immediately afterward but I don't think that’s adequate... If an apology is the consequence of an outburst I think we can expect more – that’s not a sufficient penalty that’s not a sufficient price to pay.. I'm not saying the guy should be kicked out of the House… But there ought to be some rebuke, reprimand, censure -- something that will discourage that kind of conduct in the future. If you do that to the President, it's open season."
And from Maddow's special post-speech program:
RACHEL MADDOW (03:16 of segment entitled "Dealing with the opposition on health reform"): Is this an ignore-the-tantrum moment or is that a big deal?
FRANK: Oh, I don't think it's a big deal. Look, I think free speech is (garbled), you know, heckling is a tradition, obviously, in the British Parliament. They even have mics that come down to hear the heckles.
I think what we should take it as, it is unusual, it's a sign of how effective the president was. These guys just couldn't handle it.
[...]
FRANK (06:02): Ronald Reagan, in 1980, won. His first inaugural, my first year in Congress, said 'government is not the answer to our problems. Government is the problem.'
Libtalkers Blame Conservatives For Fire, Coming Terrorism
*** CAUGHT-ON-TAPE ***
Faced with sinking poll numbers and an administration seemingly in disarray over a number of political missteps, those who carry water for Obama now find themselves in a tricky position.
That has our liberal talk radio and blogospheric friends cooking a new smear strategy: to accuse conservatives of plotting and even carrying out acts of terrorism.
From the DailyKos to Ed Schultz and Mike Malloy, the scare campaign is already underway. Call it the rhetorical answer to lighter fluid at a barbecue.
First, from Mike Malloy's show, how conservatives are directly responsible for the Station Fire in Los Angeles:
MIKE MALLOY (1:40): The incident commander, at the so-called Station Fire, the one that's burned 150,000 acres, and is responsible for the deaths of two firefighters; the incident commander, Mike Dietrich, says this is an act of domestic terrorism.
Now, who is known for committing acts of terrorism in the United States? The last big one was Timothy McVeigh, who took the lives of 168 people, I think this is exactly what the report from Department of Homeland Security four to five months ago was warning against.
That these insane people, the neo-fascists on the right, the Republicans who have flipped out, the ones who are terrified that the President of the United States is going to address schoolchildren, the ones who are convinced that in an attempt to reign in health care costs to make it a little easier and more competitive is acting in the spirit of Adolf Hitler; the ones who carry guns; these crazy SOBs are the ones responsible, in my opinion, for the fire.
I would not be surprised to find out that someone had the copy of the protocols of the Elders of Zion in their back pocket; or a book of racist information about those damn Negroes in the other back pocket; or somebody who used to be a Klansman; or an NRA board member perhaps, yeah, that would make sense, wouldn't it; or somebody who works for (US Senator) Jim Inhofe out in Oklahoma, or one of the tea baggers, or one of the birthers, or one of the deathers, or a whole group of them decided hey, it's a perfect opportunity man, it is California, let's go get all the fruits and nuts out there - let's set a big ass fire.
I am pretty convinced that this act of domestic terrorism, that's what it's called by the station fire commander, Mike Dietrich, he said any act against the wild is domestic terrorism. Now who usually commits these acts of domestic terrorism? Bill Ayers? No! Some goddamn hippie? No!
Usually, it's a crazed right-winger that has been pushed beyond the limit of their little tiny lemur brains by people like Glenn Beck, or Rush Limbaugh, or Sean Hannity or crazy-eyes Michelle Malkin, they are the ones that push people that committ acts of terror!
ED SCHULTZ FILL-IN HOST (01:37): Are the Republicans so mentally ill that another Oklahoma City bombing is looming?
HOST (02:31): I'm scared now for my country, I am. People have gone so far off the rails that something very, very scary, I feel it coming and I'm trying to deny my feelings but I gotta share it with you right here on the Ed Schultz show.
HOST: He was so hateful of the federal government and I blame Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, the whole bunch of those guys who whipped up such hysteria about the government, the government (!!), that a couple of wackos took matters into their own hands, got violent and blew things up, and I feel the hysteria building now.
From here, watch for how this kind of language works its way into the programming at MSNBC and other mainstream media outlets. Libtalk's motto: the smears start here!
In the warped world of liberal talk, this has been one particularly nasty summer. Between Air America, MSNBC and the other lefty voices, we're left to wonder whether there has been some sort of contest running to see who can behave in the cruelest manner.
MADDOW (00:44 in segment on Maddow MSNBC site titled "Rep. Weiner on health care fight"): Well, luckily to the extent that word can ever apply to a person who's just had their finger bitten off, luckily, the bitee, despite proclaiming his belief that health care reform is part of a giant scheme for the government to 'grab what's left of our freedom away from us,' luckily that guy, the bitee, is covered by Medicare!
The great, big, government-run, single-payer health care system in this country that removes the threat of bankruptcy pursuant to injury for Americans age 65 and older.
Yes, Rachel, there's no doubt this fingerless man now feels much better, having been set straight on the issue by a smug MSNBC host. By the way, the missing digit was not reattached, which certainly doesn't fit Maddow's central thesis.
Can't Rachel's targets be chosen a bit better than this? Or is this the price of admission at NBC's cable smear outlet?
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Libtalker Montel Williams Urges Congresswoman To Kill Herself
MON THE KNIFE
AAR's Williams: 'Michelle, Slit Your Wrist'
*** CAUGHT-ON-TAPE EXCLUSIVE ***
During his trash TV days, Montel Williams probably did quite little in the way of show prep. With almost every program made up of paternity DNA testing and guest bookings from Jerry Springer's hallway overflow, brainpower was not a job requirement.
Now that he's an Air America libtalker, Williams hasn't changed his approach one bit. That's why reading talking points verbatim from smear websites is Montel's idea of a thoughtful program.
That intellectual laziness may help to explain his most recent outbursts, but pure mean-spiritedness picks up where the former leaves off.
Rep Louise Slaughter (D-NY) Cites Violence As Reason Not To Hold Public Meetings
SLAUGHTER FEARS SAME
Dem's Laundry List Of Excuses For Town Meeting Refusal
One thing can be said for embattled Democrats during town hall meetings: at least they're willing to meet with constituents. While some elected representatives have shown both defiance and arrogance when faced with angry voters, it's still a step ahead of others who remain in hiding, afraid to confront the unpopularity of their proposals.
And in a league of her own is Rep Louise Slaughter (D-NY-28), who has devised a laundry list of bizarre excuses for avoiding voters in Western New York during a time when others have attempted to pitch ObamaCare to a skeptical public.
Citing fear of a violent slaughter, including that supposedly aimed at Obama, Slaughter addressed the matter during Ron Reagan's Air America Radio show.
According to her website, she has instead held conference calls with small groups of voters.
Here's the exclusive transcript and clip:
SLAUGHTER (14:48) (on why she is not holding any town hall meetings during the recess): I’m not doing town meetings; I’m not going to give those people a forum. I went through it with the Clinton health care bill, with the John Birch Society, where we had to have police around, and people hysterically crying…
And frankly, to tell you the truth Ron, my own dignity, and the dignity of the office I hold, is important to me; and I know what that is. It is not a spontaneous uprising of my constituents; I’ve got the best relationship with my constituents anybody can ever imagine.
I’m known as just "Louise", from one end of it to the other, and they know I’m not going to do anything to hurt them, and I’m not going to give these other people, who, when you come down to it, a large number of them are anti-government, they don’t want Medicare or Social Security either; and the notion that they showing up with guns, I think, is totally dangerous.
Your father was shot, we’ve had too many presidents assassinated, I can’t believe President Obama said it was not a concern to him.
Obviously, this is disingenuous at best: older voters appearing at these rallies are worried they'll lose their Medicare coverage, they're certainly not against the program at all.
The primary incident with gun-toting meeting participants turned out to be a radio stunt, according to the Huffington Post, a left-wing site.
And John Birch Society members? Do they still exist? Where has that been an issue, anywhere?
The biggie, of course: who are "those people"? They're the voters of her congressional district!
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Beyond an inability to succeed in the entertainment business, no one knows quite what makes Ron Reagan Jr so miserable.
Beyond an inability to succeed in the entertainment business, no one knows quite what makes Ron Reagan Jr so miserable.
