Air America Host Randi Rhodes Suspended For Calling Hillary A "Big F*cking Whore"

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:

Update: 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.

Comments

[sandiaview]

To: Air America Management

I am emailing the message below to all of my friends and associates. I have been to many concerts and I know that their shows are going to be edgier than their media appearances. If I don't like it, I leave. If Mr. Kireker is this offended then perhaps he should not be the Chair of this business which relies on the hosts' honest opinion and candor. By his actions, how many hosts is he trying to scare, silence or bring to Hillary's side? He sounds like another entitled Bully. Maybe Air America needs competition or a good old fashion boycott of advertisers in certain time slots. I hope this is not the direction of this station - the destruction of free speech by Air America hosts on and off the air.

[BlueBerryPickN]

Americans.­.. less interested in their politicians corporate & warlike WHOREDOM than they are in the 'rudeness' of pointing it out to them.

... why am I not surprised?

America: style over substance, every freaking time.

& you wonder why the BILLIONS of us in the REST OF THE WORLD are sick to death of your behaviour?

oh right, its rude to point it out...

~~~
Spread Love...

BlueBerry Pick'n
can be found @
ThisCanadian com
~~~
"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.
~~~
"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"
"do no harm"

[goo]

Hilarious.

I think the whole business of "repudiation" or "reject and renounce" has gotten too damned silly. If your candidate didn't say it, I don't hold all of their fringe associations responsible for having their own opinions. I think America has forgotten that as adults many and most of us tend to form our own opinions despite our alliances with people in other interest areas.

grow up USA.

[GenXer]

Remember, she did not make this crued comment on public airwaves. She was at a private function, and I guess the people who pay her have the right to censor her when she is representing them. Other than that, Free Speech rocks!

[Zankee]

A good protection againt hearing the likes of Ms. Rhodes: Take some Bush-it and stick it in each ear.., it filters out all offerings of reasoning and logic....

[Jander]

YESTERDAT IT WAS WHORE AND AND TODAY
IT IS WARMONGER -

"Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign on Saturday repudiated liberal talk show host Ed Schultz's description of Sen. John McCain as a warmonger.­.."
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=197066

[Jander]

"The roles were reversed in February, when McCain quickly condemned the anti-Obama remarks of conservative talk radio host Bill Cunningham when he spoke at a McCain campaign rally. Cunningham referred repeatedly to Obama using his full name ? Barack Hussein Obama ? and called him a ``hack, Chicago-style' politician­."
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=197066

[auntiecairo]

I agree it was an awful thing to say but she was at a private event - not on the air. If we start censoring people when they aren't on the public airwaves then it seems like one more step to losing Free Speech. Lots of things are said in public - either at churches, parties, or conferences (who remembers Ann Coulter's comments about John Edwards at the REpublican get together?) -- If people don't like what Randi Rhodes (or anyone else says) - they can boycott listening to Air America or write the sponsors. But it's kind of scary to think that free thinkers are going to be in fear of losing their jobs even if they are at privately held events.

[Jander]

Corporate censorship started with network TV and
moved to cable and satellite -
Now it is on to talk radio people.
The Internet is next.
We already have to have "pre-approved" posts on many sites.
You better believe youtube is on their list.

Bye-Bye first ammendment.

[protagonia]

Jander,

Agreed.

To all those who agree with Ms Rhodes' suspension:

All I can say is, you'd have to hire me, and pay lots of money, to be angry at Randi for that comedy routine. I certainly wouldn't feel that way for free. I would have to be some kind of, oh - what's the word... Troll?

[anywho]

Randi tells the truth using a four letter word = suspension­/censorshi­p
Clinton tells multiple LIES = New York Senator & President of the United States

Is there something wrong here? Time for "CHANGE"

GO OBAMA

[Marrob]

Randi got what she had comming to her. Go to her message board and write something that you disagree with Randi and they ban you from the using her message board. Free speech ain't free.

[smayhew]

Details - you maniacs never have details.
I know BO lied about being in church when Wright spewed hate speech - then recanted. I know that Michelle claims she hasn't really been proud to be an American till now.... I know that BO's early influences were the Chicago Black Panthers..­.. I know BO won his senate seat by running against Alan Keyes which is like saying you won against Krusty the Klown.... I know that BO voted 'present' (so as not to be on record as voting for controversial bills)..

What can you say (aside from the cloying - 'he inspires me' , and this idiotic 'CHANGE' - what the hell does that MEAN???? he's a traditional politician, more money to lobbyists that Clinton, 3 times the money to bride the superdeleg­ates...Wha­t could you say that would make anyone vote for the con man?

[justShareandbeNice]

I know Randi can be totally obnoxious. She often hurts her own mission of truth-to-power Still, she is very bright and should be respected for her hard work and her experience in radio for two decades. She is successful, even if she turns off so many people.

LOTS of people love her. What about these listeners? Do those of you who dislike Randi think these millions of listeners are idiots? Really? Wow. Think about it.

Randi knows a lot of the dirt on Hillary the the mainstream wants kept hidden (and i suspect she knows things that she has kept very quiet on). So, the timing is a bit suspicious. This needs to be looked into. She has never LIED about Hillary. She has her facts right. She is very careful in her research. This is important.

Everyone has the right to hate Randi and be disappointed in her, and she may lose her hard-earned respect justifiable so in many ways. But what if she had called Hillary a "big, fat liar" on her own time in a political comedy routine? Should she be suspended for that? Well, Mark Green would like to think so. He also would like to think that Hillary is an innocent truth-telling historic leader. Hmmmmm.

I still think this is a freedom of speech issue plain and simple. Very sad. I hope she matures personally (maybe Brian will help!) and comes back even more brilliant and informed, but also more wise.

[StoneSoupStation]

I was a big fan of Air America when it first aired but I've been put off by the smug arrogance of many of the hosts, who seem to think their turds smell sweeter than most. It's pretty damned hard to rail against the fascism on the right by using the same behavior; just because you're a liberal doesn't mean the rest of us will allow or forgive you for your stupidity. The stakes are way too high.....A­s for Randi - sometimes I love her, sometimes I can't stand the woman, but she ought to know better than to namecall. It's one thing to make your point; it enters another realm - a realm most of us cannot stand - when you begin making personal attacks. We've heard enough of that shit from the other side....

[Zankee]

A little alteration and your description could apply to bush,
After 8 years of "bush-it" from this administration and no outcry or condemnation -like being expressed at Ms. Rhodes- has been expressed in such short order; if we had excersized such haste in filtering of bush at the beginning.­., we may not be in such a mess as we are....

[Walldog]

Words matter, my friends.

And overheated hyperbolic rhetoric more often than not only serves to have the opposite effect. When Randi calls Senator Clinton a "whore", it is Randi who is damaged, not the candidate. And when Ed Schultz calls Senator McCain a "warmonger", it is Ed who is damaged, not the candidate. And when MoveOn calls General Petreus "General Betray-Us", it is MoveOn who is damaged, not the general.

Moreover, not only do the word hurlers hurt themselves rather than the hurlee, they cede the high ground and setback the very cause they are advocating. MoveOn's attack on General Petreus put the Democratic Senators back on their heels and made them wary of questioning General Petreus as aggressively as was needed. Employing personal invective at candidates they do not support had the effect of making Senator Obama's supporters appear nasty and small; and they positioned Senators Clinton and McCain as victims; and they put Senator Obama's on defense.

Such ill-advised words might feel self-satisfyingly pleasurable flying out of one's mouth, but invariably such sophomoric rhetoric fails to land successfully on the ears of those one hopes to influence.

While I share their support for Senator Obama and their passionate opposition to the Iraq War, the words my liberal allies employed were counter-productive.

So, can we all agree that words matter? Word? Word!

[Jander]

So you support corporate censorship?

[ericphillips]

While I disagree with Hillary being a whore comment (Bill's the whore, ask Monica lol), Ed Schultz has an opinion based on what McGain does and says that I agree with. McCain is a warmonger. What else can you say to someone who sings "bomb bomb Iran" while running for President, and who thinks that even though proven a mistake, the Iraq war is a good idea? How about when he warns America, "there will be more wars. You can count on it." Most Presidents in the past have war as a last resort; McCain has it as a method of negotiation.

So, Randi and Schultz are paid to say opinions. That is their jobs. And McCain and Hillary act like babies when someone says something bad about them. Its politics, folks. If you can't handle this how can you handle the White House?

[Agathena]

Move-on got the nick name for Petraeus from the troops. And guess what ? he has lived up to it by lying about the dire situation in Iraq.

Democratic Senators were always too weak, elected to stop the occupation of Iraq and not doing it.

[JMEB]

Randi Rhodes = left-wing version of Ann Coulter
I'm just waiting for her to threaten to campaign for John McCain if Hillary gets the nomination.

[bikerdude]

Randi, wtf were you thinking? This person who accused you of being a left wing Ann Coulter is pretty close to the truth in this instance. Get your shit together. make your necessary apologies and get back to work. I just wrote a letter to MSNBC begging them to give Rachel Maddow and you the spots held by Gregory and Matthews..­..then you do this.

[SCCavie93]

JMEB the only problem with your poor analogy/comparison is that vast majority of the crap that comes out of Ann Coulter's mouth I doubt she even believes. As for Randi, her comments tend to be on point and brutally honest even when it would be “easier” to censor or sugarcoat her comments.

I think Randi is a TRUE PATRIOT unlike the vast majority of passive spineless citizens of this country that refuse to think for themselves. Hell, those with the most to say seem to really have NOTHING to say other than regurgitating some other person’s talking points.

You had better believe that Air America needs Randi Rhodes.

[protagonia]

SCCavie93,

Indeed.

All the FAKE indignation here is remarkable. Trolls are not skilled at their own deceptions. They are blatant.

I don't believe for a second that they ever enjoyed of even listened to her in the past. They're just pretending to listen to her no more!

Liars.

[hydrogeoman]

Funny. I've always thought it would be "interesting" to witness a Randi Rhodes - Ann Coulter "debate." While similar in abilities to inflame opposite side, I think Randi's superior knowledge of facts would allow Randi to eat Coulter's lunch.

Really, though--how is what Randi says here of Hillary any different from what Limbaugh has spewed everyday to dittoheads for over a decade?

[Terriab]

I was a frequent Air America listener until Randi became so obnoxious these past few months. I don't listen at all anymore. Air America should be neutral in this democratic primary race. I'm finished with Rachel Maddow also. They joined MSNBC on the "Obama Train". Fire Randi, and let Rachel work for MSNBC- I don't watch them either.

[AbbieXHoffman]

I listen to Rachel and while she appears to be for Obama she does do something that Randi does not. She forms an opinion but gives her audience both sides of an issue so we can decide for ourselves. She is respectful of her listeners. Randi is not. If you don't agree with her she calls you stupid (as she did to all her Clinton supporters) she yells over them, doesn't let them finish a statement.

Randi seems to have forgotten that her listeners are integral to her success. She has insulted many of them, including me, that I won't listen to her anymore. She has become so full of herself that no one besides herself and her famous friends matter. Ironically, what she accuses Clinton of. Perhaps it is self-loathing that drives herto hate Clinton.

It doesn't matter if AA fires her. The listeners will decide if she will keep her show at AA or at any other station or medium.

[anny310]

I too, was, a Randi listener. NOT ANYMORE!!! It was just the classless rants that got me to stop listening, calling her a bitch on air did not help. I am supporting Obama and the Air America crew is just as bad as the conservative talk radio hosts that we use to complain about. I am disappointed with Randi and Rachel. I will not order from Pro flowers or refurburish my furniture anymore in their name.

[julescator]

I am not a Hillary fan, however, I think this remark was horrendous. I can't believe what passes for decency in this country. I like a good political race like everyone else, but there are boundries. This is the lowest! I don't listen to that show, but I have listened to Hannity and Limbaugh who both practice the strategy of personal destruction for amusement. I wonder how these people sleep at night. there is only so much I am willing to do to ear a buck!

[Paratus]

Well, Md.. Rhodes may or may not be correct (I happen to agree with her) but that is irrelevant. At some point Air America will have to examine itself to determine why their listenership is not what management hoped. I have listened to Ms. Rhodes many times and, face it, she is a marginally intelligent host at best. I won't deny her passion or her drive but something other than a mediocre agitator she is not. Pity, so much potential.
Anyhow, I'm glad Air America had the character to suspend Ms. Rhodes to give her time to reflect. Since this is not about freedom of speech, (the First Amendment states that Congress shall not abridge. This has been applied to the entire central gov. and the states via incorporation but I doubt it extends to radio management) sounds like she is on her own.

[AjicNYC]

well according to Larry King , Who spoke with her in private Randi thinks she did nothing wrong

[jmc42]

**

Well, Randi did do something wrong:

She forgot to add Condi to her list of whores.

**