For some of us who used to turn to the local news station and get huge gobs of conservative ranting –chiefly of the Rush Limbaugh variety – the appearance of Radio Air America on 94 AM was both a relief and a vexing problem.  I yearn for the days when there was no “talk radio” where any nut who agreed with Rush or one of his clones, was given air time to be a “ditto head”. There was never any give and take and examination of differing opinions.  For that is what it is, an “opinion” show. My yearning was for the untainted reporting of the news from all quarters – something like THE WEEK, a magazine, where you get the biased news from all quarters and you have to make up your mind all by yourself.

It is hard to be level headed and smart enough to separate out the lies from the straight stuff. Most of us have our sources that we consider to be the first and last word on the controversial stuff that fills the airways and news print.  Now, a dissenting voice – only one out of the many, many conservative ululations – gives the “rest of us” a break from the outpouring of invective that at the end of the electoral process became so bad that the vulgarity and lack of restraint tainted the very positions the religious-conservative-pro war and anti-women and gays were selling as good for ALL Americans.  The anti-anyone who disagreed with the positions of the Republican spokespersons were denounced as un-American and traitors just because they were against the war and for the other sides that were proscribed by the masses of voices raised against any and all Democrat positions.

It is in this light that I tell you that I am disappointed with Randi Rhodes, Al Franken (who is the best of the lot) and Ed Schultz who fill the programming of 94 AM every day and almost every hour. The problem for me is that they sound just like the rabid Limbaugh voices that mince up every bit of news and twist it to be the opposite of what it might really be.  Just to be in opposition is no reason for the kind of supercilious and snickering comparisons about Condoleezza Rice referring to G.W. Bush as her “husband” and all the other foibles of the Bush crowd given special attention. Al Franken’s humor is fresh and a lot better than that of the writers who serve the conservatives.

Some may remember the truth squads of the Democrats that countered Republican pronouncements fifty years ago.  Shadow groups of specialists in putting twists on what the other side was doing came into being and never went away.  What we have today is the over use of innuendo and hyperbole in making a case for each side - separately.  I am uncomfortable with the chortling and guffawing over mistakes perceived by the Air America Radio crowd.  They could at least be more decent than the Republicans are and beat them at the same game. There is a faint small voice of Liberal Radio.  May it get better and one day, beat the Bushes.