RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Media Franken's "Air America" Going Under Already

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AIR AMERICA RADIO INVESTIGATED AFTER BUSH 'GUNSHOTS'

The red-hot rhetoric over Social Security on liberal talkradio network AIR AMERICA has caught the attention of the Secret Service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Government officials are reviewing a skit which aired on the network Monday evening -- a skit featuring an apparent gunshot warning to the president!

The announcer: "A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little bastard. [audio of gun being cocked]."

The audio production at the center of the controversy aired during opening minutes of The Randi Rhodes Show.

"What is with all the killing?" Rhodes said, laughing, after the clip aired.

"Even joking about shooting the president is a crime, let alone doing it on national radio... we are taking this very seriously," a government source explained.

White House Spokesman Scott McClellan called the clip "very inappropriate and over the line."

AIR AMERICA President of Programming and co-COO Jon Sinton said in a release: "We regret that a produced comedy bit that was in bad taste slipped through our normal vetting process. We do acknowledge that it was an internal error and internal discipline will be enforced."

Rhodes apologized for the skit on Wednesday. "It was a bit,” Rhodes said. “It was bad. I apologize a thousand times."

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April 28, 2005 -- ALL-liberal Air America and talker Randi Rhodes apologized yesterday for a "bad taste" comedy bit in which President Bush was shot.

The Secret Sevice said yesterday it was looking into the incident to see if it constituted a threat to the president.

Rhodes opened her Monday afternoon radio show with an announcer blasting the president for his Social Security plan:

"A spoiled child [Bush] is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he's gonna fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [sound of three shotgun blasts].

"The AAARP — the American Association of Armed Retired People [sound of rifle being cocked]. Just try it, you little bastard."

"It was a bit. It was bad. I apologize a thousand times," Rhodes told listeners yesterday on WLIB (1190 AM), adding: "I'm not in charge of the bits."

"Our normal vetting process failed . . . and we regret it," Air America's Jon Sinton told The Post.

Informed of the bit at a White House press briefing, spokesman Scott McClellan said: "It sounds very inappropriate and over the line."

Secret Service spokesperson Lorie Lewis told The Post that "if we determine that questions need to be asked, we will attempt to get them answered, but at this point we have not made any inquiries to anyone connected with the show."

During Dan Quayle's vice-presidency, ex-WABC lefty Lynn Samuels was investigated by the Secret Service for saying "Too bad it can't happen here" while discussing a vice-presidential candidate getting beaten up in South America.

Yesterday, on her Sirius Satellite Radio show, Samuels drew the line at shooting:

"There are very few things that you absolutely, positively cannot do on the radio," she said, "and pretending to shoot the president is right up there at the top."

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