27-04-2005 19:39									#1
	AIr America to be Investigated by Secret Service Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: AIR AMERICA RADIO INVESTIGATED AFTER BUSH 'GUNSHOTS' **Exclusive** The red-hot rhetoric over Social Security on liberal talkradio network AIR AMERICA has caught the attention of the Secret Service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. Government officials are reviewing a skit which aired on the network Monday evening -- a skit featuring an apparent gunshot warning to the president! The announcer: "A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little bastard. [audio of gun being cocked]." The audio production at the center of the controversy aired during opening minutes of The Randi Rhodes Show. "What is with all the killing?" Rhodes said, laughing, after the clip aired. "Even joking about shooting the president is a crime, let alone doing it on national radio... we are taking this very seriously," a government source explained. Developing...

Its Drudge first off. Second has anyone on these boards actually heard first hand the skit. Thirdly from details provided by Drudge, I see no indication that this is a threat directed specifcally at the Presidency.

So if anyone actually heard the skit (thats prolly a huge stretch considereing the listenership Air America draws) can they comment on said skit and its context?

	27-04-2005 20:53									#2
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Come on there has to be one listener.

	27-04-2005 21:10									#3
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In this forum? Why?

	27-04-2005 21:14									#4
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You'd probably find better success at the Straight Dope. The sample size here is likely too small to generate a single Air America listener - a larger, left-leaning forum will (well, probably) give you better results.

	27-04-2005 21:22									#5
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Joking about killing the president is a crime?!

****ing hell. Glad it isn't a crime here.

	27-04-2005 21:23									#6
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That's a crime, as well it should be. I hope they get thrown in jail and made examples of. The liberals have gone totally over the edge, off the deep end and out of their minds. Their unreasoning hate speech against the president has now moved into the realm of implied death threats for what they consider bad policy. If they can't beat him they're going to threaten his life. Well, they're about to find out its bad policy to threaten the life of the president of the United States.


...but the people who did this will have plenty of time to figure that out for themselves...

	27-04-2005 21:26									#7
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Why should it be a crime.

1. It's a joke.
2. It's only a politician.

I'd have been locked up about a million times if joking about killing UK prime ministers, former prime ministers or heads of state was illegal. It's just normal behaviour.

Down with facist government oppression of free speech!

	27-04-2005 21:31									#8
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The US has had too many good men killed while president.

	27-04-2005 21:35									#9
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What relevance is that?

You Americans treat your Presidents with too much respect.

	27-04-2005 21:43									#10
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I think that's just plane stupid to make political jokes a crime. It really is an attack on everyone's civil liberties and the White House is just using it as an excuse to go after a left leaning radio show it doesn't like.

	27-04-2005 21:46									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I think that's just plane stupid to make political jokes a crime. It really is an attack on everyone's civil liberties and the White House is just using it as an excuse to go after a left leaning radio show it doesn't like.

	27-04-2005 21:47									#12
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Every threat against the pres, any pres, is investigated and considered a crime. Any of us, left or right, that threatens the life of the pres will be prosicuted. I know, I saw it on TV.

	27-04-2005 21:50									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I think that's just plane stupid to make political jokes a crime. It really is an attack on everyone's civil liberties and the White House is just using it as an excuse to go after a left leaning radio show it doesn't like.

****, people, just check out what Wilson did during WW1... makes Bush and the Patriot Act look like a bunch of second-rate pikers.

Anyway, they didn't "make political jokes a crime" (as happened during WW1), they're investigating a potential (regardless how slight) threat to the President. As is their job.

And if the White House wanted to "go after" a left-leaning radio show, there are far more subtle ways to do it.

	27-04-2005 22:17									#14
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A listener apparently sent Drudge an mp3 of it.

Edit: And I agree with Oerdin. Isn't the general rule of thumb that the louder someone blusters about something like killing the President, the less likely they are to actually do it? We should make NOT joking about killing the President a crime.

JohnT: The Bush administration didn't, but somebody made it a crime, according to the government official quoted.

	27-04-2005 22:31									#15
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You're allowed to make all the jokes about the president you want, so long as you don't joke about killing him. There is no reason why discussion of killing the president is important for anybody to be able to do.

	27-04-2005 22:46									#16
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There goes your freedom of speech ... wasn't so strong now was it!

Anyway, again, this article only said they'll look into it and that's it. I hardly think making jokes about the president is illegal.

Shi, and why not? Who are you to judge what other people want to talk about, or JOKE about? Should we make a law what is humour and what is not, and who makes those limitations? Come on. Just because YOU don't want to do that, doesn't mean no one else wants to, adn just because you think it's not vital for freedom of speech, others might think exactly that.

There is a big difference making a joke and with plotting. Oh yes.. but the secret radio listeners are decoding the messages, waiting to make the hit... oddly enough, the message is... making a joke about it. Uhh.. no? Why not ham and toaster, jello and hamsters?

	27-04-2005 23:18									#17
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When it comes to matters, this serious, we don't acknowledge the "only joking" defense. If you don't believe me, go to an airport and start joking about bombs and such, and see what happens to you.

	27-04-2005 23:24									#18
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Right, because it's the same as joking in radio etc? It's not the same and you know it. YOu just don't have any sense of humour and you are dry and prolly have dry skin also. Bah!!

	27-04-2005 23:34									#19
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On radio it is considered inciting violence against the Pres, joking or otherwise. Everyone in the US with half a brain realizes naaay knows its illegal. My guess is this was done to provoke exactly the reaction they got and if Randy Rhodes pays some type of legal price up to and including incarceration, they can scream bloody murder and oppression.


[monty python Holy grail]

See the violence inherent in the system

[/grail)

	27-04-2005 23:35									#20
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quote: You Americans treat your Presidents with too much respect.

Yeah, the US is hilarious. A country founded on the rejection of hereditary kingship merely replaces a hereditary king you must grovel before with a consumer friendly version that you can replace to provide another groveling object.

Of course, advanced countries just did the sensible thing and got rid of rule by monarchy.

	28-04-2005 00:09									#21
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According to Agathon, not talking about killing someone seems to be the equivalent of groveling. That would explain a lot about his demeanor.

	28-04-2005 00:16									#22
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I still contend you need at least half a brain to not talk about killing someone.

	28-04-2005 00:18									#23
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quote: According to Agathon, not talking about killing someone seems to be the equivalent of groveling. That would explain a lot about his demeanor.

According to Shi et al. the correct attitude to take towards the world is one of ignorant fascism.

	28-04-2005 01:10									#24
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Ogie, you beat me to it.

First we have dems throwing pies at opponents.

Next we have Dean frothing about Republicans being "evil" and "brain dead."

Now we have Air America assassinating the president in a skit run broadcast to America.

The Dems leadership and spokesmen either have gone completely insane, or they have been taken over by radicals, ala, the Weathermen. Never in the entire history of America has a political party acted in such a violent and aggressive manner.

	28-04-2005 01:36									#25
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"Never in the entire history of America has a political party acted in such a violent and aggressive manner."

Now, Ned, that's not true. The Democrats acted far worse during Reconstruction, when Democrats formed the KKK, harassed the reconstruction effort, and used violence against blacks that wanted to exercise their political rights. The Democrats have a come long way since then, give them some more time and they may one day act in a cilvilized manner.

	28-04-2005 01:39									#26
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I'm more of a fan of the 40-50's southern Demonrats myself topping the modern Dem for shrill and intolerant behavior.

	28-04-2005 01:40									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Lancer Every threat against the pres, any pres, is investigated and considered a crime. Any of us, left or right, that threatens the life of the pres will be prosicuted. I know, I saw it on TV.

Show me the threat. You and I both know there was none. This is a blatant political attack.

	28-04-2005 01:43									#28
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quote: Originally posted by JohnT Anyway, they didn't "make political jokes a crime" (as happened during WW1), they're investigating a potential (regardless how slight) threat to the President. As is their job.

You should learn to read the original post.

quote: "Even joking about shooting the president is a crime, let alone doing it on national radio... we are taking this very seriously," a government source explained.

The quote makes it very clear.

	28-04-2005 01:46									#29
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No it's not. It's the Secret Service doing their jobs.

It's like the police and crime tips. 99% of them will be shiite, the police know that 99% will be shiite, they can identify which ones are going to be shiite prior to the fact, but they still check it out, just in case.

Of course the "joke" wasn't a viable threat. But law enforcement officials have to treat is as such, or else they would not be doing their jobs properly.

Last edited by JohnT on 28-04-2005 at 01:52

	28-04-2005 01:48									#30
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I'd just like to see the brave editors at Air America try to pass this off as the aberant act of a very low level producer.