What is known for sure about Randi Rhodes .... thanx

[Botany]

I can't make heads or tails out of the stories, blogs, and postings
as of 4:02 PM 10/16/07 what is known for sure?

I have seen mugged/ not mugged, 2 men in their 50s,
stories that she was drinking and fell down.

[Misc]

1. Not mugged

I heard that she was not mugged. Her lawyer's statement said she was injured in a fall while walking her dog.
But people were sure quick to claim right wing conspiracy.

[Iris]

5. And why do you think that might be?

Just curious.

[Misc]

26. Laughable

To me, the concept that "the Right" would feel the need to "silence" anyone from Air America is just laughable. That failed and re-failed network is a threat to no one.
Additionally, I wonder if Elliot understands what real journalism is, or if everything he says is based on rampant speculation and conspiracy theories.

[Iris]

27. Then why do they feel the need to discuss it?

n/t

[MNDemNY]

2. It was gnomes.

[onenote]

3. what we know for sure: some DUers will overreact to almost any story

First, the story about two men in their 50s was a joke -- it was supposed to suggest Rove and Chimpy were responsible).

Second, there were lots of posts that not only assumed the truth of the rumor that she had be mugged but expressed,with varying degrees of certainty, that it was a "hit" by the RW.

Third, it turns out that there was no mugging, no attack. Someone has suggested maybe she was drinking. I don't know if that was supposed to be a joke or not. There is no more evidence to suggest she was drinking than that it was a RW "hit". But that's what happens when people let their imaginations run wild and don't wait until there are actual facts on which to base conclusions.

[Cetacea]

6. And many DU'ers would rather attack fellow DU'ers

Rather than consider the source(s) of the original story and put the blame there.

[melody]

7. well said :) n/t

[cali]

9. and many DUers last night prefererred to attack

those who weren't going along with the speculation.

[tkmorris]

10. Amen

[cali]

8. the overreaction

was at its height in a thread suggesting seriously that this was one of the signs of a police/facist state. Truly bizarre.

[tkmorris]

13. But you are missing the point

I think everyone was aware that the initial reports were just that, initial reports. The facts were not yet in and so any discussion about the topic was by necessity mainly speculative. Just because everyone did not tack on "if the initial reports are true" to the end of their post does not mean they had leapt to conclusions.

Sometimes good people are attacked for reasons other than their public persona and positions, and sometimes that is exactly the reason they are targeted. It is only natural to discuss the POSSIBLE implications whenever such instances occur but the whole slate of facts has yet to be determined. Jumping to the conclusion that such an occurrence is NOT politically motivated it at least as irresponsible as assuming it is.

[cali]

15. I disagree.

I saw plenty of flat out assertions. And waiting until you have a modest amount of REAL information is not jumping to any conclusion. It's prudently holding off forming an opinion until there is sufficient information.

[seemslikeadream]

16. let it go cali

just let it go

[cali]

17. you seem oddly fixated on telling me

what I should and shouldn't post about. It's up to you if you wish to continue doing so, but your opinion about my posting does not, and will not, influence me.

[mondo joe]

11. I'm wating for the threads claiming RR really was assauted buts lying about it now.

"They got to Randi!!!"

[onenote]

we have a winner!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3030377&mesg_id=3030394

[eShirl]

4. one of those posts (2 men in their 50's) was supposed to be a joke to give us a laugh

I didn't find it very funny.

[gateley]

12. I'm going to make an effort not to rush to judgment in the future. I've fallen

into that trap and I'm reminding myself of a Repug. Thanks for this thread.

[Peregrine Took]

14. Why doesn't she (or her "people") just say what happened? How did she

happen to take such a bad fall while walking her dog? She has quite a loyal following and I'm sure she knows that they are very concerned about her.

[hlthe2b]

18. It happens... Little dogs get excited and trip owner holding the leash.

I've seen it happen not infrequently, leaving the human feeling very foolish. Further, falling flat on ones face onto hard concrete will do a lot of damage. Just saying....

[CTyankee]

19. Even without dogs or drink, it can happen. It has happened to me several times.

It is so damn embarassing that allyou want to do is get up, brush yourself off and move on!

However, the teeth being knocked out, now that is extreme! Altho it did happen to an elderly friend of mine in a dark parking lot of a restaurant where she had dinner (no booze involved).

[bullwinkle428]

23. Coincidentally, this actually happened to fellow talk-radio host Stephanie Miller

just last week - in fact, she's joked about this on the show a few times in recent days! Her 150 lb. Great Pyrenees decided to take off running, and she got flipped over and dragged along the ground on her back...

[Cleita]

20. Was on a ship with Randi for a week. She

drank a few beers and a little wine at dinner. She was never tipsy. She didn't fall off the ship or anywhere else even when the decks were slick. I have heard her say she only drinks on Friday. So I seriously doubt if she was drunk.

Incidentally, I have an inner ear condition that I fight all the time that makes me appear to be drunk because I'm off balance a lot of the time. Only serious daily exercise keeps me in condition so that I don't fall.

[durrrty libby]

21. Tinnitus can drive people mad and wreck havoc with their equilibrium

I imagine a couple of drinks could make one look very tipsy

[Cleita]

25. I have walked stone cold sober having to grab things and

bouncing against walls so I wouldn't fall. A couple of drinks would have been disastrous.

[liberalla]

22. NOTHING is known for sure... Here's the latest:

Rhodes attorney says:

"she was floored by someone _ or something _ as she strolled the streets"

Talk show host (Elliott) apologizes for faulty report of NYC mugging

By DAVID B. CARUSO | Associated Press Writer
5:36 PM EDT, October 16, 2007

NEW YORK - An Air America radio personality apologized Tuesday for saying that a colleague, the liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes, had been the victim of a violent street mugging perpetrated by "the right wing hate machine."

Air America's Jon Elliott announced on his late-night show Monday that Rhodes had been assaulted Sunday while walking her dog in Manhattan near her Park Avenue apartment. He also speculated that the attack was the work of someone trying to silence a liberal voice.

Elliott's account of the incident, however, was contested Tuesday by Rhodes attorney, Robert Gaulin. Gaulin confirmed that Rhodes was injured after she was floored by someone _ or something _ as she strolled the streets of Manhattan's Murray Hill district around 8 p.m., but wasn't sure herself what sent her tumbling to the pavement. "She hit her head on the street and was disoriented," Gaulin said. "She's not sure what happened. She didn't see anything." He added that she never reported the incident to police.

Air America released a statement saying that "the reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded." Elliott followed that up with a retraction. "I shouldn't have speculated based on hearsay that Randi Rhodes had been mugged and that it may have been an attack from a right wing hate machine. I apologize for jumping to conclusions based on an emotional reaction," he said in a written statement.

more

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--people-randirhode1016oct16,0,7372381.story

[mmonk]

24. Well that should clear everything up.

So what happened?