The latest liberal conspiracy theory goes poof!

Remember this story next time you hear some wild liberal conspiracy about the evil that conservatives do. Air America host Randi Rhodes was hurt outside her apartment in New York. Soon rumors were flying, spurred on by another Air America host.

Fellow host Jon Elliott claimed on the liberal radio network that Rhodes had been mugged while walking her dog, Simon, on Sunday night. Elliot, who said Rhodes lost several teeth in the attack, waxed about a possible conspiracy.

"Is this an attempt by the right-wing, hate machine to silence one of our own?" he asked on the air, according to Talking Radio, a blog. "Are we threatening them? Are they afraid that we’re winning? Are they trying to silence intimidate us?"

And bloggers swalloed the whole conspiracy hook, line, and sinker.

"What the %$#$ is WRONG with you people?? Are you that SICK in the head that just because you don’t agree with someone’s political views you believe that they deserve to be mugged? Are you on the right that DEMENTED??," a blogger called neddlenosehanty posted on watchingthewatchers.org.

The only problem is that Rhodes wasn't mugged at all. She just fell down.

Rhodes' lawyer told the Daily News she was injured in a fall while walking her dog. He said she's not sure what happened, and only knows that she fell down and is in a lot of pain. The lawyer said Rhodes expects to be back on the air Thursday. He stressed there is no indication she was targeted or that she was the victim of a "hate crime."

Note how the first instinct was to jump to the conclusion that right-wingers are resorting to violence to silence people they don't agree with. Brian Maloney traces the rumor through the blogosphere. Chalk up another false story to Matt Drudge.

The whole idea of a conservative taking to mugging just to silence someone on Air America. As if Rhodes was such a threat to conservatives. According to Talkers Magazine, she gets about 1.5 million listeners a week. There are about 27 other talk show hosts, most of them conservative who get more listeners a week. And, to tell the truth, conservatives rather like having these liberals out there on the radio and in the blogosphere just to see what these people are saying. Conservatives don't need to silence liberal talk radio. Just let the free market do its job.

But remember this story next time you hear of some conspiracy being talked up on Daily Kos, Moveon.org, and Air America.