A SMALL OVERSIGHT

On Saturday, the New York Post published an op-ed piece by Bob Lonsberry entitled "Fight Like America." ("Don't pussyfoot around with these jihad boys, blow them to hell. This isn't Marquis of Queensbury, this is kill or be killed. And with armaments, technology and numbers like we've got, the other side should be nothing but a grease spot in the road.")

The Post identified Lonsberry as "a veteran journalist and talk-radio host."

Here's what the Post didn't tell you:

...the [Rochester, New York] Democrat and Chronicle got wind of a pair of off-the-cuff comments made during two of his shows in late August and early September [2003]. In the first, responding to a news item about an orangutan escaping from the Rochester zoo, Lonsberry headed into a commercial break by saying, "Headline - orangutan escapes from zoo, runs for county executive. Fascinating stuff." In the second, on September 18, Lonsberry wrapped up his show with his usual "Listeners on the Loose" segment, in which callers have 15 seconds to make a comment or, often, play a sound effect down the line. In response to a caller who played monkey noises, Lonsberry said, "Freakin' monkey's loose up at the zoo again...and he's running for county executive. What's with that?"

Lonsberry is a frequent and outspoken critic of Democratic county executive candidate and Rochester mayor Bill Johnson, who happens to be black....

Nice people you're hiring, Rupert.