Interview with Randi Rhodes' Ex-Writer Barry Crimmins on Clinton Controversy

[NYCGirl]

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlLA/radiodispatched/fbla_exclusive_interview_with_randi_rhodes_exwriter_barry_crimmins__81698.asp

FBLA: What you think of this ordeal?

BC: I looked at the video. She was inarticulate. It was in a club, obviously people were drinking. It didn't seem like people were particularly aghast. As far as Hillary being a 'whore' - I criticize her a lot but that's not the word I would use. And something no one is talking about is that she said this in San Francisco where many sex workers are unionized and she used 'whore' as a pejorative.

But as far as what she was doing up there, it looked like something that was not well put together. She was stringing together lines that she has used on the air and ad-libbing around them. That's where the inarticulate language came in. I've seen people do a lot worse - she was getting laughs. I think they'll use the whole 'it's just not funny' excuse but she was getting some laughs.

But she's a rep for sacred Air America - an allegedly progressive talk show network that's now policing what its employees say on a Friday night in a bar. Next comes a memo forbidding on-air discussion of the ACLU.

There are two forces at work here: One is selling Hillary Clinton as feminist martyr, even though she's running with assurances that she'll be the perfect tool of the patriarchal war machine - not to mention a prime beneficiary of said machine. This is where some might apply charges of prostitution. Anyway, this played right into the endless "Hillary as gallant, little victim" stuff. She was the favorite with big time connections and now she's The Little Engine That Could or Rocky, who also lost to a black guy with a weird name.

So ten days later, Force One From Victimhood meets meets Force Two From WEB 2.O - YouTube. This all falls in the lap of suits at perpetually failing Air America - suits apparently looking to dump a big contract.

MORE AT LINK

[tishaLA]

1. The last paragraph says it all

AAR seems to be looking to drip a big contract and screws Randi. I don't doubt they are hoping she stays belligerent so they have more excuses to dump her.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. That kind of sums up the whole thing, IMHO. Tempest in a tea pot.

[jobycom]

3. It wasn't a "Friday night in a bar." It was an event sponsored by an AAR affiliate

so her name was linked to AAR.

Bubba can defend calling two high profile female DEMOCRATS the W word all he wants, but I doubt there's an organization anywhere in the world that would accept one of its employees standing up at a public event affiliated with said organization and hurling sexist slurs at two high profile representatives of its primary product. ESPECIALLY when over half its market base is in the same demographic group as that which the slur is traditionally used to dehumanize.

It hardly should have to be said that an AAR host calling a high profile black Democrat (or anyone) by the N word would result in swifter punishment, and no one on DU would have a problem with said punishment.

I love Randi and have defended her around here often enough. I still love her. But anyone who says that what she said was ok is a disgrace to whatever candidate they support.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. When does she come off suspension? nt

[RememberWellstone]

5. I hope she says it again

and again and again...nothing wrong with free speech except you have to be responsible for what you say in front of people.