I don't know if anyone else just heard it, but Ed Schultz just went postal on the Kerry-Edwards campaign. For those who don't know who Schultz is, he hosts a non-Air America liberal talk show that is currently heard in close to 50 markets. Some Air America affiliates, such as KPOJ in Portland, carry his program along with AA offerings.
Personally, I believe -- and have for some time -- that Schultz has the chops to be the closest thing we're going to get to a Lefty Limbaugh. He's broadcasting out of North Dakota, right there in the heartland, and he strikes listeners as both a regular guy and as a hell-fire radio type.
Anyway, I tried transcribing what he said during the rant, and I probably caught about half of it. Check it out below:
"I'd like to know how often the Kerry camp has made themselves available to anyone (on the radio), whether it's Air America or someone else. The only time I've been able to get Kerry on this program is through two senators. Edwards' people just stonewalls us. We can't even get called back by these people. They're playing like they want to lose. How many times do I have to beat 'Slanthead' Hannity in the ratings to get them to call?
"The Republicans want to see their audio people win. They help them. They communicate with them. They do anything they can to help out their people on the air. We get zero help from John Kerry and his people. I've bit my tongue long enough.
"Why isn't John Kerry on Letterman? Why isn't he on Oprah? You can't just go from one small town to another small town, giving the same stump speech over and over again. The conservatives have got it down.
"All I'm saying is, this is a microcosm of how they think. They don't know how to help (the liberal radio movement) build, but the Republicans know how to help their people succeed.
"I will succeed in the radio industry whether I ever talk to Kerry or Edwards. But I want you dedicated listeners to know I'm trying. We knock our head against the wall trying to communicate with these people. And I'll tell you right now, Kerry has a bunch of losers around him. They don't get it.
"Tom Daschle, Hillary Clinton, Byron Dorgan, Sens. Conrad and Harkin, they all get it. They understand how the right-wing is feeding the talkers of America. But we're trying. We're really trying. And after today, we may just stop trying. Kerry is acting like he really just doesn't want to win. They don't know what they're doing. They really don't.
"In my heart, I think the guy would be a far better president than George W. Bush. I believe that John Kerry would be a great president. He has all the tools. But the people around him? They're arrogant. They think they're the only ones who really know how to do anything. They are playing to lose.
"I can't call Sen. Byron Dorgan on a daily basis, asking him to produce my radio show.
"Every time I go on one of these shows like MSNBC or Fox, I'm defending Kerry. I get no backup from the Kerry people.
"I want all you people who are out there to know what it's like dealing with the Kerry people. He doesn't have any "killers" in his camp. I want to be so wrong on this, but I'm not.
Yikes.
I don't necessarily have much commentary to add, although I admit I'm more apt to agree with Schultz on this issue than to disagree. I'm seeing and hearing a lot less Kerry than I'd prefer.
If nothing else, going on Air America and Schultz would help further energize the base, and it's inevitably going to be the base Kerry's going to have to rely upon to GOTV.