Randi Rhodes needs to stop bashing the DEMOCRATS!

By: Dan
Published On: 8/13/2005 1:00:00 AM

I write for Raising Kaine, SUPPORTING the DEMOCRAT running for Governor, Tim Kaine - a man who supported John Kerry in 2004.  Tim Kaine also has served as the DEMOCRATIC Mayor of Richmond, as well as Virginia's Lt. Governor, to the DEMOCRAT Mark Warner.  A couple days ago, Randi Rhodes of Air America bashed Tim Kaine on the air and thought an article I wrote was smearing Democrats!?! 

I wrote about Cindy Sheehan, asking that she be allowed to speak for herself ? not because I disagree with her ? in fact, I think she is GREAT!  Unfortunately, radio talk show hosts like Randi Rhodes seem to think that Cindy Sheehan, like every other news story, is either a Democratic or Republican issue.  Well maybe, Randi, not everything is Democrat or Republican, left or right.  Sure Cindy Sheehan is a great American, supporting the Democratic Party, but not necessarily every thought that comes out of your mouth!  Cindy Sheehan is a Democrat for her reasons, and not yours. 

Sometimes DEMOCRATS like me are just trying to warn other DEMOCRATS, like YOU, that we need to focus on the issues, and not just on party politics.  Bush has let down the American people, but not because he is a Republican, but because of his policies and his insistence that everything in Government follow his ideology of neo-conservatism ? a dangerous break from the old-school conservatism of the past.

I respected you Randi, until you carelessly misspoke about my article on the air, and then went on a rant about how Tim Kaine was a REPUBLICAN, who smeared John Kerry and Joe Wilson, and Paul Hackett ? a man who Raising Kaine has praised and celebrated. 

Maybe if you did better research, you wouldn?t sound like such a jack-ass when you call a Democrat a Republican.  We have a serious battle with a neo-conservative Republican, Jerry Kilgore, whose people have smeared Cindy Sheehan, and are trying to smear the DEMOCRAT Tim Kaine.  Now you smeared Tim Kaine on the air to all your listeners, hurting a DEMOCRAT running against a neo-conservative.  How dare you!

I called up your show to explain that Tim Kaine was a Democrat and we love Cindy Sheehan, but your staff yelled at me like I was an idiot!  I bet now, your people will read this, and assume once again, incorrectly, that we are Republicans.  Apparently, they seem to get things wrong on a regular basis, like when you said that insurance companies would demand that children get a chip in their brain to be insured.  So once again, we are DEMOCRATS Randi, DEMOCRATS, so don?t smear Tim Kaine, who is a DEMOCRAT, and supports generally the same policies you support.  We need more DEMOCRATIC Governor?s in this country.  At last count there are 27 Republican Governor?s and 23 Democrats.  Tim Kaine would keep Virginia Democratic.  And that is what you want.  So rectify your mistake, and support the Democrats, because we are a great political party.  Thank you.

Comments



I think you miss the (Dahgrostabphri - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
I think you miss the point of what Randi is saying, and clearly if you visited her website you would know that she is saying that this is not a partisan issue and that the Republican Knuckleheads are the ones who are making the cost of this war a partisan issue. 

I'm not trying to say anything about what or how you write, I'm just relaying the fact's as I see (or hear them).



I heard the Randi co (Arlene Montemarano - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
I heard the Randi comments about Kaine when I came back from vacation (I listen through the archives) and I was totally shocked.  Clearly, my hero Randi Rhodes has made a major mistake here.  Kaine, another hero, would never take a negative position about Cindy Sheehan.  I cannot excuse such sloppiness other than to say it is not typical of her show I don't think.  She is on for an incredible 4 hours per day five days a week.  Screw ups are bound to happen.  I think if we can get through to her she will correct herself.  She has done that before.  Losing the producer probably contributed to this calamity, but she must make it right asap.  I will call the show and hope to get through, and so should as many people as possible.  Kaine's reputation must not be injured by this absurd mistake. 


I think you miss the (Dahgrostabphri - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
I think you miss the point of what Randi is saying, and clearly if you visited her website you would know that she is saying that this is not a partisan issue and that the Republican Knuckleheads are the ones who are making the cost of this war a partisan issue. 

I'm not trying to say anything about what or how you write, I'm just relaying the fact's as I see (or hear them).



Arlington Dem, I ha (Homo Ono - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
Arlington Dem,
I have no proof that they know because I have never gotten any replies to my emails nor have I been able to speak to any on their office line.  But, I find it hard to believe that they do not know.  I mean how could they have missed emails, phone calls from others and a huge thread on their message board?  But, in their partial defense, the producer who used to monitor the message board most closely appears to have left the show last week (before the Kaine comments.)
---Homo Ono


Homo Ono: do you ha (Josh - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
Homo Ono:  do you have any idea whether Randi or her staff know about this whole issue?


I'm that guy from Ra (Homo Ono - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
I'm that guy from Randi's message board that was trying to help and get Randi to correct herself.  I notice that you guys (Dan and Arlington Dem) are having difficulty posting there.  The reason is that you have to have 20 posts on her site before you can create a new topic (or "thread".)  So, try to use up your posts somewhere on the site and then you should be able start new topics.  They are pretty strict about keeping threads in the right forum.  I think that "Heard on the Show" would be the right forum if you want to start a new thread about this.  There have been other threads there before about mistakes made on the air.


Count me in! Who el (Josh - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
Count me in!  Who else is calling?


Dan, I tried to p (Josh - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
Dan,

I tried to post that suggestion on her blog, but it wouldn't let me, even after I registered there.  Have you tried it?



Dear Randi: While (Josh - 4/4/2006 11:27:43 PM)
Dear Randi:

While I love your show, god knows it's a complete salvaion after decades of RushRadioUSA, I have to say this:

Cindy Sheehan doesn't need you. 

Her message is far to powerful to require your involvement or mine.

Outside of the complete wackjobs in the media and the blogsphere, most of the conservatives commentators have not actually attacked Cindy.  She is the mom, after all, of a fallen Iraq vet.  What they have done is to try to paint her as a partizan.

Whatever her politics may be, her protest most certainly is not partizan.  In fact, it's a deeply American protest against a feeble and greedy Chief Exceutive who lied to get us into a war for oil. 

The point is, her message is bigger than any of us who have taken up her cause.  The fact that her message is being repeated by Democrats is really the only thing the right-wing scream machine can attack.

It won't work.  As a fellow blogger wrote on

dailykos:
-------
... the Administration has absolutely bungled an opportunity to save face here at home by ignoring Cindy Sheehan. Now there is no longer any graceful way for the administration to resolve the situation.

**Sheehan's campout in Texas is exactly the kind of story that will speak to ordinary and non-political Americans. **

It is simple, personal and there's huge potential for 24/7 media coverage.
----

Even the mainstream media in its newly right-wing skewed version cannot obscure the reality of this mother's fight.  She is speaking the true language of the heart of America.  She is speaking in terms that regular Americans cannot help but understand.

No matter what you or I say, Cindy Sheehan's voice is strong enough to stand on its own.

Her cause is not liberal, conservative, Republican, Libertarian, or populist.  It's not a message of the Democratic party.

Cindy Sheehan's message is the true American message that has been obscured by Mr. Bush's lies for long enough. 

Cindy Sheehan's message will be obscured no longer. 

Randi, it's out of our hands.