Air America Shoots Self In Left Foot

I have never been able to find Air America on my radio dial. As a card carrying liberal, primarily because I am a pro-choice, divorced single parent who was raised by Ford-driving Democrats, I have always wondered if I might be missing something important Rachel Maddow et al might be saying.

Regardless of my reasons for wanting to listen, many times I thought it might just be funny to hear Al Franken gripe about Ann Coulter. But I was never once able to dial him up while he was still on the air.

Today by accident, as I was searching, I passed the news station I wanted to listen to and stumbled onto "Blah blah blah blah. . .Air America."  So I stopped to listen.

With Rush Limbaugh, you know you're going to get some seriously inflammatory liberal bashing. So, in return, I expected some seriously inflammatory conservative bashing, particularly on the only liberal radio talk show, formerly a whole network, on the air.

What I got amounted to self flagellation. Rush Limbaugh doesn't have to trash Gore, Obama, Hillary, or any of the other members of the left of middle establishment. Air America is happy to do it for him.
When I might have expected to listen to a dissection of McCain's odd road to his nomination, I heard a discussion about John Edwards' right to privacy in light of recent embarrassing revelations. Apparently, a tawdry tale about the pretty boy first showed up late last year. It is rumored that the former senator and vice presidential candidate has fathered a child with a woman who was doing an all access documentary about him.

But after a brief flare up in the National Enquirer last year, the story went away.

Now it seems those same crack tabloid reporters caught John-boy trying to either leave or enter an LA hotel in the middle of the night. To avoid them he hid in a bathroom until security rescued him.

Listeners were invited to call and weigh in with their thoughts about whether Edwards had a right to have his private life kept private, especially if the original story turns out to be true.

My first thought was, "John Edwards? That slut in an empty suit?!"

Even worse, the commentator, someone named Bender, confessed to liking the guy. Admiring the guy. Feeling bad for the guy. I guess he'd hoped Edwards would be considered as a vice presidential candidate for Obama. Or in his cabinet at least.

David Hasselhoff would be a better choice.

John Edwards has two major strikes against him. First he's as pretty as a movie star -- the kiss of death when it comes to developing character. Narcissism tends to fill the vacuum. The best evidence of Edwards' self indulgent sense of entitlement: those ridiculously expensive haircuts he paid for in Beverly Hills. Over $400 apiece as I recall.

Second he's made a lot of money trying some big cases. I find it interesting that he chose a profession that works well with charm and good looks -- two of the most important attributes of a successful trial lawyer.

On top of a sense of entitlement, people who have excessive amounts of money tend to think that makes them smarter than everyone else. That's why so many run for public office.

As far as respecting John Edwards' privacy -- the rules have changed from the days of FDR, JFK, and J. Edgar Hoover, when dalliances and other uncomfortable truths such as alcoholism and homosexuality were not reported.

If McCain can survive the crap he's pulled, from dumping his first wife unceremoniously and marrying his second wife a short month after the divorce. To the train wreck he calls a naval career to the recent story of an affair with a lobbyist, Edwards can weather his screw up with a good spinmeister. Although I wouldn't recommend going on Maury for a DNA test.

Politicians and celebrities all know the rules of the game -- if you get too close to the fire, you're going to get burned.

But back to the real issue -- why does anyone give a rip about John Edwards in the first place?  Rush Limbaugh is laughing his ass off.

Tags: John Edwards