Dead Air America, the liberal talk radio network launched with much ballyhoo as the counter to the likes of Rush Limbaugh but never made much of an impact, is no more.
Air America, the radio network founded to be a progressive alternative to conservative talk radio, announced today that it is ceasing live programming operations immediately.
The company, which cited a “very difficult economic environment,” will file under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, according to a statement on its Web site.
Air America launched in April of 2004, and Sen. Al Franken and Rachel Maddow have been among its hosts.
It’s a wonder how Dead Air America with as few listeners as it’s had has been able to stay on the airwaves as long as it has.
The network tolerated some of the most vitriolic hate speech this side of The Olbertard, including actual death threats to and jokes about assassinating President Bush and and other crude and coarse discourse . Plus, years of shady financing as reported by The Radio Equalizer’s Brian Maloney here, here, here and here shattered what little credibility the network was able to maintain.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson is weighing a run for the U.S. Senate against Russ Feingold, the Senator from Al Qaeda, in November.
Former Wisconsin Gov. and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is still considering a challenge to Sen. Russ Feingold (D).
In a brief interview Wednesday about the possibility of a Senate run this year, Thompson, a Republican, would only say: “I’m not saying no.”
The former governor mused last fall about a potential gubernatorial or Senate run, but if he does mount a campaign this year, it’s now almost certain to be a run against Feingold.
A Thompson-Feingold contest could become one of the country’s marquee matchups. Republicans have so far been unable to recruit a top-tier challenger to take on Feingold, who is one of the body’s most liberal senators.
That Thompson is seriously weighing a bid against Feingold illustrates how promising Republicans believe this November could be for the party. After Scott Brown’s shocking win Tuesday in the Massachusetts special Senate election and victories in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial contests last November, GOP officials believe it will become easier to woo potential candidates.
Tommy has some baggage. He was a prolific spender as governor but still advocated policies that led to economic prosperity here, something his elected successor, Jim Doyle, has not done. In fact, on Doyle’s watch, the governor and the Democrat-run legislature have run the state’s economy into the ground. Taxes, spending, regulations, now Doyle’s “green jobs” bill are combining to drive every last real job out of the state.
Plus, Tommy appears to have originally endorsed ObamaCare, along with Bill Frist and Bob Dole, but later the former Badger State governor and Bush administration HHS secretary said he was quoted out of context. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Why? Because it’s critical that Radical Russ be sent into the private sector.
Seen Feingold’s attitudes at the (I’m not) listening sessions around the state? Smarmy, smug, arrogant, dismissive of the very people he represents. I spoke with a longtime source of information this week in the wake of the Massachusetts special election who reminded me that Feingold was one of the most disliked legislators in Madison, and that we saw the nasty side of Russ in the town halls. The likeable Feingold from the 1992 campaign? A mirage.
That said, the announced Republican candidates of Dave Westlake and Terrence Wall do little to light a fire under the Republican base.
This is not exactly senatorial:
It’s also a far cry from Scott Brown’s exciting, energetic campaign in Massachusetts. This guy isn’t raising money. He’s selling orange T-shirts on the Internet to fund his campaign. He’d be better off collecting aluminum cans. This is laughable.
This is a little more encouraging:
Wall, however, is a walking attack ad for the Democrats and Feingold. Lit might be legal via tax credits, business losses, etc., but Wall hasn’t paid any state income tax in five of the last six years. The campaign ads there practically write themselves. Plus, Wall ran for his village board twice and finished dead last. Is he really going to do any better against Feingold?
Wouldn’t you really like to hear this?
Isn’t it great to be a Republican?
That was Tommy’s signature line while governor. Tommy, the Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin were on top of the world. You also really felt proud to be from Wisconsin. Anyone feel that way these days?
Bottom line: to take out Radical Russ, who needs taking out more than any Senator this side of Dingy Harry, is going to take big bucks. I just don’t think Westlake and Wall are capable of raising the amount of money it will take to win in November.
I know Scott Brown just proved conventional wisdom wrong in Massachusetts, but that was the Perfect Storm. Rising opposition to the Marxists in Washington, coupled with an energetic candidate in Brown, a terrible candidate in Martha Marcia, Marcia, Marcia Coakley and a well-run Internet and social media based campaign featuring money bombs caused enthusiasm for Brown to swell.
I just don’t see that happening with either Westlake or Wall. We need Tommy to toss his hat into the ring.
Kevin Binversie has more here at Lakeshore Laments.
Taking a look at this, it’s pretty easy to say why, even if Arlen “Magic Bullet” Specter survives the Democrat primary against Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania, his days are numbered in the U.S. Senate.
Rude. Mean-spirited. Arrogant. Condescending. Piece of human excrement.
Via The Politico, Specter appeared on a radio show with Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) and didn’t like being talked over, so he told Bachmann to “act like a lady.”
Ms. Bachmann declared last night’s victory by Scott Brown a repudiation of Mr. Obama’s policies. Mr. Specter then asked what, exactly, Ms. Bachmann is in favor of.
The Minnesotan detailed a list of fiscal changes: cutting the effective income tax rate to 22 percent, dashing capital gains taxes and eliminating the estate tax will stimulate the economy plenty, she said, as opposed to the overreach of the Obama administration with the stimulus and health care legislation. As Mr. Specter started to respond, Ms. Bachmann interjected to try to reinforce her point. Mr. Specter, clearly, did not appreciate the interruption.
“I’m going to treat you like a lady,” Mr. Specter shot back. “Now act like one.”
Ms. Bachmann replied, “I am a lady.”
The two continued to spar and Mr. Specter later again asked Ms. Bachmann to “act like a lady” when things got heated.
This will probably make good fodder in the Democrat primary, where Bachmann is a reviled figure almost at Sarah Palin levels. But I hardly think it will play well in a general election, and expect to see this show up in campaign ads for Republican Pat Toomey should Specter survive the primary.
Says The Politico’s Glenn Thrush:
Bachmann is hardly a beloved figure in Democratic circles. But how many liberal women, whom Specter badly needs to defeat front-running Paul (sic) Toomey, would appreciate being told to “act like a lady” during a male debate partner?
Flashback: Here’s Snarlin’ Arlen in town hall meetings clashing with constituents over the health care takeover bill:
The Magic (Bullet) Man will get what’s coming to him at some point this year. Rest assured of that. He leads Sestak in polls for the primary but trails Toomey by a wide margin.
Wonder if President Bush regrets going to Pennsylvania in 2004 to campaign for Specter when he was still a “Republican” against Toomey.
Got these via e-mail. Felt they were worth repeating.
President Kennedy’s Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60′s when Charles DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all U.S. military out of France as soon as possible. Rusk responded, “Does that include those who are buried here?” DeGaulle did not respond. You could have heard a pin drop.
# # #
When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of ‘empire building’ by George Bush. He answered by saying “Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.” You could have heard a pin drop.
# # #
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, “Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?”
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: “Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have 11 such ships; how many does France have?” You could have heard a pin drop.
# # #
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, “Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?” Without hesitating the American Admiral replied, “Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.” You could have heard a pin drop.
# # #
For the record, I am not sure if these are true tales or just stories that have been circulating and have become urban legends. But they make a point to the America-bashing crowd, both at home and abroad.
Think what under what conditions you would be living if America and her military did not exist.
If Republicans can win in Massachusetts, no where is safe haven for Democrats. Now is the time to destroy liberalism for good. We hit them every where so that by 2012 Obama is the lone one left standing, broken and alone and mumbling to himself about change. The message is clear: America hates liberalism. Hates it. Hates everything the Daily Kos and MoveOn.org stand for. The only reason Obama got elected is they thought he wasn’t a liberal, but as soon as it became obvious he is one, everyone turned against him and anyone associated with him.
Expect more “retirements” from incumbents leading up to the November elections. There have been an awful lot of incumbents in both parties reading the tea leaves and getting out while the gettin’ is good.
In other words, before they are booted out by the voters.
The GOP has as much to worry about from Scott Brown’s victory as the Democrats do. Consider this: Brown ran against the DC Republican establishment as much as the Democrat establishment. When the DC Republicans put in their $500,000.00 after the tea party had already raised Brown millions, they did so quietly and under the radar. Contrast that with Jim DeMint, who publicly endorsed Brown and used the Senate Conservatives Fund as a vessel to rally conservative activists for Scott Brown very publicly.
The American public has had it with business as usual in the nation’s capital. The backroom deals. The pork-barrel politics. The taxes. The spending. The attempts to run and control our lives via the Nanny State. The “we know what’s best for you” crap sandwiches that come from the so-called educated class, the folks with the PhDs, which stands for Piled Higher and Deeper.
They’ve had it with Democrats pushing all of that and with enabling Republicans who help the Left advance its statist agenda. Beltway Republicans and RINOs — Republicans In Name Only — are as much a target of voter anger as the statist Democrats.
There was a discussion going around on Twitter last night after the results came in on how Congress can get health care reform passed in a bipartisan manner. The bill co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Robert Bennett and Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden came up.
You can read an analysis of the bill from the Heritage Foundation here. Essentially Wyden-Bennett is ObamaCare Lite. Bennett is another enabling statist RINO that needs to be taken out by a conservative in a primary.
By the way, by RINO I refer to a Republican who runs far to the left of where he needs to be to get elected. Utah is a solid red state. There’s no reason for Bennett to be pushing statist policies unless he believes in them. Bennett is the Lindsey Grahamnesty of Utah.
My point in the discussion — which still wasn’t answered to my satisfaction — is why does thus reform have to be comprehensive? Why can’t Congress just fix what needs to be fixed one item at a time? Pass needed reforms on a stand-alone basis.
For example: a bill offering meaningful tort reform would sail through both the House and the Senate on a bipartisan basis. Hardly anyone disagrees with the concept that the skyrocketing cost of malpractice insurance created by greedy, avaricious trial lawyers has contributed to the rising cost of health care. Indirectly, it’s led to doctors authorizing tests and procedures above and beyond what is necessary in order to protect themselves against potential lawsuits.
Another bill that would get bipartisan approval would be allowing consumers to cross state lines in order to buy insurance. They already can do that with other types of insurance, which increases competition and that is what drives down cost. It empowers the consumer to make choices and decisions rather than bureaucrats in Washington or at some insurance company.
Continuing to expand medical savings accounts (MSAs) also empowers the consumer by getting the consumer involved in the actual purchase of health care. Right now, most of the cost is shifted to a third party (i.e., an insurance company or the government). The consumer never really sees how much is spent on health care. When that consumer pays the actual bill, he or she is involved in the process and as such will look for the best deal.
The Beltway GOP can take little credit for the Shot Heard ‘Round The World last night. The National Republican Senatorial Committee slithered in under the radar with money for Scott Brown, but it was conservatives and Tea Party activists that got him elected.
The Beltway Republicans and RINOs need to be aware of that.
This might be the current day equivalent of the infamous Peter Jennings “two-year old temper tantrum” comments after the Republican victories in the 1994 midterms.
I’m going to need some Advil and a cold compress, please. I’m the Massachusetts Electorate, and I have what is bar none the absolute worst hangover of my entire voting life.
Seriously, I was so drunk on power, so caught up in the moment, so free of any of my usual inhibitions, I can’t remember what’s gone on these last two weeks. Think, Electorate, think. What did I do?
This much I’m starting to remember. Martha and I walked into the party and everything seemed to be going fine. She wasn’t talking much, but she never really does, and she wasn’t exactly pushing me to bare my soul, either. That’s what I’ve always liked about Martha: She’s a low-maintenance politician.
And now I’m vaguely recalling that stranger across the room, the one in the barn jacket who kept smiling at me and seemed to know my name. Martha vanished for a while, and – is it bad that I’m saying this? — I didn’t really care.
Suddenly, that tall, handsome man was standing at my side doing something that Martha rarely did – offering to pay for drinks, chatting me up, curious what was on my mind.
Every time I ever tried telling Martha about my day, my hopes, my dreams, she shushed me up and said she was preparing a legal brief or watching Law & Order. And now there’s a stranger telling me he could change my entire world.
Scott! That was his name. Lived near the outlet stores. Talked a lot about being smarter with money. I know, not like Martha, who always had some expensive home renovation project up her sleeve.
And then, I remember that time itself seemed to stop. The mundanity of everyday events gave way to the exhilaration of my suddenly unpredictable existence. No more Martha taking me for granted. No more Martha calling all the shots. I was living the moment, immersed in the life I always wanted before caution overwhelmed desire.
We were on the dance floor, Scott and I, moving to the music, his hands all over my body politic. Everyone was watching, and I mean everyone – fellow partygoers, bartenders, passersby staring in the windows. Look at me, the Massachusetts Electorate, the bellwether of America!
I think I took my shirt off. I think I didn’t care. I remember something about Scott in a pair of Calvin Klein jockey shorts, but it may have been a picture he showed me from his wallet.
And the state-run media wonders why readers and viewers are running from them in droves. It’s this type of elitist condescension and the utter contempt that they show for average Americans.
And those average Americans, as JWF points out, savaged McGrory in the comments section. Just savaged him. Right now, the vultures are swooping in to pick the bones clean.
