In Reply to Larry Johnson of NoQuarter, Re: Randi Rhodes

[krkaufman]

subtitled... Larry Johnson, Political Crack Whore

I somehow wound-up on Larry Johnson's NoQuarterUSA.net blog, and stumbled across his update, "UPDATE 3", to one of their many Randi Rhodes witchhunt posts and felt compelled to respond. The following is my comment appended to the NQ thread, at 6:42am on 4/5, cross-posted here for preservation and for anyone wanting to be entertained by Larry Johnson's hypocrisy and demonstrable whoring on behalf of his preferred candidate.

Comment by plooger | 2008-04-05 06:42:42

LJ@NQ: ... what would we be saying if ...yada... referred to Barack Obama as a “nigger”.

I'd start by wondering from what racist gutter the speaker had crawled, based on the fact that there is no acceptable usage of that term -- which sort of makes your point irrelevant, Larry. Well, it moots your point, but, in fact, raises a new one, that being... What exactly is your motivation for attempting to equate the use of the word "nigger" with the word "whore" -- for which there is a gender-neutral meaning that many would ascribe to the behavior of Sen. Clinton, as well as many other politicians?

whore
1: a woman who engages in sexual acts for money : prostitute; also : a promiscuous or immoral woman
2: a male who engages in sexual acts for money
3: a venal or unscrupulous person

Are you actually taking the position, however ludicrous, that Randi Rhodes was intimating that Sen. Clinton and former Rep. Ferraro are sexually promiscuous? Might a less hysterical inference be that Randi was stating her opinion that she viewed both of these public, political figures as 'venal and/or unscrupulous persons'?

As you well know, the term 'whore' is widely used nowadays, to reflect those who are viewed to be taking some action or position based on some current or future quid pro quo (Clarice), and the term has become nearly synonymous with 'politician'.

LJ@NQ: Just writing the word is radioactive. Well boys and girls, as someone who has been married for thirty plus years let me assure you that a woman does not like being called a “whore”. This is an equally radioactive word.

Then I expect that you spent quite a bit of time on the couch back in Fall 2005, eh, Larry? Or was the Significant Other less put-out by your use of the term?

Some Repent for Backing Judy Miller
By Larry Johnson on October 20, 2005

When Judith Miller went to jail in July I rejoiced because some justice, at least in my eyes, was being visited on a media whore who helped the Bush Administration mix the kool aid that took us to war.

So the label of 'whore' is only acceptable when, exactly, Lar? Only when you use it? Only when applied to your political foes? Would someone who supported "media whore" Judy Miller's war as a matter of political expedience not be a political whore?

You can certainly disagree with Randi's political assessment of Clinton and Ferraro as whores, as is your right, but going after someone's livelihood for daring to voice an opinion with which you differ reeks of fascism, and, in your case, just a wee bit hypocritical.

FUCK KOS
By Larry Johnson on February 14, 2008

... the pigs began punishing the other farm animals. They assumed the worst traits of the humans they vanquished.

Well Markos and crowd. Orwell was right. Fuck you people. I won’t post and I won’t read. But most of all, I won’t apologize. I have nothing to apologize for other than making the false assumption that you clowns gave a shit about freedom of expression or liberty. You guys are John Bolton and Dick Cheney in drag. You are welcome to kiss my ass.

A less whorish person, perhaps the Larry Johnson from this DKos admonition, might have defended Randi Rhodes' rights, in spite of a conflicting political allegiance, but it seems your candidate addiction controls and overrides your every action -- making you a political crack whore, of sorts.

[Mr Rabble]

1. LOL. Great post. Im somewhat baffled by Johnson here.

Im quite surprised that he has gone so far in advocating for a candidate.

It's a shame really, although not entirely surprising as he is a veteran of the intelligence community, which is really an enforcement arm of "the establishment".

[krkaufman]

2. I figure it's because of his connection to the Plames ...

... who are behind the Clintons; though your establishment angle works, as well.

[Mr Rabble]

7. You should look at the Plames in that context as well.

If we understand the role of the intelligence community, than logic brings us to this.

Further, people seem to have no problem remembering that Joe Wilson was working for George HW Bush as Ambassador to Iraq during our first invasion. No on ever seems to think to ask why we see that as a good thing.

It wasnt. We illegally invaded the first time as well.

These people are establishment in a pure sense of the word.

So Larry isnt jumping to defend Clinton out of loyalty to the Plames, but rather Larry and the Plames are defending the Clintons as a proxy for the system.

[baldguy]

20. April Glaspie was the GHWBs ambassador ti Iraq.

She's the person Saddam sought & received permission from to allow him to invade Kuwait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie

[Mr Rabble]

23. Under her, Wilson was really in charge of that post.

From Wiki-

"From 1988 to 1991, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission (to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Catherine Glaspie) at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In the wake of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, he became the last American diplomat to meet with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, telling him in very clear terms to leave Kuwait"

Sure seems to me like he was the one doing the work.

[baldguy]

25. When GHWB gave his permission to Saddam, he used Glaspie.

When the Saudis needed GHWB to tell Saddam to leave he used Wilson.

Glaspie was a political hack. Wilson was a career diplomat. The Bush Crime Family always gives their hacks more power than the pros.

[Mr Rabble]

26. Great. Im not sure what your point is here.

This is pretty simple.

Wilson is very much a part of the political establishment in the US. There is near universal agreement that the establishment is bad news for all of us.
Therefore, despite Wilson's opposition to the BCF, his and Larry Johnson's defense of Hillary Clinton- and their surrogacy for the same policies- can be seen as defense of the establishment.

But of course you know this, and are a fan of the establishment- at least it would seem so from your Zbig Brzezinski sig line.

The Grand Chessboard indeed.

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. And she was on vacation back in the USA when Sadaam invaded Kuwait

Since Wilson was second in command at the US embassy, he was in charge during the war.

IIRC, Wilson also claimed in his book that Glaspie was acting as directed by Bush 41 when she gave permission to Sadaam to invade Kuwait.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. I think he owes the Clintons a favor

There is also that connection to the Wilsons.

[Mr Rabble]

49. Of course. See upthread. nt

[SunsetDreams]

3. awesome, great find!

Thank you! I can't stand hypocritical people!

This is nothing more than faux outrage period, and a pure witch hunt.

[zalinda]

4. Using the term whore is only safe

when quantifying it's use, as in media whore, political whore and the like. To call 2 accomplished women "fucking whores" is meant to demean them, pure and simple. It is hate speech to a woman. If a man walking down the street calls a woman a whore, she gets the message that she is thought little of and should be afraid, just as a black person walking down the street being called nigger gets that same message.

Why the hell is it so hard to understand? Let someone call your mother a fucking whore and see how you would react, or how she would react.

zalinda

[zalinda]

5. Or if Randi called Michelle a "fucking whore"

how would the Obama supporters then react?

zalinda

[krkaufman]

12. Can you provide any examples, as Randi did in her rant? n/t

[Mezzo]

17. examples of what?

[PA Democrat]

19. I hope you had a chance to read the post I put up last night debunking you false claims that the RR

was an Obama fundraiser.

Here's the link to my post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5391240&mesg_id=5391240

Here is the statement by Green 960:

The Facts.

Comments made by Randi Rhodes were made during a Green 960 Event on March 22nd. Those in attendance were required to sign up through Green960.com and paid $5 to attend. Money raised went to Green960.

LINK for the source of that statement here:

http://www.green960.net/cc-common/mainheadlines2.html?feed=213008&article=3493425

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. More of those pesky little facts

:rofl:

[krkaufman]

35. follow the thread. I'm not doing z's work, or yours. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Would there be a reason for Randi to call Michelle Obama a whore?

What you Hillary people ignore is that Hillary is indeed a corporate whore. Randi spoke the truth.

[krkaufman]

9. The example of some man calling some woman on the street is hardly a relevant example ...

... when Rhodes used the term during a political diatribe and while giving examples of each of their political whoring -- in her opinion.

Now, in regards to my mother, since you bring her up, she could be considered a whore, politically, if she had voted to send thousands of soldiers into Iraq, out of political expedience, and continued to support the invasion and occupation until circumstances on the ground had influenced public opinion to the point where it became politically tenable to begin calling for withdrawal of troops. Or, as another example, she could be considered a whore, politically, were she to submit a bill making flag burning illegal, as a calculated political pander to the Right.

If, on the other hand, were anyone were to simply call my mom a fucking whore, absent any other context, they would be best to do so when I'm not around. By the way, I'll lay money that my mom agrees with Randi's sentiments.... in regards to both of the ladies in question.

[PA Democrat]

6. What disturbed me when I looked at the comments made over there,

was that this was meant as a clear signal to OTHER liberal talk show hosts and TV personalities. Here are a few of the comments:

"Now it is time to topple Roland Martin."

"Randi Rhodes is just the first of many more to fall."

"The Obama-Left has been abusive all over the place, from caucus sites to Web sites to “liberal” radio. It’s about time they toned down their rhetoric. I hope they all get this message."

They mentioned Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, Keith Olbermann and even Rachel Maddow.

In the meantime, on April 1, Rush Limbaugh made some of the most despicable comments imaginable about female supporters of Hillary Clinton on the air:

" And if they — you know, if Hillary doesn’t get it — you have to understand the mindset of a lot of these feminists and women. They think they’re owed this — just like Obama supporters think they’re owed this. These women have paid their dues. They’ve been married two or three times; they’ve had two or three abortions; they’ve done everything that feminism asked them to do. They have cut men out of their lives; they have devoted themselves to causes and careers."

I didn't see any sign of a campaign to get Rush fired. It seems the folks over at No Quarter are too busy to take down other liberals.

[krkaufman]

11. Agreed. I saw some of those, as well, and I plan on making my findings known ...

... to AAR management to let them know how they've been played. The Hillarites are getting desperate; it's best to view them to be cornered animals.

[PA Democrat]

15. I hadn't paid much attention to the story until yesterday morning

when I tuned in to Stephanie Miller's show. She definitely has gotten the message that there are people gunning for her. She was nervous, and not at all herself, and spent the first half hour talking about the Hillary fundraiser she had attended the night before. That's when I started doing some research.

BTW, Larry Johnson claimed that Randi and Stephanie no longer invite him on their shows since he has become a Hillary supporter. I would guess that the real reason is that the Plame scandal has not been in the news as of late, and that is the real reason, but I guess it's better for him to spin it otherwise.

[krkaufman]

28. And Rachel Maddow, as well. He mentions all three in the above-linked NQ blog post

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/04/04/barack-randi-cozy-as-can-be/

Good point. But it's gotta be some big conspiracy, out to suppress Clinton supporters. Sheesh.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. WOW check out that "proof" he posts

that this was on Obama event. You have to click on that document at the top of his page. And at the top of the document, it says "This is a Green 960 event" which proves his claim that it was an Obama event is WRONG.

Does Larry actually read what he posts on his website? Good grief. :rofl:

[krkaufman]

41. Yes, the frenzy would be pitiable had they not, perhaps, had *some* effect ....

.... on AAR management's decision. Larry and many of the posters there seem downright fringe-tastic.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. They also want to replace Randi with Taylor Marsh, a Hillary supporter

Frankly, it scares me that they think they have such power over AAR.

[krkaufman]

42. And it tickles me to death. It's entertaining to see an entire blog experiencing ...

... delusions of grandeur.

[TheWebHead]

8. i've been pretty surprised by larry johnson and the plames

especially when the mathematics continue to make their hopes of HRC getting the nomination so slim. But let's be honest, Larry's blog trying to take credit "we did it" for Randi is a joke. The only "we" that did it was Mark Green, let's not kid ourselves. Randi has disliked Mark from the start, and I believe the feeling is mutual. He'd like to get rid of her but she's the best of their current lineup's anemic ratings. DC insider Bill Press has no comp, Miller has the 9am spot, and ed at noon (EST). Thom and Ed dividing their #s gives Randi an advantage at 3pm, but it was a dangerous move by Green. Randi can say FU and move to Nova M. There's really no affiliate loyalty to AAR, so it's not much of a gamble on her part and she's already indicated that AAR has violated her contract. She'd probably have to take a pay cut and return to west palm, but if she hates her current owner, it seems like a logical move to me.

[dogday]

10. These are the same people who took on Rove, Cheney

Bush, Libby and others... I am not going to say anything bad about them.. They went through hell trying to prove what was done to Plame... How time has a way of making people forget about what the right thing is.....

[krkaufman]

13. As with the stock market, past performance is no indication of future performance.

I don't see how whatever good Larry has done in the past has any relevance to his support of twisting the facts regarding the Green960 event, and his ridiculous hypocrisy in regards to the Randi witchhunt.

[dogday]

14. Randi is a polarizing figure... I could not do without her in

2004 and even then people criticized her on this forum.. I love her, and even though I think she went too far, it is not worth her job... I will not badmouth good people on this forum just cause they don't believe as I do... Those people earned my respect....

[PA Democrat]

16. Would you feel differently if you thought that Randi was the first

on their target list and that they are trying to stifle other people in the media who they feel are not supportive of their candidate? Because that seems to be their plan after reading that website. It reeked of McCarthyism. I posted just a few of the remarks i read further up in this thread.

Look, I haven't listened to Randi for a long time, and I think that Air America was within their rights to suspend her. They are after all in the business to make money and are going to respond if they get enough complaints. However, if there is a larger effort to intimidate talk show and TV hosts into censoring what are perceived as "anti-Hillary" remarks, then I have a HUGE problem with that.

[dogday]

18. I don't support Clinton or Obama and I have

a neutral view on this... I see things on both sides of these campaigns that have turned me off both of our candidates. So the only thing I can do is get behind the one that is chosen... I still say both sides are very much at fault... I have always liked Randi even when others were trashing her, so I am sad this is happening to her, but the truth of the matter is if her contract has a morals clause, she blew it...

[PA Democrat]

21. I'm not defending Randi's actions. My problem is that there is a very obvious witch hunt going on

by the folks at Larry Johnson's website. They are trying to intimidate other liberals in the media into censoring what they say about Clinton and her campaign. They apparently even have a problem with Rachel Maddow. It's sad.

[dogday]

22. There are witchhunts going on everywhere with

everyone... This is just another one... I swear I don't know how we are all going to come together in November... I will be there to support Obama or Clinton, just any Democrat against that old Bastard McCain....

[krkaufman]

44. Well, do remember that the blogosphere is really a small percentage of the population ...

... so these skirmishes will hopefully have little effect on November.

[dogday]

47. I know, it is nothing like this in the real world...

I absolutely believe that as well.. We will need everyone to come together to beat the Republican Slime Machine...

[krkaufman]

37. Perfectly reasonable.

And I won't sit idly by while supposed allies tear down other allies, over short-term differences, especially when the actors are demonstrating such a degree of hypocrisy.

Personally, FWIW, I quickly grew averse to Randi's program. I can't take the abusive treatment of callers, the abrasiveness and Randi-centric gravitational pull to most discussions. But I think the politically-motivated purge attempt is over-the-line, given her comments were political in nature.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. They are now going after Obama with the same vengeance

And this week, they took on Randi Rhodes.

It looks like they are borrowing ideas from Rove and Cheney. :scared:

[krkaufman]

46. Desperate, cornered critters.

Don't think you can coax them into better behavior. You'll get bit.

[dogday]

48. Everyone is going after everyone with the same vengeance

It is all out war between these two campaigns and it has become a mud wrestling campaign from both sides. I truly hate to see us tearing each other to shreds....

[krkaufman]

55. Sorry, but I don't see this as a matter of equal offense.

Yes, both *campaigns* are making their case for the nomination, but one campaign is doing a decidedly greater amount of mud-slinging and manipulation.

The supporters of the campaigns are another matter, and distinct from the campaigns.

[Coexist]

24. those people are rabid!

Larry used to be a tough cookie, but if that hate he is spewing is for real, and not just an act - it has truly twisted him.

Some funny posts:

It was also on UPCOMING.ORG

Yahoo! needs to reject and denounce Randi Rhode’s stand up act!

and

Using the same logic, the event was organized and supported by the Marin County Democrat Party. It’s advertised on their events calender.

http://www.marinunited.org/d/EventsCalendar/tabid/246/ModuleID/703/ItemID/8/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=3/22/2008

[krkaufman]

45. I think that Marin County comment may have been sarcastic ....

... poking fun at the NoQluers posters.

I don't speak for the veracity of the following poster -- the site appears to be a Right Wing blog (being linked to PajamasMedia, rights?) -- but I found the tale Re: Larry Johnson gripping...
http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/07/26/jumping-in-with-both-feet/

[Orsino]

27. LOL!

Yeah. If there is a case to be made for the sudden and selective "radioactivity" of the word "whore," Larry Johnson is not the one to make it.

FAIL.

[Bigleaf]

33. Larry Johnson is a fucking hypocrite. Thanks for proving this fact. I don't even like listening to

Randi but this whole thing smells bad, real bad.

[krkaufman]

43. I'm right there with you, not being a Randi fan, whatsoever.

(I only listen to her program, nowadays, when Seder's filling-in. Though I'm podcasting this week's with a degree of somberness.)

... but the hypocrisy and motives of those trying to purge Randi are too much to bear.

[MelissaB]

38. K&R

[MelissaB]

39. K&R

[americanstranger]

50. I'm glad people are noticing Johnson's involvement here.

I first posted on it the other night.

For someone who's supposedly on our side, he and his readers sure are taking a lot of glee in bringing down one of the leading progressive voices in the media.

It's starting to look as though if they can't get their candidate nominated, they'll be content with collecting a few liberal scalps.

That bothers me.

- as

[LTR]

51. K&R

Larry Johnson and his cult are a bunch of hypocritical frauds.

The kicker was seeing comment on some posts that defended Sean Hannity, for having Geraldine Ferraro on his show to rip on Randi Rhodes.

I can't believe Larry is still floating that bullshit about it being an Obama event. It was a radio station event!

[TML]

52. We have a name for Larry Johnson

Flowbee!

[orleans]

53. i call him a REPUBLICAN

"a letter of recommendation from Republican Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) helped to "open doors" for him at the CIA. A registered Republican who supported President Bush in 2000"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_C._Johnson

[orleans]

54. great post. k&r

i wasn't aware that he had such a double standard when it came to the use of the word whore.

what a fucking pig

or--as you put it--a political crack whore!

[OwnedByFerrets]

56. Wow, fantastic post...

I applaud you for digging up this crap.

[The Night Owl]

57. According to M-W Dictionary, the one you cite, one of three definitions of a certain racial slur...

...describes the slur as being something which has nothing to do with race. Yeah... oops! So, you may want avoid using the M-W Dictionary definition of the word "whore" as the basis for your argument that it is not necessarily a sexist slur lest some idiot use the M-W Dictionary definition of a certain racial slur to excuse its use.

Sorry... You can't completely divorce the word "whore" from the ugly sexual connotations it has because everyone's understanding of the tertiary definition is based on an understanding of the primary definition.

Anyway, nice try.

[krkaufman]

58. I'm aware of the m-w.com entry ...

... and welcome your providing an example of its use. Hell, I'd be surprised if you can find *any* use of the word in that manner, aside from the one person mentioned. Whereas, I provided an example where St. Larry used 'whore' in just the context he decried, so I've proven my point. There was no "try", du.

In the meantime, Sen. Clinton continues to demonstrate that she is a venal and unscrupulous person.

[The Night Owl]

60. You missed the point.

I'm not arguing that the tertiary definition of the word n***** as defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary is acceptable. You are.

You are basically trying to float the same argument which right wingers sometimes use to defend the use of racial slurs. The I didn't mean it in the racist sense argument... as though a racial slur can be completely divorced from the primary definition which everyone knows.

[krkaufman]

62. Not at all. I wholly disagree w/ the m-w.com declaration of Ron Dellums' use ...

... as non-racial, never having seen or heard its use in the described context, and so I've tossed-out the challenge that someone provide any such non-racial usage of the word.

Whereas, I've cited examples where 'whore' has been used, even among the Rhodes witchhunt hypocrites, in its gender-neutral context.

[The Night Owl]

63. So, when the dictionary agrees with you, you use it as the foundation of your argument...

...but when the dictionary disagrees with you, you toss it out.

Laughable.

[krkaufman]

64. My request remains... please provide an example of the third context of n****r.

I don't deny the existence of the m-w.com entry; I have simply made a request that someone provide an example of its usage in an inoffensive context -- as I have done for 'whore'. 'whore' has been commonly used in a non-sexual, gender-neutral manner for years with no outcry. As I've said, I would welcome a re-education on how one can use n****r in an inoffensive manner.

That being said, the original post in this branch attempted to censor the gender-neutral, non-sexual meaning of whore based on some argument that there's some commonly acceptable usage of 'n****r', but I refused to accept that framing -- as you, yourself, have also demonstrated throughout this thread by either dancing around "the word" or "slur", or masking 'n****r' in asterisks... while explicitly typing-out 'whore.'

Obviously, the two words are of differing degrees of offensiveness, and you have shown that you agree.

Set and match.

[Moochy]

59. Flowbee calls KOS + all its diarists "John Bolton and Dick Cheney in drag."

Now there's a real progressive democrat!

:kick:

Great Post!

[krkaufman]

61. Yeah! Aside from his stance on Rhodes being comically hypocritical ...

... in light of that particular dKos rant of his, I thought it ironic that Randi opted to use the same phrasing to criticize Ferraro, as "David Duke in drag." I'm surprised Johnson (Flowbee?) didn't notice that and start calling Air America threatening lawsuits for plagiarism.

edit: thanks.