The 'Silly Season' is all-year round for Conservatives

Yesterday, there were intermittent gusts of wind, heavy downpours, and another welcome relief from the oppressive heat in Augusta. My colleagues and I just finished loading up our bins filled with fasteners for tomorrow's delivery to our key client. I went back to my work station and began sorting another part. My radio sets atop a small, white counter top. Since my CD player keeps wigging out on me (short circuiting), I decided to try some talk radio (mainstream music today is awful, particularly on our local stations). I tried ESPN radio, but all I heard was a muffled Scott Van Pelt voice through all the static. No go. O.k. Let's hear what our Con-Servative has to say today. I turned on Augusta's Conservative talk personality, Austin Rhodes, and gained some good laughs from his usual b.s.

When there isn't a high profile crime or local politician's scandal happening, Rhodes does what he does best -- comment on those who preceded his show, Neal Boortz and Rush Limbaugh. He praised Michelle Obama's speech as someone who can deliver a great presentation. Well, that's fine. Literally, a few seconds later, he tried to portray her as someone who was raised in privilege. FALSE. Her father, stricken with multiple sclerosis, worked long hours in the south side of Chicago. The family literally lived paycheck to paycheck. On the other hand, John McCain's father was a retired Admiral in the U.S. Navy. The same McCain who said anyone who earns $5 million per year or more in this country is considered wealthy. I guess it makes sense he's out-of-touch, since he was asked how many homes he and his wife Cindy own and told the reporter to get with his staff on that one.

Rhodes switched gears and decided to question why Catholics would vote Democrat. "Isn't Joe Biden Catholic? I'm surprised he isn't ex-communicated from the Catholic Chruch." This is when he went into his anti-choice, anti-abortion rant. This is an easy one and a woman's issue. Robin (girlfriend and law grad) would delve much deeper into this. How does a simpleton who has no scientific cred, medical background in particular, determine when life begins? Abortions keep rising in this country under the Bush Administration and you ask why. Well, abstinence-only education, lack of funding for pre-natal care to those living in poor regions, and several reasons why a decision came down to saving the woman or potential baby's life. If abortion was banned, how would Rhodes feel if the government told him what he can do with his body? Right. This wouldn't be an issue.

Finally, Rhodes decided to take a cheap shot at MSNBC. He played the audio of a clip when Joe Scarborough (who walked off his own show after Rachel Maddow put him in his place during a debate) and MSNBC correspondent David Shuster. There was really nothing to this spat. Shuster was upset Scarborough continues living in la-la land and doesn't ask the McCain camp the same tough questions. Scarborough began accusing Shuster as a biased (liberal) reporter. Shuster said "you can look at my voter registration record and see I'm independent." As usual, Joe just ran his mouth off to no avail.

Rhodes claims, "This is why MSNBC has such terrible ratings. I'd love to see Scarborough debate Olbermann." Rhodes' trusty sidekick, A.B., the station's sports director injected, "I don't know how you can stand watching Olbermann." "I like to hear what the other side is talking about," Rhodes responded. As a radio personality, you think Rhodes would know about MSNBC's track record. According to the Nielsen ratings, Olbermann's audience has increased substantially year after year. Several shows, including a guest appearance by Maddow, revealed his show was #1 for the 8:00 p.m. EDT time slot for the 25 to 54-year-old demographic that competes with bumbling Bill O'Reilly on Faux News, CNN Headline News' hack, Glenn Beck, and CNN's Paula Zahn Now (now cancelled). This same day, Scarborough once again wanted to crash the DNC's party with some more nonsensical logic. Olbermann called him out on it.