AUDIO: Laffy on the Randi Rhodes Radio Show with Nicole Sandler

By GottaLaff

Today I got a call from Nicole Sandler of the infamous "blackmail Keith Olbermann to get him to follow me on Twitter" plot, and of course, progressive talk radio fame.

She was filling in for Randi Rhodes and asked me to pop in. I was more than happy to, and here is that very segment:



Thank you, geoff9cow, for grabbing this for us!

Randi Rhodes's excellent Ann Coulter sighting

By GottaLaff

Randi Rhodes on the Radio Machine just now, discussing her observations of Ann Coulter during her excellent Joy Behar Show adventure:

I don't want to say she's too thin, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kinky Friedman hung his hat on her in the Green Room.

The visual burns.

UPDATE- She just popped out with this:

When Coulter saw [Palin], it was like: "Oooooo." It was like a drag queen convention in that Green Room.

Liveblog- Alan Grayson on the radio: "The cost of delay is death, I don't want blood on my hands"

By GottaLaff

Alan Grayson has been all over Progressive radio in the last couple of days. He's on the Randi Rhodes show right now, just finished the Thom Hartmann Show, I believe he was on the Stephanie Miller Show earlier this week, and was on my pal Angie Coiro's show the other day.

He's been saying things such as:

What we can do: Donate, show the courage of OUR convictions, let the Democrats who aren't sure, know we're behind them.

"The cost of delay is death, I don't want blood on my hands"..."People Power".

He suggests that those in Connecticut find out who those are who died because of lack of insurance, and bring them to the attention of Joe Lieberman.

Now, on Randi's show, he is saying:

I've heard I'm stupid, crazy, and ugly. On the radio, you can't tell the difference. This is another of the Republicans' weapons of mass distraction. They're the Party of No, soon to be the Party of Nobody.

I think this party will disintegrate. They're talking about bizarre distractions and death panels. They take these positions because of their paymasters in the insurance industry. There is one party that is bought and paid for: The Republican party.

Randi:

It goes on on both sides. [She's right] They're now calling themselves "conservatives", they don't want to be called Republicans any more. Republicans want to be called "Independents"...

Alan:

Dems have to show people a better way. Go to CongressmanWithGuts.com. I sit in on Democrats' meetings, we try to figure out way to improve people's lives.

Randi:

Public option: You get a choice. But if the Republicans ran Baskin Robbins, it would be strawberry only, not 31 flavors.

Alan:

The Dem would say this: The public option is taking the Medicare provider network, which is expensive, and the Republicans say that's socialism. The Dems say it's only been used by 1/8 of the population, already been paid for, so let's use it, make it available, promote competition. The Republicans would say, that's communism.

They pick out words and make them into bad words. Liberalism socialism, etc. They're incapable of thinking about what people need in their lives. They can't think outside of themselves. Their answers are always the same: Socialism.

Randi:

Aren't they fascists, corporatists?

Alan:

Worse than that, they want to take money out of taxpayers' pockets and give it to corporations.

Randi:

They're screaming today on the radio about how we're socialists AND fascists. They can't pick one.

Alan:

They took us to brink of bankruptcy, took us into two wars. They should say I'm sorry, they say nothing.

Randi:

Even when they're gone from Congress, they go down the street and become lobbyists. Dick Armey, for example. How do they rectify these conflicts? The money is insane, plowed into Capitol Hill.

Alan:

It's all about how do you come up with money for campaigns. I'm not gonna do that. We're trying to set up a model based on People Power. We've raised $500K this month! They care about education, health care, real things in people's lives. If you have cojones, people will support you! I want to show people in Congress, you don't have to sell out to get re-elected.

The money goes to the media. It's expensive. This is how you end up spending millions on a race.

We're finally talking about this in a human way. Every day people die, 122 deaths. The bill's not going to get hugely better if we take another 3 months to do it. They delay and delay. Now people recognize, delay means death.

Blue Dogs Backsliding On Anti-Health Care Reform Backsliding

By GottaLaff

Today on the Radio Machine, Randi Rhodes easily made the case for a single payer health care plan, and a caller asked why we don't hear those same points made more often in more places. Why can't the Dems make the case for something so many Americans want, that's more cost-effective, that makes so much more sense? Her answer: "Propaganda." The Dems are fighting the usual losing battle against the Rushpublic propaganda machine, and the corporate media are the enablers.

With that, here's the latest:

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is "unwavering" in her opposition to a Blue Dog Coalition health care position issued late last week, she said Tuesday. The Blue Dogs, a caucus of conservative Democrats, issued a set of principles opposing a public health care option unless it was triggered by the failure of private insurers to meet certain goals.

Harman, in a statement, said she supports a public option without a trigger. "I will oppose any plan that does not include this option, and am unwavering in my opposition to the so-called 'Blue Dog trigger,'" said Harman.

On Monday, the Huffington Post reported that the Blue Dogs had backed the trigger even though 20 of their 51 members, including Harman, had pledged to the reform coalition Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) that they supported a public option without one. (HCAN and other reform advocates consider a trigger to be the death of the public option.) If all 20 kept to their word, the Blue Dogs wouldn't have had enough votes to back a trigger.[...]

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), a Blue Dog who also signed the pledge, told the Huffington Post she backs a public option without a trigger.

"America can't afford to wait for health care reform. While a single-payer system would be ideal, I am prepared to support other measures that also reduce costs, preserve doctor choice, and assure affordable, quality health care for all Americans," she said in a statement. "I think a public option without a trigger would be a good way to fix what's wrong with health care while preserving what works."

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), the vice chairman of the Blue Dog Health Care Task Force, has also since come out in favor of a public option without a trigger.

Insurance companies determine whether we live or die, who cares for us, whether we even get care/don't get care, and make a fortune in the process... and they clearly shouldn't. Period.

Why is this so hard? That was rhetorical.

H/t: Ellen

AUDIO: Randi Rhodes vs Randall Terry

By GottaLaff

One of my favorite Tweeters linked me to this.

Randi tells Randall Terry that he "thinks hate is a Christian value". Finally, someone said that out loud right to Terry's face. Finally, someone confronted him with facts.

Randi: "You're endorsing hatred." Terry: "It was a joke."

Terry: "You have mocked Christianity." Randi: "You have mocked god... You are a Christian terrorist."

Listen:

Randi Rhodes Returns to Radio, thanks to "right wing" network

By GottaLaff

She can be abrasive, yes, but she's funny, knowledgeable, and feisty. I'm thrilled to have her back on the airwaves, especially right now:

The Randi Rhodes Show to its lineup of nationally syndicated shows, beginning May 11. The show will broadcast live from Washington, DC, and early affiliates will include KTLK/Los Angeles, KKGN/San Francisco, and KPOJ/Portland, OR.

"Randi has carved a niche in talk radio with her straight-forward approach, intelligence, wit, and fact-driven content -- qualities that attract audiences," said Premiere EVP/Affiliate Marketing Julie Talbott. "We can't wait to deliver The Randi Rhodes Show to stations nationwide."

Rhodes said, "Right now, America needs a voice that reflects its hopes and concerns. It will be my privilege and pleasure to provide vital information to the public about everything that is possible in the 21st century, and also have a few laughs along the way. Premiere is an incredible family of radio pros, and is truly the most talented and experienced radio syndicator in the nation. I'm exited about this decision and Premiere's enthusiasm for this partnership. It's truly a dream come true."

Here is the best part:

The irony of Randi's return is that it is being made possible by her new syndicate, Premiere Radio Networks, best known for syndicating such shows as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and other conservatives.

Fair and balanced.

Quote-O'-The-Day: Randi Rhodes edition

By GottaLaff

"Banks now rob people."
--Randi Rhodes just now on Progressive Radio KTLK

The Bush economy fix, by Randi Rhodes

By GottaLaff

Randi Rhodes just now, on the rush to fix the economy their way (and yes, she compared it to the rush to invade Iraq, as we did here):

"They raped us and now they want us to pay for the rape kit."

Sounds almost Palinesque, doesn't it?

UPDATE, per Randi:

The plan is a "pre-emptive economic attack on the American people."

She goes on:

Decisions by the Secretary of the Treasury are non-reviewable and may not be reviewed by any court or any administrative agency.

Why? There is no defense for that. Period. One man in charge of our nation's financial destiny on every front, wtf? Any decision he makes, he makes alone and is not reviewable. Double wtf?

How many times are we going to do this? They are putting us out of business, taking money out of consumers' hands and into the hands of the Secretary. Just him alone.

I only just got home, so I'm catching up. I have no idea what the Democrats' response has been today. Anyone?

Randi Rhodes & Air America win, CACI loses lawsuit

By GottaLaff

Stephanie Miller and Randi Rhodes

Per Thom Hartmann just now:

CACI sued Randi Rhodes and Air America for defamation when Randi accused CACI's company employees of raping and murdering Iraqis at Abu Ghraib. CACI lost:

According to CACI's complaint, she accused CACI employees of raping and murdering Iraqi civilians at Abu Ghraib prison, claims that CACI said were "false and defamatory."

Congratulations, Randi! The good guys won this one.

"What the hell is going on in this country?"

By GottaLaff

I'm listening to Randi Rhodes. She and I are noticing the same things. The following is a combination of her commentary and my own:

The Democratic candidate writes an op-ed in the New York Times, puts his thoughts in writing, repeats his war policies endlessly, and gives a speech that lays his foreign policy out in detail. We have a president who doesn't e-mail, but Barack Obama puts his ideas on paper for the world to see. The Republican candidate is still referring to "Czechoslovakia", which hasn't existed since 1993, while Obama is explaining himself in writing, clearly and transparently.

The cover of The New Yorker has been the topic of discussion in the corporate media for the past 24 hours. So has talk of Obama being a flip-flopper, despite the fact that he's putting his ideas in writing so that these blathering fools can reference his words... and maybe even talk about them.

Meantime, John Sidney McCain is touting his accumulation of traveling miles as the requisite experience that Obama lacks. If that were the case, my father is qualified to be president.

Osama bin Laden's dream is that oil would rise to $144 a barrel. Dream realized.

Banks are failing. Dream realized.

Military broken. Dream realized.

Sinking dollar. Dream realized.

Yet McCain is worried about relations between Russia and Czechoslovakia. He's Bush without the smarts, says Randi. After he figures out how to get online, he can use the Google to look up Czechoslovakia.

Free markets: The rich gamble, they lose, we pay. That's some casino, she says.

I grew up in Encino. Today Encino is the center of attention because the police had to keep order there due to so many people cutting in line to pull their money out of Indy Mac.

And Randi also just said that Bush and McCain are the same person. We agree on that too. As we do on the insanity of "the psychology of oil".

As she just asked, what the hell is going on in this country?