I had to turn Al off.......

[OwnedByFerrets]

I listen to him 90% of the time because he is able to bring in some really good guests. Today, I just had to turn it off because they just dont seem to get it. KERRY DID NOT TRASH THE TROOPS YOU IDIOTS!!!!!! God, this entire thing just pisses me off so badly when even the ones who "should" be talking straight about this fuck it up so badly. Stephanie Miller and her team were perfect with their analysis this morning. I wish everyone else could be.
Rant off

[grasswire]

1. Franken can be a bone head

Really. Sometimes he is really dense.

[Fleshdancer]

2. he's running for office soon

that's my guess anyway.

[LTR]

3. KQKE in San Francisco is dropping his show next week

To be replaced by Thom Hartmann.

Oh, and they're also adding Malloy.

[feminazi]

7. are they dropping schultz too?

On the way to work this morning I heard them advertise that Rachel's show will be live from 3-5pm. They usually run Randi from 3-6 so I'm wondering if they're moving her to the noon-3pm slot instead and dropping Ed. I can't imagine they'd be dropping Randi instead. She's a better fit for the San Francisco market.

[LTR]

13. Here's the announcement from the PD

http://www.quakeradio.com/pages/programdirector.html

As we get close to one of the most important elections in our time, 960 The Quake is putting more outstanding talent on the air to help you understand where this country is heading and what you can do about it.

No one Air America personality's departure created as much of a stir as did Mike Malloy. 960 The Quake is pleased to announce that Mike Malloy is returning to the Quake's airwaves. On Monday, November 6th Mike Malloy will be heard live from 6pm to 9pm. Thom Hartmann will now move into the mid morning 9am to noon slot, replacing Al Franken.

There has been lots of speculation about Al Franken's future with Air America and his planned moved into the political arena. While there is nothing official at this time, it has been made clear to us that Al Franken will not be with Air America in the future. We feel it is important to you that we have the most talented hosts on the air, who will be with us for the long term. We believe that Thom Hartmann is the new rising star in Progressive Talk radio and he is firmly committed to 960 The Quake for the long term.

We have also brought Rachel Maddow back to 960 The Quake in her new time of 3p-5p. John Scott will also return to host the afternoon version of the Progressive News Hour. We feel that circumstances with Air America has helped 960 The Quake build its strongest line-up ever: Our programming is live from 3a until 9p so you can become much more involved in the Progressive Process.

Our New Line Up effective November 6th will be as follows:

6AM - 9AM Stephanie Miller
9AM - 12N Thom Hartmann
12N - 3PM Ed Schultz
3PM - 5PM Rachel Maddow
5PM - 6PM Progressive News Hour
6PM - 9PM Mike Malloy
9PM - 11PM Randi Rhodes
11PM - 12AM Eco Talk w/ Betsy Rosenberg
12AM - 3AM Lionel
3AM - 6AM Bill Press


And the posting of it Monday on my blog, after Hartmann announced Friday that he would go live:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-tremors-at-quake-as-hartmann-will.html

[lapfog_1]

15. They are going to move Randi to late night

which sucks.

6AM - 9AM Stephanie Miller
9AM - 12N Thom Hartmann
12N - 3PM Ed Schultz
3PM - 5PM Rachel Maddow
5PM - 6PM Progressive News Hour
6PM - 9PM Mike Malloy
9PM - 11PM Randi Rhodes
11PM - 12AM Eco Talk w/ Betsy Rosenberg
12AM - 3AM Lionel
3AM - 6AM Bill Press


I don't know what the progressive news hour is, but I would rather have Randi in the afternoon.

Oh well... I need to do build my own line up by streaming and finally get that Ipod converter for the car.

After the sun goes down, I can hardly get KQKE here in the south bay anyway.

[wryter2000]

27. What freaking idiots they are.

Cutting Rachel short for their lame "Progressive News Hour" and taking Randi off during the day? I wish someone would start a real AAR affiliate around here.

[Fleshdancer]

9. Sweet!

I hope the Austin affiliate does that too.

[hlthe2b]

4. I tuned in only at the point when Al started his McCaine rant...

He seemed to be really pissed at JMC's comments... Can someone summarize what he said earlier that I missed? Thanks :shrug:

[Benhurst]

5. Oh, Al is all teary-eyed and "supportive" of the troops

because he didn't go back when it was his turn.

Now he's all about entertaining the troops, who would undoubtedly see any scantily-clad starlet (or stud-bucket, in the case of our female personnel)than a tired, old comedian.

Get a life, Al. And don't get on the attack bandwagon against a man of your generation who volunteered to go to a war he could have hid from as you did.

[ikojo]

6. Franken, like Hillary, comes from a Republican family.

I have heard him say that his dad was a Republican. It's really hard to leave your roots. He's a go along to get along kind of guy and is not going to do anything to upset the ruling elite in this country. I've never cared for his show because it seems light on challenging the Republicans and those Dems who sign onto the pug agenda. It was Sam Seder who was supporting Ned Lamont before Al Franken even knew the man existed.

I wish Air America had more Sam Seders. If AA goes under I hope Sam finds a radio home somewhere.

[NYCGirl]

10. I have no idea how anyone who's ever read any of Franken's books could

say "he's a go along to get along kind of guy."

[ikojo]

11. I say that after listening to his radio show off and on for the last

couple of years. He is pure milquetoast. Of course I am to the left of the DLC so that may explain my dis satisfaction with Mr Franken.

[NYCGirl]

12. I listen pretty much every day, and I'm left of DLC too. NT

[Graybeard]

14. I agree...

...is he an egomaniac? Yes. But has he done some good to
further the cause? I would have to say Yes.

[glitch]

16. I'd like to see Sam Seder go on Nova-M. They are building a fine lineup

so far and it would be good to hear him there.

I am really disappointed in how some Dems are "misunderstanding" this particular smear on Kerry and demanding an apology. I hope they realize their mistake and issue their own apologies to him.
However, it is good to know about them.

Edit to add: I didn't hear Franken so I can't judge his words. Usually I like him a lot. I am talking about the Dem politicians who are jumping in asking that Kerry apologize. My feeling is: shame on them.

[roamer65]

18. I hope so, too

I'd love to see Randi and Sam bolt to Nova-M.

[cenacle]

8. Franken did a cogent analysis too...

he talked about joke-telling, about which he knows a good deal, and how ad-libbing a joke, especially when you're John Kerry and not a comedien, can be dangerous. He also discussed when people deliberately "don't get" a joke, like one Franken himself told about McCain, which ironically McCain now uses about himself. I think Franken deserves his due when he and his staff discuss at length a topic he knows a lot about: comedy and politics.

[roamer65]

17. Franken reminds me of another "Al"

Al From. Damn DLC.

[stepnw1f]

19. I No Longer Listen To Him

and haven't for a while. I prefer Thom Hartmann...

[Norquist Nemesis]

24. Same here!

Missed Thom today though. :(

[NYCGirl]

20. You must've heard wrong, since Al's talking to David Brock and is sticking

up for Kerry, and he 100% KNOWS WHAT KERRY MEANT!

[cenacle]

21. Some people simply dislike Al Franken...

and no matter what he says, what books he writes, what trips he make to Iraq to support the troops there, they will hold to their negative opinion. I don't think it matters. Franken has a very popular show, and a good one, and if he leaves to run for Senate, Air America will be a little poorer for his absence. I hope he wins, if he runs, and I am sure AAR will find someone good to do a new show.

Meanwhile, there are enough progressive talk show options these days for all sorts of individual tastes.

As for me, I enjoy Al's and Randi's shows, and lately Rachel Maddow's, and don't lose too much sleep over nay-sayers. AAR hires smart, funny, colorful people and I am more concerned they work out their financial circumstances than anything else right now. We need AAR more than ever!

[OwnedByFerrets]

22. And I am NOT one of those. I like AL........

its just that they were misrepresenting what Kerry said. Yes, they were defending him too, but they were also saying he should just shut up. That is the last thing I think was needed. He said what has needed to be said for a long time.

[cenacle]

25. nobody on Franken's show told Kerry to shut up...

their critique seemed to be that he didn't realize his mistake more quickly, jump on it by apologizing for the gaffe (that is, how his ad-lib of his joke veered off from his prepared text, which it did), and moving on. Franken discussed this issue with several of his guests, and his staff. He pretty much said the same thing to each, and listened to their various replies. Then, smartly, after querying each guest briefly, he moved along. Franken also pointed out that Kerry is still smarting from the 2004 Swiftboating, which might have influenced how Kerry responded to his critics. Franken also played O'Reilly's opinion, that Kerry meant nothing wrong, and pointed out the Tom Delay also made a relatively intelligent remark. He also played idiot remarks from the MSM, such as some dope on CNN.

The thing about Franken is that some people do not like him, but it is rare that he just spouts unthought-out remarks. He also has a smart, focussed staff to keep him on his toes. One can disagree with him, as I do about Israel, one can dislike him for his rather old school comic's personality, his somewhat centrist liberal politics, but to say he doesn't have a good command of facts, or an awareness of multiple sides of each issue, is simply wrong. I feel glad to have his audio company each morning at work, and always appreciate the guests he brings on.

[immoderate]

23. Al got it exactly right.

Kerry is not exactly known for his wit or delivery. He's not Barney Frank. He tried to "paraphrase a joke" as Al put it, botched it, and walked right into the kind of shit that we all know the Republicans do. I'm shocked, shocked, that they would spin and twist his words. We are all pissed that the snakes are doing what we know snakes will do. Al did not spare Limbaugh, McCain, and Bush, but he was realistic about the opportunity that Kerry handed them.

I can understand that there are those who are not partial to Al's style, it's a bit laconic and he was better with Katherine to play off of. But he is on our side, gets good guests, and tackles some topics that are deeper than some of the others. Sure, I love it too when Mike, Sam, and Randi do the smackdown of the freeper, and the red meat rant. But Al is brilliant in his own way and provides a complimentary voice.

Sheesh, everybody's a critic.

--IMM

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

26. Totally agree

I listened to the whole show and I didn't take away any slam against Kerry. Franken is simply exasperated by the stupidity of the whole flap.

I voted Kerry in '04, I will vote Kerry if he is the '08 candidate, but as far as humor goes he is a stiff. He makes Al Gore 2000 look casual and easygoing. As Franken points out, if he's gonna tell jokes he's gotta stick to the script.

[immoderate]

28. And I agree back.

Sure I'd love to give Kerry a shot at the presidency. He's as qualified as anybody, except maybe Gore. BTW, I think Gore is pretty humorous and has a warm personality. I think he suffers from a self concsiousness before an audience that freezes him up. It's a tension between what he really is, and what he pictures he should be. It could be that he's worked that out though.

--IMM