BlatherWatch

BREAKING: Mike webb assaults photographer in courthouse

Former talk host and KIRO radio personality, Mike Webb struck and shoved a photographer in the hallway at 10:45 today as he entered Superior Court Judge, Helen Halpert's courtroom for an omnibus hearing on his felony insurance fraud case.

The photographer, Jeff DeWolf, 59, a local freelancer, was not hurt.

"I will press charges," says DeWolf, who made a police report. "If you can't feel safe do your job in the halls of justice, where can you feel safe?"

The incidence is being investigated by Seattle Police.

BlatherWatch was there, and witnessed the incidence as Webb, striding down the hall in dark glasses broke away from Attorney Mark Larranaga to lunge at DeWolf.

Larranaga yelled "Mike!", pulled Webb back, and hustled him down the hall.

It's not known whether Webb will be charged in the assault case. "It's up to the City Attorney," said SPD Officer Mike Cassidy, who took DeWolf's report and assigned a case number.

Webb was arrested in December on fraud charges after police say he tried to claim damages from an accident he had with an uninsured driver on a Geico insurance policy he bought after the accident.

He has pled not guilty and trial is set for July 12.

KOMO kicks KIRO ass in new arbitron ratings

The Snapple corks must be popping over at Fisher Plaza. In the 12+ ratings trends just released, KOMO beat KIRO for the first time in memory.

During March, April and May, the news talker and home of the Mariners, came up to 4th in the Market from 6th. KIRO went from 4th to 5th place.

In other surprises, Entercom's robot station KTTH jumped ahead of mighty Fisher talker KVI. The mighty no.1 forever, country music KMPS fell to number 3 behind R& B station KUBE and soft rocker KRWM-FM.

These ratings aren't of the 25-54 money demo, which is all important to advertisers, but it's remarkable for KOMO after all these years of KIRO market dominance.

KIRO has been shown signs of pulling itself out of its death spiral, since finally putting Dave Ross back into the 9 ta noon; hiring Ron Reagan and ostensibly filling the afternoon drive with the Man Show. The true fruits of these changes won't be seen for months, and with the Mariners out of the basement this year, there's not much chance of that for a few books.   

Ex-KIRO talkers graze nationwide in the fill-in green pastures...

AllAccess, the radio trade site, reported all of these items Thursday. With ex-overnighter Lou Pate's fill-ins in Miami we reported yesterday, it looks like the numerous ghosts of KIRO past are ubiquitous across the dials of America. Missing is Mike Webb, who, incidentally is scheduled to appear in Superior Court Friday on his felony insurance fraud case. There will be no fill-ins allowed for Mike's appearance.

Siegel Back On Seattle Radio
MIKE SIEGEL returns to the SEATTLE airwaves with a one hour daily talk show 6-7p ET on talk simulcast KITZ-A/SILVERDALE, WA and KGTK-A/OLYMPIA, WA, reports the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER's BILL VIRGIN.

Maloney Equal To Fill-In Tasks At WRKO/Boston
Listen for the RADIO EQUALIZER himself, BRIAN MALONEY, on ENTERCOM Talk WRKO-A/BOSTON throughout the holiday weeks. MALONEY filled in for middayer JOHN DEPETRO TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY and will handle mornings or the vacationing SCOTT ALLEN MILLER next MONDAY and TUESDAY.

Hart In For Marvin At AM 760/Denver
Veteran talker ERIN HART is filling in for JAY MARVIN in mornings JUNE 30 and JULY 3-4 at CLEAR CHANNEL Talk KKZN-A (PROGRESSIVE TALK AM 760)/DENVER. The fill-ins return HART to the 760 frequency where she hosted when the station was called KTLK in the 90s; most recently at
KIRO-A/SEATTLE, HART has also hosted at KOA-A and KNUS-A/DENVER and TALKSPOT.COM.

Thursday oddems: rush's urology the talk of the continent, lou pate gets a job, coulter's cooze swallows dori, lake of fire, silver threads among the gold

~~dearly departed KIRO overnighter Lou Pate is living in the Miami, West Palm Beach area and, according to sources, doing fill-ins on WIOD, for Fox's syndicated John Gibson and on FOX's satellite channels for Spencer Hughes.

~~Dori Monson's interview with millionaire scold, Ann Coulter, Wednesday was wimpish pandering and a slightly nauseous display of just how conservative he has become. She's apparently written another of her bestsellers cloaking her deeply-held Christian beliefs in the pure loving bile she's known for. Her books are successful because they combine two things Americans love- religion and violence- even though the latter, so far, is only literary. Her schtick is right-wing religious boiler plate with clever shock-value verbiage that inspires circle-jerks of Wish-I'd-Said-Thats from a timid, albeit large, partisan choir. Dori had some real questions that sounded like he might be challenging her, but when he led with one, she snarled at him like an abusive crack mother, and he backed off like a little boy caught with his hand in his pants. Take a listen, you'll see what we mean.

~~The most outrageous thing about Dori's show today was not the sharp-elbowed Connecticut harpy with the celebrated toothed and leathery nether parts, but the story he told as he was prostrating before her. He said his 16-year-old daughter had been offered extra-credit in a science class if they went to Gore's movie on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. She and her mother didn't see the movie, he said, but instead went to the theater, bought a ticket so the teen could lie to the teacher, and get the credit. Dori said they bought her the ticket to "take advantage of the system, but not make our daughter sit through two hours of tedium like that."(emphasis added) What a great teenage "values" lesson! That's what conservatives call "investing in education." it's what liberals call cheating. Good call, Dori, it's reminiscent of frat boys hiring nerds to write term papers. And 'tedious' is not how the movie's described by anyone who's viewed it without the blinders of GOP partisanism

Rush Limbaugh detained in viagra bust

Conservative talk host Rush Limpbaugh, 55, was detained at the Palm Beach Airport Monday after authorities said they found a bottle of the prescription drug Viagra in his possession.

(The widely abused drug is for erectile dysfunction, which means that Limpbaugh has to take pills to arouse his diminutive penis enough for normal sexual activity).

Smuggling and snuggling has been ruled out since Big Pants was alone on his private plane when it landed at the airport around 2p from the Dominican Republic.

He reportedly broke up with CNN anchor Daryn Kagan months ago.

Limbaugh's attorney Roy Black said the trip was a much needed vacation, "He just wanted to get a hold of himself."

"You may not want to shake his hand, but a man has the right to relax," said Black.

Erectile dysfunction is not untypical of drug users, the obese, men over the 50, the flatulant, and even the youngest of conservatives, according to Dr. Edgar "Choch" Manaña of Stanford Medical Center.

"Mr. Limpbaugh," he says, "is in all the risk groups. It has to do with repressed desires, tight sphinctering, narrow world views, or the simple curiosity to see an organ not seen in years or sometimes even decades."

Many in the blogosphere are wondering aloud, "Why the Dominican Republic with drugs that enhances sexual performance?" The extremely poor, mostly black Third World country is a popular stop for sex tourists.

But Black tried to quash those suspicions, saying said Limbaugh went to the Caribbean for "prayer, meditation and self-help."

More abramoff embarrassment for rabbi daniel lapin

Once again, erstwhile Seattle talk host, Rabbi Daniel Lapin made national news after newly released documents in the Jack Abramoff scandal show how the disgraced lobbyist secretly routed funds through tax-exempt organizations with the "acquiescence of those in charge." in Sunday's Washington Post.

(Lapin has been all over the right-wing dial in Seattle- on KVI, KKOL, and most recently, KTTH. In April, he moved his weekly talk show to San Francisco's right-wing talker, KSFO Sundays, 1-4p.)

Those in charge and acquiescing, it turns out, are such values community leaders as conservative anti-tax guru, Grover Norquist; former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph "Boyo" Reed; and, once again, Mercer Island's anti-gay activist and anti-recycling fundamentalist, rabbi Daniel Lapin.

E-mails show that Abramoff also moved client money through a conservative Jewish foundation called Toward Tradition, run by longtime Abramoff friend Rabbi Daniel Lapin. In January 2000, when Reed sent Abramoff an $867,000 invoice to be billed to a Choctaw official, Abramoff responded: "Ok, thanks. Please get me the groups we are using, since I want to give this to her all at once." Reed responded: "Amy, Grover, Lapin and one other I will get you."
...
Abramoff tapped the same cluster of tax-exempt groups in 2000 to help defeat legislation to ban gambling on the Internet. Abramoff's client, an online gambling services company called eLottery, donated money to ATR, the policy research center and Toward Tradition.

In May 2000, just before a key vote on the anti-gambling bill, the research center paid for the Scotland trip for then-House Majority Whip DeLay. Toward Tradition hired the wife of DeLay aide Tony C. Rudy, who later pleaded guilty to conspiring to corrupt public officials, saying his wife was paid in exchange for his official actions. Lapin has said his hiring of Lisa Rudy was not connected to any eLottery donations.

"It's not a tax-exempt activity to act as a bag man for Jack Abramoff," Marcus S. Owens, a former Internal Revenue Service official told the Washington Post.

We'll be mighty interested to see if the Bush Justice Department or the IRS will be doing any prosecuting these of these "charities" for their "acquiescence" to Abramoff laundering.

We've reported that Toward Tradition has fallen on hard times since all this has unfolded- the organization has vacated its leased north Mercer Island offices, laid off most of the staff, and is being run- mostly by the good rebbe- and from home.

This isn't the first time his non-profit has been mentioned as a laundromat for the former fat-cat lobbyist. Here's some more reading about the rabid rabbi:
Seattle times: rabbi daniel lapin abramoff connections
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: show rabbi of the racists
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: "The Man Who Stands By His Scandal-Ridden Friends"
Rabbi Daniel Lapin: More National Embarrassment
Rabbi daniel lapin, a long look backward

OPEN THREAD: How's Goldy doin'?

David Goldstein (KIRO Sundays, 7-10p) is always asking for feedback- after all, he is brand new at talk radio. Keeping his politics  as much out of it as possible, let's give him some.

Here are some questions you might think about:

• Knowing him on the radio, do you like him?
• Is he too timid? too much of a smart ass?
• Would you want him as the father of your child? grand child?
• Do you like his choice of guests? his treatment of guests? Who would you like to see as a guest?
• Ever feel like calling in? How does he handle callers? 
• How's his delivery and voice?
• Does he seem comfortable in the talk medium?
• If you're a conservative, does his show engage you despite his politics?
• What talk hosts could he emulate to improve?

Horse's ass radio Hunk Night: dwight pelz, peter goldmark & dave neiwert

David Goldstein (KIRO Sundays, 7-10p) has lined up some political hotties for a hot night.

7p:  Can Senate challenger Mike McGavick really run as a “moderate” and “independent” when he’s filling his campaign coffers from mining, oil, insurance and the rest of the GOP’s usual suspects? Expect a totally unbiased, objective, nonpartisan answer from WA State Democratic Party chair and residentwall-flower and sexy, sexy man, Dwight Pelz.

8p: What will it take for Democrats to win in Eastern Washington? Goldy talks to rancher, microbiologist, and Democratic  candidate for congress (WA-05), Peter Goldmark who's running against Cathy McMorris, a Spokane one termer, groomed by Tom Delay for House leadership. He's a scion of the famous, progressive State Sen. John Goldmark, slandered and vilified in the 1960's by a right-wing press and later exonerated in court. His brother, Charles Goldmark and family were murdered on Xmas Eve,1985 by a right-wing extremist. Goldmark is incredibly well-spoken and considering his family's sacrifices, his decision to get into the public arena is an act of integrity and courage.

9p: Goldy writes; "If I spoke out in favor of poisoning Supreme Court justices and killing congressman, or attacked 9/11 widows as 'witches' and 'harpies'… I’d be pretty damned marginalized. Whereas when Ann Coulter does it, she simply sells more books." Local author and blogger on Orcinus David Neiwert is a well-known national authority on the extreme right and has been tracking the steady drip of its violent, extremist rhetoric into the mainstream. They will try to answer the question: Why won’t Republicans disavow Ann Coulter?

Weekend quicklies: mike webb, dj nobrain, mike mcgavick, the acne-ed one, horse's ass radio, anabolic morons we have known

~~OK, OK, this Van Dyne guy sucks (KIRO fill-in m-f, 9p- 1a) like with his topic about the ethics of doing it with robots, as a loyal reader complains. But her examples of who was better for the KIRO slot doesn't do it for us. Remember: they were alleged liberals, but in the fluff dep't, Mike Webb played disco, waxed nostalgic for the 1970's, and shook his booty out for snacks. Erin Hart talked about cleaning her refrigerator and her damn dog! Yet, we agree- Van Dyne represents what we hope isn't a long-term trend at KIRO of hiring issues-lite FM-ers like the anabolic morons Wrong & Dong (m-f, 4-7p). We're hoping Entercom will Procaccino Van Dyne's ass.

~~Speaking of former talk host Mike Webb- his omnibus hearing (where he may plea out) for felony insurance fraud is next Friday, June 30, 10 a, in Judge Helen Halpert's courtroom (E 847, 8th floor) in the King County Court House. Trial is set for July 12 (if it goes to trial). Webb has re-set court appearances many times before, so stay tuned.

~~Now we've heard KIRO employees think that the dearly departed producer Ann Wog was a BlatherWatch source. Unfortunately, she was not. We could never get anything out of her. Hell, she wouldn't even return emails (like so many of you won't). Ironically, some of those spreading that rumor have leaked themselves.

~~David Goldstein (KIRO Sundays, 7-10p) will fill in for Frank Shiers Saturday evening 7-10p. (look out Frank, remember what happened last time Goldy filled in for somebody...be still my beating heart). He'll be talking to Rep. Jay Inslee, about the New Apollo Project, his enlightened energy bill; then slick chick Erica Barnett from The Stranger, will discuss local transportation, a subject about which she is a well-known virtuoso, having covered it for years. Also local blogger Darryl of Hominid Views to discuss his outing of Mike McGavick's disingenuous claims on CAFE standards; and how the blogosphere is keeping candidates -- and journalists -- honest.

~~and they say we're mean... We heard Bryan Suits, the erstwhile Republican talker who cut and ran from Iraq in 2003 (KVI m-f, 5-8) recently refer to Ken Schram (KOMO m-f, 10a-12p) on-air as "The Acne-ed One." (Schram has one of those complexions that look like his face caught on fire and someone tried to put it out w/a track shoe). This is the kind of ad hominem attack we've come to expect from the desperate, bitter, angry, extreme far right.

endless summer, president bush, and where the cocyxx meets the lucite

Wow. We just saw our president of these United States on the T & the V and he is tan. We mean like brown...like a nut...or buerre noir...or Regis Philbin...or a roast chicken.

It is haying season, but we're pretty sure the Big Guy isn't spending that much time on his tractor. Matter of fact, our Yalie/Harvard Cowpoke-in-Chief has been seen lately ridin' that big black Escalade around the ranch- he couldn't even get a farmer's tan, in 'at rig.

And he was as tan in January, as he is right now.

Doubt if he's had time to flop down on a beach blanket- though after after he cut and run out of Baghdad the other day, he coulda made one of his secret side trips to Cannes- and whooda blamed him? (well, we woulda, I guess).

The plain truth is: only way the Divider and the Decider could be so tan is by laying on a tanning bed!

Could we repeat that, but a little louder? The Leader Of The Free World must be being clam-shelled 3 times a week in a plastic bed and pummeled with dangerous rays!

(This may seem frivolous and vain for someone of his stature, but hell, we're liberals- who are we to blame him for this particular unnatural act, when we've committed so many ourselves?)

We're betting he's tanning to support the desert-charred troops in Iraq. Like when friends of chemotherapy patients shave their heads in a loving, sympathetic gesture.

We'd like to think it's the sacrifice he makes and the risk he's willing to take in order to walk where they walk...to fry as they fry, be all that he can be.

It's the least he can do. 

That would be spiritually ever so much more graceful than him doing it because he's trying to look like he just got off a jet-ski at Palm Beach.

Or his honky self trying to resemble one of those Hispanic voters he's always trying to lube up.

We can't help wonder if he nudes it on his electric beach. If he does, he'll have one of those white triangles on the crack of his ass where his tailbone meets the lucite--not a pleasant visual, but neither is the alternative of him wearing a bottom and having bikini lines.

Be honest, which is better? a world leader who looks like he's been out fighting Al Qaeda? OR, a pasty quebba like Tony Blair who looks like he just crawled out from underneath one of those Brit cars that always need fixing? (Culturally stunted, the Brits totally missed the cultural influence of the Beach Boys and Endless Summer that we enjoy).

Maybe it's a generational thing- after all- Bush is a Baby Boomer, the generation of lookin' good...

But whether he's considering Supreme Court justices; conferring with the leaders of the world, making decisions effecting American lives for decades to come--we for one, will never see President George W. Bush again without wondering, which is it?  Tan lines or cotton tail on his sorry old 60-year-old ass.~~July 12, 2005