The Latest on Air America

MEET LIONEL IN PHILADELPHIA!

Sean Kensing — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:13:18 -0400

Admit it. You want to meet Lionel. While you're at it, you wouldn't mind hearing him read a selection or two from his hilarious new book. Maybe you've got a burning question you'd like to ask him,without having to call that troublesome toll-free number.

Then you need to be at Robin's Bookstore in Philadelphia,PA on Wednesday, October 22^nd. At 6 PM, Lionel will read excerpts from his new book, Everyone's Crazy Except You and Me…And I'm Not So Sure About You. Following the reading, Lionel will take questions from the audience and sign copies of his tome.

Robin'sBookstore is Philadelphia's oldest independent bookstore, so you're also doing your part to keep a mom-and-pop shop going strong. The address is below. Get there.

Wednesday, October 22at 6pm: MEET LIONEL http://www.robinsbookstore.com/

108 South 13th Street
Philadelphia (Center City), PA 19107

215.735.9600

Hannity Will Help Fund Planned Parenthood?

Tim Einenkel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:16:03 -0400

The theme song that plays at the top of each hour on Sean Hannity radio program will not just help strike fear into those who challenge him--will not just kick start Hannity's three hours of hate radio anymore, but will now help fund a group Hannity hates the most, Planned Parenthood. According to Newshounds.Us:

The writer of the song, Gretchen Peters, will be contributing royalties, from this song, to that bastion of all that is wrong with the world – Planned Parenthood – the place that, according to Hannity’s “pal,” Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is genociding black babies and being aided in that genocide by the U.S. Government! (Comment: Neglecting, of course, the comprehensive health care which PPFA provides for women of all ages.) Peters, like so many of the women that John McCain was hoping to woo with the selection of rabid anti choice Sarah Palin for Vice-President, feels that her song is being used for the wrong reasons: "They are co-opting the song, completely overlooking the context and message, and using it to promote a candidate who would set women's rights back decades," Peters said. The song is not, as Sean Hannity would have it, about patriotism; but about domestic abuse – something that we all know never happens in Hannity’s America.

The beginning lyrics to the song:

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing, let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning. Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, it’s independence day.

Hannity has dedicated much of his programming to "exposing" Planned Parenthood:

7 Days in America: Reputation First?, w/ Mellman, Conason, Huffington & Green

Mark Green — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:34:55 -0400

Dear Senator McCain:

We don't know each other well. We only met once when I interviewed you in 2002 for a book on money in politics. And like many progressive Democrats, I found you interesting, engaging, pretty independent.

What happened?

I understand how ambition can warp judgment. But your recent personal attacks on Barack Obama are so beyond the pale for presidential politics that you now face a fateful choice by the Wednesday debate -- will you pull back from the abyss of sleazy slander or risk losing not only the election but also your reputation and honor?

If Friday is any indication, you're on the fence. On the one hand, when another rally started turning into a mob, you chastized some hateful supporters by saying that Obama was "a decent person [who] you do not have to scared of as president of the United States" and "we will be respectful." But that same day your campaign released an ad that was anything but respectful, asserting that Obama "worked with terrorist Bill Ayres" and then "lied" about it. And of course Sarah Palin keeps repeating that Obama "started" his political career in Ayres' living room.

According to newspaper reports, this is a big lie -- one any candidate should sympathize with. Hundreds of people have hosted events for me, and I assure you that I don't know what awful things they did decades earlier. Indeed, it's known that the two of them worked together handing out educational grants on the same board of the Annenberg Foundation, whose widow endorsed McCain this week! So are you supported by terrorists?

What's unusual this year is that so-called swift-boat tactics are being launched not by mysterious 527s so a candidate can deny paternity...but by the presidential and vice-presidential candidates themselves. The mud is dripping from your hands -- and the anger and hatred from your supporters ("traitor","Arab", "kill him") was ginned up by the McCain Team.

Ring of Fire's Buried Stories Oct 11th

Ring of Fire — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:36:31 -0400

Ring of Fire's Mike Papantonio and fellow Air American Sam Seder run down this week's stories that the corporate-controlled media missed, including the fact that 1 in 4 mammals are facing extinction, and how Wall Street is cashing in on the financial crisis.

"The Clout Store"

RichardGreene — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:17:40 -0400

Ring of Fire: Buried Stories with Pap and Sam Seder

Ring of Fire — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:05:47 -0400

Palin, Failin', McCain Ain't Sailin'

Beau Friedlander — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:01:23 -0400

There is good news everywhere (other than on the Street). Let me rephrase that: There is good news anent the 2008 presidential election if you would like to see Barack Obama win. Let me rephrase that again: Hurray!!! Folks we're looking at an embarassment of riches as we trundle inexorably to election day.

Yesterday, John McCain helped himself and the nation, though not his campaign and today Obama thanked him. Responding to a man at a Minnesota rally who expressed fear of an Obama presidency, McCain pointed out that there was nothing morally wrong with Obama--he is "a decent man" and a "family man" and would be an okay president. McCain said essentially that he would prefer to see himself get elected president over Obama. Nice. (Sorta.)

In other news, Alaska state lawmakers released a much-anticipated report on Palin's role in the 2007 dismissal of the state public safety commissioner Walter Monegan because he refused to fire a state trooper who was entangled in a nasty divorce with the governor's sister. The report said that Governor Palin had abused her powers, but that no legal action would be taken.

Frankly this is a bit of a non-story. Air America already covered (fifth item) the New York Times report Friday morning that proved Palin had made several phone calls that she later lied about regarding the dismissal of Trooper Wooten. The story hitting on the Friday evening of a long weekend is a shame, because fewer people will know about it (I was already asleep!). But news will trickle out. It effects undecided voters for the most part, and we'll just have to hope folks on the fence are paying attention.

Politically Direct Sunday 10-12-08 The Attack of the Killer B's!

Scott Millican — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:36:20 -0400

It's The Killer B's this week on Politically Direct as Bender is joined by Begala, Brock and Bobby Kennedy in our countdown to the Big Vote. Author and political strategist Paul Begala ("Third Term: Why George Bush Loves John McCain"), Media Matters for America founder and CEO David Brock and Ring of Fire's Bobby Kennedy, Jr ("Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s American Heroes: Robert Smalls, the Boat Thief") will all BE here to share their views about the campaign in general and Republican John McCain specifically. All this and highlights from David's favorite interviews from the Democratic and Republican convention today right here on Politically Direct.

helpful links:

Progressive Accountability mentioned by David Brock on today's show.

Video: McCain Booed at Rally

Tim Einenkel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:10:45 -0400

Jon Elliott: Alaska State Senator Bill Wielechowski discusses Troopergate

Scott Egelberg — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:21:18 -0400

Jon Elliott: Michael Isikoff on Sarah Palin

Scott Egelberg — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:43:34 -0400

Prof. Reagan schools 13 year-old Pete on health care

Scott Egelberg — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:07:19 -0400

Ron Reagan with Jonathan Alter on the week that was.

Scott Egelberg — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:29:52 -0400

The Truth About ACORN's Voter Registration Drive

Bertha Lewis and Steve Kest — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:09:47 -0400

Election Day is less than a month away, and our efforts to make sure that low-income and minority voters have a voice and vote on November 4th are in full swing. Unfortunately, just as we've seen in previous election cycles, the more success we have in empowering these voters, the more attacks we have to fend off from partisan forces making unfounded accusations to disparage our work and help maintain the status quo of an unbalanced electorate. We want to take this opportunity to separate the facts of our successes from the falsehoods of our attackers.

On Monday, October 6, as voter registration deadlines passed in most states, ACORN completed the largest, most successful nonpartisan voter registration drive in history. In partnership with the nonpartisan organization Project Vote, we helped register over 1.3 million low-income, minority, and young voters in a total of 21 states. Highlights of this success include:

We collected over 151,000 registrations in Florida, 153,000 in Pennsylvania, 215,000 in Michigan, and nearly 250,000 in Ohio.

An estimated 60-70 percent of our applicants are people of color.

At least HALF of all are registrations are from young people between 18-29.

We are proud of this unprecedented success, and grateful to everyone who supported us in this massive effort, from our funders and partners to the literally thousands of hardworking individuals across the country who dedicated themselves to the cause and conducted the difficult work of registering 1.3 million Americans, one voter at a time.

And this work is far from over: now begins our effort mobilize these new voters around local and national issues, getting them to the polls and helping to channel their commitment and conviction into an ongoing movement for change in our communities.

Ron Reagan discusses the economy with Bob Sullivan

Scott Egelberg — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:09:46 -0400