Rough Skies for Air America

I have to admit I was looking forward to the launch of Air America, the liberal talk radio network. Featuring most notably Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo, it is intended to provide a counterbalance to such conservative juggernauts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. In fact, Franken's show is called The O'Franken Factor in an obvious twit of his arch nemesis.

The reason I eagerly anticipated the launch of Air America was because we would get a real time assessment of the loony left's popularity. I fully expected Air America to pancake spectacularly.

Just not so fast.

Air America went dark in two major markets, Chicago and Los Angeles, purportedly over a bounced million dollar check. The story was broken by Drudge, who has a habit of scooping stories the major media won't touch. Of course, it strains my credulity that Air America would bounce a check that big, or even write a check for a million dollars for that matter (I'm going to need more than two forms of ID for this one, sir!). Still, a tiny radio network pulled these shows for a reason.

What interests me is the reaction by Air America, which has been to react in an amazingly petulant manner. While I'm seldom shocked by liberal's lack of class, especially this particular breed, I have to say the ferocity and nastiness of Air America's web comments took me back. Of the station owner who pulled the shows Arthur Liu they write:

"So we got screwed, Liu'd, and tattooed. How Liu can you get? In Liu of payment. Liu'd and lascivious behavior. These write themselves. What we're getting at is that we hate him."

UPDATE: The above quote is no longer available on their web site, It was at this link: http://www.airamericaradio.com/pub/resNews.htm
perhaps they thought better of it. Normally I PDF pages I quote, just in case I need a record of it, but I didn't with this one.

Looking beyond their adaptation of a racist expression, Liu didn't build a network by habitually cheesing off people with wheelbarrows full of money wanting to broadcast on his stations. Air America boasts of well-heeled angels like Barbara Streisand, and Bush-hating billionaire George Soros. Yet in spite this, Liu yanked the shows over some sort of money dispute. Either the Air America crew isn't as well-heeled as they said, or they haven't the patience businesspeople need to work out problems (they certainly demonstrated a lack of class).

A freshly minted entrepreneur and I often discuss difficult clients and troublesome vendors. I usually exhort her with remarks like "As long as the check clears" or "He may be a jerk, but he meets the deadlines" in order to encourage her to look past her business associate's flaws and work toward the real goal - a mutually beneficial exchange.

What this incident says about Air America in particular and angry white liberals in general will take some more thinking, but at first blush their current adventure reveals a stunning lack of business acumen. Now every network owner knows that if you cross Air America…BAM! If nothing else, it tells us why whacko leftists should never be allowed near the economy, they not only don't understand business, they are utterly contemptuous of it.

Tim McNabb