Randi Rhodes Resigns From Air America After Anti-Clinton Rant
March 22: Randi Rhodes was videotaped giving an obscenity-laced stand-up performance at art house Broadway Studios in San Francisco.
Randi Rhodes, the radio talk show host who was suspended last week from Air America after going on an obscenity-laced tirade against Hillary Clinton and one of her prominent supporters, has resigned.
Mark Green, president of Air America Media, told FOXNews.com that Rhodes terminated her contract Wednesday after she refused to apologize on air for her remarks.
“We sought an apology, because of what she had said…like Imus, like David Shuster,” Green said. “She refused and instead last night informed us she was terminating her contract with Air America, which she has the option to do.”
He said she was not forced out — “She exercised her option.”
Rhodes has apparently already been picked up by Nova M Radio, which released a statement saying Rhodes would be nationally syndicated on the station starting Monday.
Rhodes’ lawyer Robert Gaulin told FOXNews.com the host would return home to Florida, and broadcast from there.
But he disputed Green’s account of her resignation. He said Rhodes was willing to apologize, but that Air America wanted her to waive a provision in her contract that said she could leave any time over the next year, before they would let her back on air. She refused.
“It had nothing to do with the brouhaha from last week. It had nothing to do with an apology,” Gaulin said.
Rhodes used the obscene language during a March 22 event sponsored by an affiliate station in San Francisco. During what was an apparent stand-up routine, Rhodes attacked Geraldine Ferraro, the former vice presidential candidate, for saying that Clinton rival Barack Obama has benefited in the Democratic presidential race because he is black.
“Geraldine Ferraro turned out to be the David Duke in drag. Who knew?” Rhodes said to laughter. “What a whore Geraldine Ferraro is, she’s such a f*****g whore.”
A few minutes later, Rhodes said, “Hillary is a big f*****g whore too.”
She then suggested Clinton was trying to force her way into the Democratic nomination by manipulating pledged delegates. “Oh, f**k you, okay, f**k you,” she said.
Air America condemned the remarks and Ferraro said at the time Rhodes should be fired.
“It was an abusive obscene thing she said, whether one likes or doesn’t like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain,” Green said Thursday.
The termination was effective Wednesday, and Green does not know who will replace her.
John Scott, program director at Green 960 AM, KKGN, the San Francisco station that sponsored the March 22 event, said they would carry Rhodes’ new program.
“Because this incident happened at our station, we felt that we should kind of lead the way to get her back on,” he told FOXNews.com. “She’s going to be on a bunch of markets.”
Air America Media Chairman Charlie Kireker and Green said in a joint statement on the Air America Web site Thursday that “We wish her well and thank her for past services to Air America.”
Green said Air America will announce within a day who will temporarily replace her during her daily 3-to-6 p.m. show.
Green said Rhodes had been there four years, and “she could have worked another year.”
Click here to see the performance that caused Randi Rhodes’ suspension from Air America (warning: Graphic Language).
FOXNews.com’s Judson Berger contributed to this report.
Good Riddance to Randi Rhodes! As with most of the Air Amerika staff, she is a strident, obnoxious liberal who hates anything and anyone who does not adhere to their ultra-left agenda.
Air America keeps whining about money problems, yet they don’t understand the media marketplace. Rush Limbaugh is rich because people listen to him in huge numbers, thereby justifying the advertising rates they can and do charge.
Air America chooses to believe that somehow the government and the tight-fisted liberals who claim to believe in their Socialist cause should subsidize Air America as if it were some form of charity. They claim that these requests are in the interest of “fairness”. Sadly they do not understand the marketplace, or they would realize how ridiculous this sounds. After getting caught taking money from the State of New York which was siphoned from programs for poor children, we can also assume that these hypocrites have no compassion for the people they claim to represent.
Let Air America die the ignoble death their pathetic programs and even more pathetic broadcasters deserve. When the liberal factions in this country can finally produce a program people want to listen to nationwide, not just in bastions of ignorance, then they will have earned their place in the radio marketplace.
Hello!
Ms. Randi Rhodes:
Sorry do all respect Lady
I don’t think you have a real Man!
Tks/Coop.-
is she a “typical-NObama” supporter? … or what?
Joy Behar, on The View, has called the President, the VP, and the former Secretary of Defense all kinds of vile names. Draft Dodgers, terroists, traitors and Hitler like, just to mention a few of her rants. She has also called the Bush twins alcoholics. (but of course, hands off Chelsea) All of this on national broadcast TV. ABC. Not a a private function. Where is the outrage for those remarks? I can only imagine what Behar says when she is at one of her private shows, getting paid to spread hate. Oh yeah, that’s right, Behar is a far left radical so it’s ok. There is no need for any of these remarks. From the right or the left. But they do happen often. How about a firing or a “voluntary” quit for Behar.
Good riddance.
This story doesn’t warrant front page treatment. You guys just like to rub it in to the liberals. Given how many people in this country have been stranded or affected by the American Airlines inspection fiasco, you’re wasting my time making me click around Randy’s demise.
Wow. So while mistakes are made by everyone on both ends of the political spectrum, only those on the right are supposed to apologize, while leftists are above it? Air America has proved, again and again and again, that they quite simply cannot compete in the marketplace of ideas, as a poster above stated. Apparently their shortcomings as a radio “network” arise from the glaring goofiness of their individual employees. Or ex-employees, as the case may be. Rhodes won’t be missed.
Ya gotta just love it when liberals get fired for cussing and slandering other liberals. It don’t get no better than that friends. Well, maybe it could get better but we’ll leave that to another day.
randi rhodes,
what a joke! all she did was lash out at the right. she never provided any type of factual basis for her views–just politically correct buzz words! good riddance!
I can’t understand this . . . she fits in so nicely with those leftist Democrats.
Randi Rhodes???
WHO is Randi Rhodes??? Never heard of her!
Good riddens to her. Maybe she can join CNN and help bankrupt them as well!
She is GROSS…
Thank God she is gone by her own wishes! I am a long time fan of Randi’s but she was wrong, wrong, wrong! And, she could have at least said she was sorry over the air. She just said that Obama was a once in a lifetime gift from God! Why not be big enough to say she was wrong to swear about the two American women in the recent history of the USA to reach the level of running for president and vice-president? Very anti-feminist and anti-Democratic Party for somebody in Randi’s position! Sorry to see her go, but, she was wrong!
Randy Rhodes has also been a disgrace to the Public airwaves I am glad she is gone for good. Now getting Air America off the air is the logical next step; I hope they go bankrupt or something:D
That’s too bad. Whether you agree with her views or not (which I don’t), this business of having to apologize for offending someone with words HAS TO STOP.
All right Rhodes, you were right on in both Clinton and Ferraro’s assessment! Way to go girl tell it like it us.
I’m sure both of her listeners will miss her.
What a piece of trash! What she said is exactly what she is.She should be sued. If any radio station hires her I won’t be listening to it. Jean
GOOD RIDDANCE - Should’ve been done loooooonnnnnng ago!!!!!!!
I will miss Randi, she spoke her mind and has GREAT Integrity something we have way too little of in this world. When a Democrat says something aweful, like Ferraro said about Obama, we should say it was aweful not try to spin it to sound less bad, that is what the Republicans do NOT us. Great going Randi stick to your values and morals. Do not lower yourself to the Republican Way. And anyone who has trouble with the F word read “Monty Pythons” essay on the word.
Love,
Oren