Airhead America Payola

Air America is the far left radio talk show featuring Al Franken, Janeane Garofolo, Randi Rhodes and Stuart Smalley, famous only for its Bush hatred. Air America is also a financial disaster barely being kept afloat by money from George Soros and his ilk. In ultraliberal NYC its rating is below even that of the Caribbean station it replaced.

Now it appears that Air America has also accepted money from at least one non-profit charity organization funded by the public. The Washington Times asks: Did Al Franken's liberal radio network Air America divert city money for the elderly and inner-city children to itself?

In June, NYC officials designated the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club , a nonprofit organization that runs mentoring programs for children and day care for Alzheimer's patients, a "non-responsible city contractor." Investigators found "significant inappropriate transactions and falsified documents that were submitted to various City agencies." It turns out that the mishandled money went to Air America. One source claims that $480,000 was wrongly transferred.

Why the public till should be tapped to rescue a foundering news outlet was a question no one seemed to consider. Maybe Air America officers thought spending public funds on their network was a truly compelling public interest. Air America is struggling to find listeners, leaders and reliable funding. But should it take money from children and the ailing elderly?

Hugh Hewitt has a good overview of the developing scandal and he offers: At least Bernie Ebbers looted his own company, not the Boys & Girls Club.

Radio blogger Brian Maloney has the lowdown. Read the whole thing. Then send a message to NY super sleuth Elliot Spitzer . His new website stresses "Accountability" and "Integrity." Not if he lets his lefty friends get a pass as he chases after every suit on Wall Street. And note that Spitzer has been crusading against radio payola. How's that for irony?