Was Randi Rhodes Mugged by 14 Bloody Marys?

As reported here in NewsBusters yesterday, liberals immediately began blaming conservatives for the supposed mugging of Air America talk show host Randi Rhodes on a New York street. After much blame cast in the leftwing blogosphere against evil rightwing muggers as the culprits, it turned out that there was no mugging in the first place. Supposedly it was just an accident.

However, there is now some interesting speculation as to just what caused Randi's non-mugging. Here is an interesting observation made by commentator GBW over at Gawker.com in a post amusingly titled, Was Talk Show Host Randi Rhodes Jumped By 14 Ketel Ones?:

Randi Rhodes was no more assaulted by a right-wing fanatic on Monday than Dick Cheney was. She, in fact, fell down and injured her teeth outside of a Midtown Irish bar at around 6 o'clock Sunday evening after downing about fourteen Ketel One Bloody Marys. She was abusive to the barstaff and generally gross, crass, loud, and pretentious. I genuinely hope she has a speedy recovery. I never would've disclosed this (I believe that anyone should feel free to hang out at Irish pubs at any time and not be concerned about someone publishing their behavior) if Air America hadn't grossly interpreted a drunken indiscretion and allowed it to be morphed into some bullish rhetoric on air. Whatever journalistic integrity the station may have ever had is now completely compromised. The manipulation of the public diminishes any cause, whether just or fabricated.

So far the only major news outlet to mention the Bloody Mary possibility has been the New York Post in an article titled, RANDI RADIO DAZE:

The mystery was deepened by the facts that Rhodes didn't file a police complaint or call an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

The story was the buzz of the blogosphere. There were hundreds of postings on the subject.

An anonymous contributor to Gawker.com said Rhodes fell after drinking 14 Bloody Mary's at a Midtown Irish pub.

The jury is still out as to whether a bunch of Bloody Marys were the real culprits in the Randi Rhodes "mugging." However, if the "victim" had been, say, Rush Limbaugh, the MSM would already have been howling about his drunk and disorderly conduct as well as screeching about the false mugging report. Most likely Randi will be very reluctant to discuss her mugging that wasn't when she returns to the air.

Of course, the fact that there was no mugging didn't keep the usual suspects in the leftwing blogosphere from making wild accusations about evil rightwingers who wanted to shut poor Randi up. Among the most amusing of the Randi mugging conspiracy theories came courtesy of the Democratic Underground. Here are some of their more entertaining speculations on this topic:

I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was deliberate, because of her views. Last week she was going after the freepers pretty harshly.

I blame the thugs! And it isn't unreasonable, considering the political climate these last few years, that someone might be angry at Randi or any liberal talk show host!

They knocked out teeth went for her MOUTH - how much plainer can it get - someone was trying to shut her up - you know she is one of the mouthiest of "progressive" talk show hosts - and she has been on THE tv more than most - it seems pretty obvious to me - Mike Malloy and the others need to watch their backs....I put NOTHING past these people

Freepers have guts when they are five-to-one attacking an unsuspecting woman. Just like the Nazis before them.

But this does look like (to me, anyway) a pissed off, agitated wing-nut (or nuts) who did this. Knocked out some teeth? Perhaps to shut her up. Wing-nuts, if you've heard Randi talk, the girl WILL NEVER STOP TALKING. She will be going after you goose-steppers again in no time. Truth always wins out over violence.

To read even more of these leftwing bellylaugh conspiracy theories regarding the "mugging" of Randi Rhodes, check out the DUmmie FUnnies.