I suspect you never bothered to listen. I was never a fan of Randi Rhodes, but many of the other shows, including Al Franken's, had a great array of guests from both sides. G. Gordon Liddy, past Presidents, soldiers returning from Iraq, etc. The simple fact of the matter was that whatever their flaws, Air America radio had far more content and was far more accurate than the right wing propoganda machine.

As for your assertion that Democrats lack ideas, well that was a standard false Republican talking point from way back. Democrats warned against al-Qaeda LONG before Republicans took the threat seriously. We took it so seriously that Republicans whined about Clinton being "obsessed with al-Qaeda." Gee...wouldn't it have been nice if Bush had been equally obsessed with al-Qaeda? Democrats pushed for the necessary international banking reforms that the intelligence agencies push for to cut off terrorist funding since Clinton's presidency. Those efforts were BLOCKED by Republicans who now allow pretty free international financing of terrorism from places like Saudi Arabia. Why? Because companies like Enron benefitted from the same loopholes the terrorists benefit from.

Democrats have been pushing for energy independence and have talked about the link between our oil addiction and international terrorism since Carter. We have advocated for alternative energy since then. Republicans continue to say America is too weak and technologically backwards to be independent. Well, according to the scientific literature in the 1990's, we could have been a long way towrads energy indepence long ago. Yet we still hear Republicans whine about how America just CAN'T get off its addiction to oil even though back 10 years ago we had the technology to make the Great Plains states energy exporters on wind alone! The Democrats have pushed for that and Republicans, locked in their old "oil or nothing" mentality, have blocked progress. Democrats warned about the ozone hole and global warming for decades. It is only recently that Republicans have begun to notice that these are real issues. Democrats were listening to scientists and coming up with solutions long ago. Republicans, locked in their old thinking, blocked it.

Democrats have tried coming up with solutions for the health care crisis, looking at the models of nations with far better health care outcomes than the US (the US ranks among Croatia and Portugal on many healthcare outcome measurements) and on the Canadian system that has led American companies to move to Canada to take advantage of their health care system. Democrats have been working on solutions while Republicans deny the crisis and block any attempts at reform.

Democrats work for campaign finance reform and stricter ethics rules for Congress. Republicans are being indicted right and left, with Bob Ney and Randy Cunningham pleading guilty and many others awaiting trial, for massive corruption. Oh, yeah, and in the process they want to WEAKEN congressional ethics rules.

On foreign policy Democrats have the brilliant idea taht we should fight the people who actually attacked America and not fight nations that have never attacked us. Republicans have the stupid idea that we should ignore people who attack us, letting them go free, while we bog down in a war based on lies and with no exit strategy.

Seems to me whatever "ideas" Republicans have are absolute failures and are largely based on the failed ideas of the 1920's. Democrats from the 1930's on have been the party of real ideas. All Republicans seem to be able to do is ruin our economy, fumble wars, alienate our allies, whine about people having sex and wallow in corruption. If that's all you got, you really do suck.

Chapter 11 is not a death sentence, it's a financial restructuring, something that I sensed AAR has been in need of from its birth, when the primary investor lied to them about how much backing he'd be giving them. I hope that they'll get a good money person in to lead them out of it.

Randi Rhodes may not be perfect, she's got a voice and manner that can be grating, but it's insane to equate her with Limbaugh, O'Lielly et al. Unlike them, she really does her homework. I'll admit I have heard her make a mistake, maybe 5 times in 2 1/2 years, but she is ordinarily awesomely well-informed and tells the truth. Not like the Talking Points Brigade at all.

NPR ain't what it used to be. While WNYC, our local station, has some very worthwhile shows (I particularly like Brian Lehrer), the NPR administrative structure has been infiltrated by Bushites, starting with the repulsive Ken Tomlinson, who was driven out after he got caught trying to monitor political commentary on PBS for left-wing bias, and giving a grateful nation Wall Street Week in Review. He is currently running the Voice of America, and a horse racing operation out of his office, as a sideline. Although he is gone, (and Bill Moyers has returned to PBS, hallelujah!) he left behind a number of embeds whose subtle tracks can be discerned in various NPR news shows.

There is a market for liberal talk radio; I am part of it. Not all of us have computer access all day, and it fills a very real need in my array of information sources. If you have an original idea for a better way to reach me during the day, please go for it.