The internet is abuzz with reports that Air America Radio personality Randi Rhodes will be off the air while she recovers from injuries she sustained last evening. There are conflicting reports on how Rhodes sustained her injuries. According to……

In the context of Randi Rhodes having been attacked (I realize that now she may or may not have been), are you really saying that Randi’s crack about Alito (surely said in jest, i.e., a joke, as humor is part of her show) is “far worse than knocking someone’s teeth out”? That’s quite an interesting moral compass, sir. It also shows utter contempt for free speech and the rule of law. I have to wonder if you would feel the same if those teeth didn’t belong to someone who disagrees with your philosophical and political views. If Ms. Rhodes, as you say, “might profit from a careful study of “Miss Manners,” you might do well to read the Constitution of the United States of America. Incidentally, I don’t think Miss Manners would suggest knocking someone’s teeth out because of a comment. So you might take your own advice and dip into that book as well. Happy reading.

i mean. come on. you’re pretty much doing to NYC what you accuse elliott of doing to the right.

’sides, any straight-up mugger wouldn’t go for anyone who clearly didn’t have anything valuable. so ya gotta wonder. it’s not unfounded at all. someone bring up some numbers of “random senseless beatings” in manhattan before you all go off half-cocked…

also,

On the other had, I feel sorry for him and others on the left who live their lives in fear that some made up, figment of their imagination “right wing hate machine” is out there lurking in the shadows waiting to “silence” them.

i find this rather funny. in a “liberal media” sort of way…

in case it matters, i don’t listen to air america. and i listened to rhodes once… and i don’t remember what the topic was, but i remember thinking she was being a bit ridiculous…

“He’s like one of those guys who goes along for years really quietly … murdering hookers.”

Exceeds all bounds of traditional American moral decency. It is far worse than knocking someone’s teeth out.

However, it seems rather unlikely that some publically tormented soul committed this heinous act; it does seem likely that she ran into a pestering punk, and enraged him with one of her typical humanly degrading comments.

She might profit from a careful study of “Miss Manners.”

“All that bloviating for nothing, there was NO attack. She fell down (drunk?)”

Going by the Daily News story, here’s what we “know.”

An unidentified police source said Rhodes was not attacked and her lawyer said she fell down.

Why would a police source feel a need to remain unidentified in a case like this?

Why would Rhodes and/or her lawyer say it was just a matter of falling down, vs. her AAR colleague saying she had been attacked?

Possibilities include Rhodes having blanked out details of an attack as a psychological reaction. She might have suffered a concussion, perhaps with temporary amnesia.

There is also a possibility, if she was attacked, that her attackers told her to keep her mouth shut or next time they would kill her — things like, “We know where you live and where you work,” “How would you like us to kill your dog?” “You have a daughter . . .” and “You report this and you’ll wind up like Berg.”

Could threats such as those after a vicious beating cause Rhodes to deny she was assaulted? I’m not saying this is the case, but it’s certainly plausible.

I don’t claim to know the facts and I doubt the Daily News writers have gotten anything like the full, accurate story either.

I’m very skeptical that, sober or tipsy, Rhodes just fell down and lost several teeth as a result.

I’m quite sure that a doctor worth his weight in tongue depressors can say with reasonable certainty whether Rhodes’ injuries were simply from falling down, or bear the earmarks of a beating.

Earlier today, the port side of the blogosphere erupted in righteous indignation as reports that Air America radio host Randi Rhodes got mugged began to swirl. Many bloggers started blaming a nameless conservative mugger, and then began extending the i…

It is a matter of pure denial that right-wingers are scoffing at left-wingers’ assertions this morning that the brutal attack this weekend on Air America radio talk show host Randi Rhodes was likely politically motivated. I don’t know why the radio n…

Can’t resist that one last chance to stir the poison kettle, huh?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/16/2007-10-16_air_america_host_randi_rhodes_wasnt_mugg.html

Cripes, I would have waited until there was more to go on.

That speculation about political motives is the knee–jerk reaction just shows the story state of what passes for political engagement these days. The hate in talk radio, cable news commentary and blogs has become a national disease, and instead of trying to stop it, every event is used as a reason to spur it on.

Wasn’t there a time when the reaction would have bee to simply send best wishes and lfowers?