Talk show host apologizes for faulty report of NYC mugging
By DAVID B. CARUSO | Associated Press Writer
5:36 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
NEW YORK - An Air America radio personality apologized Tuesday for saying that a colleague, the liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes, had been the victim of a violent street mugging perpetrated by "the right wing hate machine."
Air America's Jon Elliott announced on his late-night show Monday that Rhodes had been assaulted Sunday while walking her dog in Manhattan near her Park Avenue apartment. He also speculated that the attack was the work of someone trying to silence a liberal voice.
Elliott's account of the incident, however, was contested Tuesday by Rhodes attorney, Robert Gaulin.
Gaulin confirmed that Rhodes was injured after she was floored by someone _ or something _ as she strolled the streets of Manhattan's Murray Hill district around 8 p.m., but wasn't sure herself what sent her tumbling to the pavement.
"She hit her head on the street and was disoriented," Gaulin said. "She's not sure what happened. She didn't see anything." He added that she never reported the incident to police.
Air America released a statement saying that "the reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded." Elliott followed that up with a retraction.
"I shouldn't have speculated based on hearsay that Randi Rhodes had been mugged and that it may have been an attack from a right wing hate machine. I apologize for jumping to conclusions based on an emotional reaction," he said in a written statement.
Air America's vice president of programming, David Bernstein, said Rhodes missed her shows on Monday and Tuesday, but hoped to be back soon.
"She's OK. She needs a little dental work, and that's all," he said.
A message posted on Rhodes' Web site acknowledged that she was "a bit under the weather," but didn't say why.
New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said investigators tried to contact Rhodes after learning of the incident, but were told that she did not intend to file a report.
Well, it's certainly good to know that she is all right and apparently WASN'T attacked. The report of an attack seems to have stemmed from this Jon Eliott guy.
Still, the story is inconclusive as it says Randi isn't sure what happened to cause her fall. "She was floored by someone, or something", doesn't really say what exactly happened, one way or another.
Still, It's good to know she's doing OK.
