How do you know you're winning an argument with a liberal? When she resorts to cheap shots and personal attacks. Come to think of it, that's how you know you're talking to one.
Randi Rhodes, long known as one of the dimmer lights on the left, realizes that she has to go beyond liberal talking points to garner attention. So she'll occasionally up the ante in a feeble bid to remind those who'd rather listen to Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann or Stephanie Miller that ... Hey! Don't forget me! (Audio after the jump)
CALLER: If (Boehner's) part of the, if he's willing to go along ...
RHODES (interrupting): But you know there is a solution. You know, Boehner, Boehner aside, I mean, we know he's a drunk crying man, that he's got some emotional problems. Every time you see him, that man is, is crying! I mean, it's like you can see the crazy but you just don't want to say anything. It's, it's the emperor has no clothes. Everybody that has ever watched John Boehner, from both political parties or independent, whatever you are, I really don't give a rat's ass anymore, but whatever you are, everybody has seen, John Boehner is unstable, John Boehner has bloodshot eyes all the time, John Boehner is always crying, John Boehner is a, a, a, a noodle, OK? He's a weak man who somehow, you know, managed to work through the system and become the Speaker of the House.
This from a woman who fell on her face outside an Irish pub back in 2007, an incident her producer initially described as a mugging and for which Rhodes did not file a police report. Hmm ...
I'd have an easier time believing Rhodes' rant wasn't partisan in origin had she bloviated in likewise manner back when liberal lion Ted Kennedy roamed the Senate. Kennedy, as she'll surely recall, was famous for many things, among them a bottomless thirst that didn't taper until well into his seventh decade. By then it had landed him in plenty of trouble, most notably with the first confirmed kill in the war on women (Ann Coulter's memorable take on Chappaquiddick), more than enough to prevent the oft-inarticulate senator from getting elected president.
In fairness to Boehner, his fondness for cocktails after golf has never resulted in him driving off a bridge with a woman as his passenger, fleeing the scene to save his speakership, and reporting the accident 10 hours later after sufficient time to freshen up.
The key difference between the men is that of political affiliation. Kennedy could get away with vehicular homicide along with the ensuing coverup and Bay State Democrats were eager to keep him in Congress another 40 years, in effect a lifelong sinecure. After all, even though he was a "weak man," to borrow from Rhodes, his surname was Kennedy and that was enough, or so he and his apologists thought.
Boehner, a Republican, is judged by a tougher standard in the eyes of character vandals like Rhodes. To them, the appearance of impropriety is worse than actual wrongdoing, and the record of one of their heroes -- campaign and criminal -- proves it.
