Quotes of the Morning: AFRaid of Radio

“Armed Forces Radio (AFR) is a station that is broadcast to American troops overseas through ‘over 1,000 outlets in more than 175 countries.’ It currently features an hour of programming from right-wing host Rush Limbaugh. There is no comparable progressive program.”
-Think Progress, October 17, 2005

“American troops listen to Rush for an hour each day? Isn’t that against the Geneva Conventions? Why does AFR hate our troops? I mean, really..”
-Skippy

“CALLER: ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine.’ Isn't that what they say? That doesn't mean all those things that you learned... Those things are supposed to stay with you and it doesn't seem like -- he either never had them in the first place or he's not being true and have any integrity like you've already mentioned.
RUSH: Okay, call him a staff puke if that's what you want, but civilian affairs, staff puke. Bottom line is he's running a fraudulent, deceptive campaign, and the Democrats are saying this is a bellwether election. We've got two instances of huge fraud being perpetrated here, and I'm bound and determined they're not going to get away with this, whether the guy wins or not, they're not going to get away with mis-portraying the results of this when the whole campaign has been one of total fraud and lying and deceit, fooling people.”
-Rush Limbaugh radio show, August 2, 2005

“Paul Hackett, whom Rush is slandering above, served in Iraq in the Marines for seven months. Rush Limbaugh was unable to serve during Vietnam because of a cyst on his rear end. Despite that, Rush seems to have no problem belittling Hackett’s service and that of any other troops serving in a similar manner. This is apparently a ‘conservative’ message that AFR has no problem with (I put quotes around ‘conservative’ so as not to insult the actual fiscal and moral conservatives out there). Yesterday that was supposed to change.”
-Skippy

“Today, that was supposed change. Ed Schultz – the most popular progressive radio show in the country — was supposed to start broadcasting on Armed Forces radio. Jones Radio, the company that syndicates the Ed Shultz show, received an email on September 29 from an Armed Forces Radio official confirming that one hour of the Ed Schultz show would begin airing today, October 17.
But morning this at 6AM, the producer of the Ed Schultz show, James Holm, received a call from Pentagon communications aide Allison Barber. She told Holm that she was calling so early to let Schultz know his show would not begin airing on AFR today. You’ll remember Barber as the aide caught coaching troops before a photo-op with President Bush last week.
Barber told Holm that the Ed Schultz show would not start on AFR today because her boss, Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita, was out of the country and couldn’t approve it. Barber also said she was going out of the country soon for a week-and-a-half. Holm asked Barber if the show would begin when DiRita and Barber returned. Barber said she couldn’t guarantee that.”
-Think Progress, October 17, 2005

“Barber.. Barber.. Hmm.. Where have I heard that name before?”
-Skippy

“If he gives us a question that's not something that we've scripted, Captain Kennedy, you're gonna have that mic and that's your chance to impress us all.”
-Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Allison Barber, October 13, 2005

“Oh yeah! She was the one making sure that the last dog and pony show with the President went off smoothly. Wow, what were the chances we’d hear about her twice in the same week?”
-Skippy

“Here’s the really interesting part. Barber told Holm she heard Ed announced that he would begin on AFR during his show Friday. Schultz’s show Friday began with audio outtakes of Barber sounding foolish as she rehearsed the troops ‘Q&A session’ with Bush.”
-Think Progress, October 17, 2005

“I guess that the odds weren’t so bad after all. If only Ed insulted Democrats instead of picking on the Administration he’d have probably gotten away with it..”
-Skippy