Alan Keyes McCarthy: welcome to 1950

I always knew that Alan Keyes was a far-right wing extremist crackpot (and so did an overwhelming majority of Americans, hence his lack of traction in running for president on three separate occasions), but today he reached a new low, even for him. Take a listen to his comments about President Obama. If he changed his last name to McCarthy and we turned our clocks back about 60 years, to listen to him, you wouldn't know the difference between Alan Keyes and Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

The most alarming lowlight:

Obama is a radical communist, and I think it is becoming clear. That is what I told people in Illinois and now everybody realizes it's true," said Keyes, who ran unsuccessfully against Obama for the state's open Senate seat in 2004. "He is going to destroy this country, and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist.

Other than being political pornography for the likes of sewer rats like Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, this sort of rhetoric does absolutely zilch for our political discourse, and I find his comments deeply disturbing but not at all surprising.

This guy has a lot of anger. Maybe it's because he simply cannot win elective office on a national scale. Or maybe it's because this Reagan right wingnut is frustrated that his daughter came out as a lesbian. (You might want to call Dick Cheney for some advice about how to reconcile this contradiction in your sick, twisted mind, Alan.)

At any rate, could this guy be any more cliché? The only mildly surprising thing is that Keyes didn't call him a "pinko liberal." If we give him long enough, I'm sure he won't disappoint.

Looks like Keyes is using the well-worn, dog-eared playbook of Karl Rove, where it's considered sport to depict political adversaries as evil, intent on destroying America, and blah, blah, blah.

Randi Rhodes suspended from Air America

Click on the YouTube video above, and you'll quickly see and hear why I despise most talk radio, on the right and the left. Randi Rhodes has joined a long list of both liberal and conservative morons who I cannot stand spending 10 minutes listening to - most of it is about attacking and name calling. I used to think that Air America Radio was above most of this, but my naïvetay has received a not-so-subtle dose of reality as of late with what passes for on-air talent at the liberal network these days.

Quite frankly, Thom Hartman, Bill Press and Ed Schultz are the only ones I have any use for. And Stephanie Miller.

Lynn Samuels would make a freight train take a dirt road - her voice is quite possibly the worst I have ever heard on any network, ever. I don't mean to play attack dog myself - she can't help how her voice sounds, but her pure obnoxiousness makes it all the more tougher to endure.

Alex Bennett is another one that drives me crazy, so I don't complain, I just don't listen. He goes out of his way to say that he hates Democrats as much as he hates Republicans. Well, good for you, Alex, but you are working for Air America Radio. Thinking for yourself is always a good thing, but I don't tune in to her his screeds against all politicians of any stripe. Please.

And now we have Randi Rhodes - what a sad example she's setting for liberals and progressives. I constantly am complaining about the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage and all the rest about their incessant attacks and demonizing of anyone even a nanometer left of center, much less everyone else who doesn't carry the GOP party line, 24-7.

Well, Rhodes is no better. I'd like to know exactly what she thinks she's accomplishing by attacking Hillary with so much gusto. She can't possibly be considering voting for McSame if Hillary is the nominee, can she?

I was just on Air America's Website, and I was reading the comments that follow the announcement of her suspension, and they make for an interesting read, no doubt. Sure, Rhodes is free to say what she would like - we do, after all, have a little something called the First Amendment. But, that doesn't mean that Air America is under any obligation to make her voice heard. There is a thing called standards, and what does it hurt for Air America to take a stand? After all, she couldn't get away with saying stuff like that if she were on terrestrial radio, and most agree it's a good thing that people can't go around saying "fuck this" and "fuck that" on radio that is available to everyone over public airwaves.

Yes, she was saying this during a comedy routine, but AAR is correct in discipling her; broadcasting personalities can't simply make comments like these and not expect to be reprimanded. How long do you think Wolf Blitzer would be employed if during a stand up comedy act he called Ann Coulter "a stupid c---"? Or how about Jonathan Alter of Newsweek, who is a political columnist - what if he called Condi Rice "a stupid bitch" during a comedy sketch? He'd be out of a job tomorrow. The reason is simple - Blitzer and Alter are both reflections of the very public media they work for, and inappropriate, hateful comments would probably be viewed in a very negative light by many of the viewers and readers of those respective media.

I do agree that free speech and censorship are both valid concerns and must be monitored closely, but there are standards that most media will abide by, and evidently, according to AAR, she violated them.

What's more, Rhodes' comments represent the kind of hate speech, as I've mentioned, that the right-wing talking heads engage in just about every day, and Progressive and liberal bloggers the world over (yours truly included) vilify them for it. Isn't it possible for any nationally known broadcaster of any political stripe to comment on a candidate or an issue without it turning into fifth-grade name calling?

Just a thought.

This Wiener has no taste

This is the first and probably the only time I will ever post something from Dr. Michael Wiener (née Savage), but this one was too good to pass up. I dare you to get through the entire length of this audio clip without clicking off of it.

Notice about halfway through this audio, Wiener's brain simply morphs Rev. Wright's comments into those that have been said by Obama himself. That's a deliberate, intentional lie.

What's with the Third Reich fetish by those on the far right? Can this guy go longer than five minutes without saying the word Nazi? He even goes so far as to mention "Japanese Nazis" from World War II. The Japanese were Nazis? That's certainly news to me. I know that Japan and Germany had a loose alliance during the war, but that's about as far as it went. The Japanese certainly didn't describe themselves as Nazis.

I guess "Nazi" is the new "Communist," the name that right wingers would always call Democrats and opponents in political debates during the Cold War. The word Nazi is becoming as trite as Wiener's stereotypes about liberals.

And for those of you who think that Wiener is totally fringe, think again. From his Wikipedia entry:

As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times best sellers. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation, reaches more than 10 million listeners on 410 stations throughout the United States, ranking third in number of stations syndicated nationwide and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

Ten million listeners? That's not exactly fringe. Quite frankly, it frightens me that this many people listen to him.

Lots of other things to comment on, but why bother?

A quick footnote, though...

I went to Wiener's Website, fully prepared to share with you which companies you should avoid giving your business to, but there was just one problem. I couldn't find any advertisers. About all I did find was endless advertisements for his bullshit books, as well as multiple links per page asking for advertisers and even several spots where you could donate "to protect free speech." This guy pimps his doorstops books, mugs, hats and t-shirts more than Limbaugh or O'Lielly. And that's saying something.

However, I can guarantee you that I will never, ever buy a Rockstar, an energy drink founded by the company where his son Russell Wiener serves as CEO. I've tried Rockstar and it sucks anyway, but I just thought I'd share the news with you. By drinking it, you really are supporting boobs like Wiener and his son, who both founded The Paul Revere Society in 1996, an organization whose mission, according to Wiener, is to "bring together Americans who actively seek to take back our borders, our language, and our traditional culture from the liberal left corroding our great nation."

To be clear, I'm NOT supporting his being thrown off the air for what he says. This is America, and free speech should always be protected. But, hate speech must be appropriately scorned, and that's exactly what Wiener's sewer is - hate speech that fouls America's airwaves.

America's Mayor just lost moderate voters

This piece of Rudy footage is even funnier than his spirited comments directed at Rep. Ron Paul about 9-11 at the GOP debate the other night.

Rudy Giuliani is an even worse presidential candidate than I thought, and he knows appallingly little about foreign policy. For Giuliani to go before the cameras (even on a Fox show) and to assert that American foreign policy "had nothing to do with 9-11" is a statement so absurd that it defies description.

The more I hear him speak, the more I'm convinced that a vote for Giuliani would be another vote for the policies of George W. Bush. Rudy is being even more blatant about his anti-DemocratIC party hatred than Karl Rove ever was.

"Most of these thoughts [the Democrats reasoning that our foreign policy had something to do with 9-11] are usually coming from the Democratic Party, and quite frankly, I'm surprised to hear it at a Republican debate," said Giuliani.

Breathtakingly arrogant, conceited, and most importantly, wrong.

For any candidate to win next fall, he or she must be able to court a portion of moderate voters. I'd certainly hope that Giuliani's comments this week will give voters a moment of pause.

Monet lives

I had a hard time not laughing at this one when I found it on the Internet tonight.

Evidently, someone wanted to do to Limbaugh's billboard with paint what he does to people every day with his nauseating and hateful remarks.

However, the guy who's responsible for cleaning up graffiti in the city had a comment for The Baltimore Sun that spread around the Internet quicker than Mexican water through a tourist.

"It looks like they took globs of paint and threw it on his face," Robert Murrow of the Department of Public Works told The Sun. "It looks great. It did my heart good."

To his credit, Limbaugh took the whole incident in stride.

From The Sun:

Limbaugh began Thursday's nationally syndicated show with the Baltimore billboard flap.

"I think I'm the one that needs Secret Service protection," Limbaugh said. "All this talk about Obama and these presidential candidates. For crying out loud, I'm the one who needs it."

Limbaugh laughed about the whole thing and -- even as he made hay -- poked fun at the media's overblown ways.

"I'm just waiting for all of the cable news networks," Limbaugh told listeners. "They're probably at this moment sending video crews to Baltimore. And there are going to be round table discussions later on. ... 'What's happening to the civility of our society?'"

I hate to admit it, but I actually agree with the bloated, drug-addicted hate monger, and that's something I don't believe I've ever typed before, or will again.

However, Murrow's superiors were not amused.

More from The Sun:

Kurt L. Kocher, Murrow's supervisor, seethed that his comments were "outrageous."

"I am very upset about that comment, and I've let him know I'm very upset about that comment," Kocher said. "It's his personal comment, and it's wrong. It does not belong out there in any kind of official capacity. As far as I'm concerned, he was not speaking for the department.

"I don't care if it's Rush Limbaugh, Michael Moore or Britney Spears. You don't deface anything - period. And you don't endorse defacing anything - period."

I understand Kocher's comment, but please - lighten up. Yes, it is inappropriate to deface anything, but I do find it awfully tough to be upset about someone who has spread hate and intolerance for so long.

It looks like some outraged people in the Baltimore area have had enough of Limbaugh's blarney.

I guess I'm speaking out of both sides of my mouth, but I will anyway. I really don't approve of this type of stuff, but is there an Ann Coulter billboard in Baltimore? Better yet, find a BOR billboard and hit the trifecta.

I wouldn't mind seeing these purveyors of political porn feel some intolerance for once.

Tom DeLay kills puppies*

Kind of ridiculous, right? Of course it is, but this is the sort of thing that people like Tom DeLay do to people each and every day who disagree with Republicans.

Hmm, it's been about, what, three or four weeks? Time for DeLay to show his true colors again. The song remains the same - say something stupid, ridiculous and wildly intolerant, get on the news, sell more books. Rinse, Repeat.

No need to even discuss his use of the Titanic cliché of politics, the Nazis; I couldn't be any more tired of pointing out Republicans' and conservative political pundits' use of fascist or Nazi when someone disagrees with them. But, I will continue to point it out, because it's unacceptable, and it denigrates people on the left who really do care about their country.

DeLay is a corrupt, sleazy and disgusting excuse for a human being (or politician, whichever you consider lower). Funny how the "politics of personal destruction" was great sport in the 1990s, when he was on the giving and not the receiving end. You're getting your just desserts, buddy. I can only hope you go to prison and that you are forced to share a cell with a 350-pound liberal who is a big fan of Bill Clinton. Now that is what I'd call justice.

Funny how it's always Repubes making the news saying this stuff. I defy you to find me a liberal commentator with an audience of more than 10 resorting to this type of behavior. Find me one, and I'll condemn him or her just as I do conservative pundits for calling people Nazis or fascists. Why is it always Republicans?

I'm not referring to liberals bloggers or voters, a number of whom have compared Bush to Hitler. I'm not one of them, although, I think Bush is now about as popular in America as Hitler now is in Germany - not very much.

* - Tom DeLay doesn't kill puppies, but I thought it would get your attention, and I thought for a nanosecond I would get down in the gutter and say hi to Tom.