Brave New Films has a petition to ask Air America to give Sam Seder the chance to take over Randi Rhodes time slot.

Air America's Sam Seder has a chance to take over the time slot created by Randi Rhodes's departure. It was just about a year ago that Air America made the foolish decision to move Seder from a daily show to Sundays; he a vital progressive voice on the radio, one that should be heard daily.

Right now, the plan is to rotate weekly a roster of celebrities to fill Rhodes' time slot. Ironic for a company who said that the mistake their predecessors made was filling the schedule with comedians instead of solid radio professionals. BNF says they have about 4,000 signatures already and hope to get 6,000 more this week to deliver to the Air America offices. Let's help get Sammy the permanent position.

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Former Air America Radio talk show host, Randi Rhodes, appeared on Larry King Live to talk about the controversy surrounding statements she made about Geraldine Ferraro and Senator Hillary Clinton, and her subsequent departure from Air America.

Rhodes was unapologetic as she took a few swipes at AAR management and claims they wanted her to amend her contract and that's why she left.

<Correction>

The final lines of Logan's piece were originally edited, but the changes didn't take in Word Press after it was uploaded and then published. CNN's behavior was fine. Thanks for the emails. JA

C&L received confirmation from Air America:

STATEMENT OF CHARLIE KIREKER, CHAIR & MARK GREEN, PRESIDENT, FOR AIR AMERICA MEDIA

Last week Air America suspended Randi Rhodes for abusive, obscene language at a recent public appearance in San Francisco which was sponsored by an Air America affiliate station.

Air America Media was informed last night by Ms. Rhodes that she has chosen to terminate her employment with the company. We wish her well and thank her for past services to Air America.

We will soon announce exciting new talent and programming that will accelerate Air America's growth in the future.

Apparently, Randi will be heading back to Green 960 AM.

UPDATE: John Scott, Program Director of Green960, speaks out:

"We have been very frustrated the past few days in our efforts to rectify the Randi Rhodes Situation (her suspension by her network, Air America Radio). It is our understanding that today (April 9th) she is no longer an employee of Air America. So we are bringing her back."

Monday, April 14th at 4pm... it will be our pleasure to announce the return of Randi Rhodes to the Green 960 family.

I, like many, think that Sam Seder deserves his own show again. Write to pcollin@airamerica.com and let them know you want Sam back full time. We wish Randi all the best in the future.

UPDATE: Looks like Richard Belzer will be filling in at least temporarily.

At a recent appearance in San Francisco, Air America host Randi Rhodes went after Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton, calling them "whores" to a generally mixed reception by the audience.

"Hillary is a big f**king whore, too. You know why she's a big f**king whore? Because her deal is always, 'Read the fine print, a**hole!'"

Huffington Post:

Rhodes has been now been suspended from the network. Air America released the following statement:

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.

I'm a fan of Randi, but this is completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that happens in the heat of a long, drawn out primary season.

A great many C&L commenters have mentioned Randi Rhodes' speech to the 50th Anniversary party of "PEACE ACTION of Michigan" on November 11, 2007. It's 37 minutes long and worth every single minute. Thanks commenters and thanks very much, Randi.

dKos:

It was announced on Air America Radio, Jon Elliot's show tonight, that Randi Rhodes was attacked in a park in NYC walking her dog.[..]

A fellow blogger's account from the UK:

Sideshow - Uk

Get well soon, Randi Rhodes. I don't usually have time to listen to her show but I tend to leave AAR on when I'm in front of my computer - but when I heard Lionel sitting in for her, I just turned it off. Sorry, I just can't listen to him. But right now I'm listening to John Elliot and he says Randi was attacked last night while she was walking her dog. She wasn't carrying a bag and was just in sweats, and she was beaten up pretty badly and had some teeth knocked out. Elliot is saying it sounds like it was neither a sexual assault nor a robbery and he suspects it was political. The way things are going, he could be right.

Without any information (or confirmation) I think we should be careful about assuming motivations behind the attack. I'll only say on behalf of C&L that we wish Randi a speedy recovery.

Joe Gandelman has more...

UPDATE: Thom Hartmann just read the official AAR statement on his program:

October 16-NEW YORK-On Sunday evening, October 14, Air America host Randi Rhodes experienced an unfortunate incident hindering her from hosting her show. The reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded. Ms. Rhodes looks forward to being back on the air on Thursday.

UPDATE #2: We're getting conflicting reports on exactly how Randi got hurt. So without Randi Rhodes's own statement clearing up the speculation, we'll stick with just wishing her a speedy recovery.

On Monday night, host Dan Abrams spoke with Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Pat Buchanan and Air America Radio host Randi Rhodes about the recently revealed Bush DoJ secret 2004 torture memos. The Democratic leadership, including Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman and Jay Rockefeller, have all denied having seen the secret memos, but admit they were briefed on operational details (whatever that means) which leads Abrams asks the question -- did the Democrats know more about Bush's torture techniques than they were letting on, and if so, why didn't they speak out sooner?

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Abrams and Buchanan essentially try to turn this around and blame the Democrats, concluding they MUST have known about the torture techniques in the program, labeling them as hypocrites for not speaking out about what they knew. Unbelievable. There's so much misinformation and misdirection being thrown about. So even though the Democratic leadership have spoken out (Randi Rhodes brings up Senator Rockefeller's concerns about the program), just because Bush said they were fully briefed must mean they were...and we all know how forthcoming this administration has been. Buchanan seems less disturbed by the notion of our country torturing people (watch him throw out Jack Bauer hypotheticals--including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who confessed to just about everything under the sun while being tortured) than trying to find a way to pin it on the Democratic majority in Congress.

The Rude Pundit: In church with Robert Kennedy, Jr., Greg Palast, and Randi Rhodes

Danger Room: The U.S. Army has ordered its personnel to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer. Meanwhile, this veteran was imprisoned for seeking his benefits

The Largest Minority: Monday, the LAPD attacked the immigrant rights movement as a whole by going on a rampage against working class protesters in Los Angeles

A Tiny Revolution: TNR's Chiat proves himself to be a full-grown hack by playing the false equivalency card

American Prospect: The rest of the world's major economies no longer depend on America's. Neither do America's own largest corporations. But the guys who brought us Enron, brownouts and wholesale-price-gouging in California, not to mention higher electric bills are at it again.

If a cartoonist knew, why didn't the White House?

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Three Bulls!, NEWS COVERAGE ON RADIO & TV, World Bank President, 4/29truth.com

Listen to The Politnix:

Kick out the Republicans as played on the Randi Rhodes Show!

To make a donation to the Crooks and Liars website please go to Topicalrock.com

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Thanks from C&L

Mike's Blog Round Up

Sic Semper Tyrannis 2006: Here we have an exchange of e-mail between Joe Galloway and Donald Rumsfeld's press guy, Larry Dirita. Joe Galloway is one of the greatest friends the American soldier ever had. He is the reporter who went to LZ X-Ray in 1965 with the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry Regiment. He is the reporter in the film "We Were Soldiers." Definitely worth reading. (thnx to reader, Taters)

The Opinion Mill: Unless something major happens, don't expect any tectonic shifts in power come November.

American Politics Journal: A former USAF intel officer, ex-cop, and journalist writes that it's time to revisit the way Junior became Lt. Bush in the first place.

Talk To Action: Just how desperate does Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Ralph Reed have to be to court and count on the support of a pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-gun control, divorced Catholic politician from New York who has confessed to having sex with his cousin on a regular basis over the course of 14 years?

Greg Palast: Big Brother tries to fool Randi Rhodes...

Bring it On! They forgot freedom of the press...