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Attack on Liberal Radio Host Was Not a Hate Crime, Air America Says
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

By Greg Simmons

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The blogosphere was abuzz Tuesday with reports that the host of a liberal talk-radio show was the victim of an apparent street crime Sunday night, leading another of the network's hosts to speculate that she was targeted by "the right wing" for her political views

Randi Rhodes, whose program airs on Air America weekdays from 3-6 p.m. ET, claims she was walking down the street near her Manhattan home around 8 p.m. when she was struck and found herself face down on the pavement, her lawyer, Robert Gaulin, told FOXNews.com.

"We don't know whether there was a deliberate intention aimed at her or whether it was an accident... she was pretty much, she was hurt badly when she fell and her face hit the ground," Gaulin said, adding that people on the street came to her aid.

Talking Radio, a blog that follows Air America's programming, reported that another host at the liberal network, Jon Elliott, told listeners of his show Monday night that Rhodes had been attacked near Park Avenue and 39th Street.

According to the blog, Elliott then said, "This does not appear to me to be a standard grab-the- money-and-run mugging," and, "Is this an attempt by the right wing hate machine to silence one of our own?" Elliot also suggested that the act might have been meant to intimidate left-wing radio, the blog reported.

There even was a report that Rhodes had lost several teeth in the alleged attack.

The report spread quickly Tuesday over the blogosphere, with the Google blog search showing hundreds of posts on the subject.

As of Tuesday morning, however, New York City Police told FOXNews.com that they had no record of any attack in the area that Elliott mentioned — Park Avenue and 39th Street — and that Rhodes did not file a report of the incident with police.

"We have no record of her making any complaints whatsoever ... as far back as my computer goes," a police spokesman said. He said the records went back roughly 25 years.

The police spokesman, who asked not to be identified because of department policy, said that police "do not investigate things that are unreported," but encouraged Rhodes to report the incident if she would like police to investigate the matter.

In a brief statement posted on its Web site Tuesday, Air America said Rhodes "experienced an unfortunate incident hindering her from hosting the show. The reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded."

Air America said replacement hosts will continue to fill in for Rhodes as she recuperates.

An Air America employee, who was not authorized to speak to the media and declined to be identified, confirmed the reports that Rhodes had been attacked, and said "it was not a hate crime."

The source said that Rhodes had been in contact with several employees at Air America, and Rhodes told them she had suffered chipped teeth from the attack, and would be seeing a dentist.

Rhodes was not hospitalized. The source said the attack was not sexual in nature. It was not clear if Rhodes had been robbed by her attacker.
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