Here we are... New Years Eve!

I hit the air in about 15 minutes for the last time in 2008. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to do that, as I was one of millions of Americans who became unemployed this year.

But I have to remain hopeful that things will get better.

Yesterday, Marianne Williamson spoke of faith. While I'm not a religious person, I do believe that we get back the same type of energy we put out. If you put out negative thoughts and energies, those are what will come back to you. If we go into the new year thinking it'll be one of despair and hopelessness, that's what we'll collectively bring to ourselves.

I do believe in the power of the universe and, as Marianne said yesterday, we all brought about Obama's victory. Let's all bring about the type of presidency we want his to be.

And today on Air America, I'll speak with Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights about how we might go about making sure Bush, Cheney, Rumsefeld et al get what they deserve for the hell they brought to us over the past eight years.

Come on, I can't be all warm and mushy!

I hope you'll come back and visit Radio or Not regularly in 2009... And if you haven't yet done so, please look to your right and sign up for my mailing list so I can keep you posted on my on-air whereabouts!

Happy New Year.

Nicole

I want to leave you with an article written by an Israel Peace activist named Uri Avnery. He wrote it a few months ago, but it was just printed in The Nation. We tried to get him on the air today, but couldn't get it scheduled in time. But it's a great thought for the New Year when it comes to bringing peace to the Middle East....

This article originally appeared on Uri Avnery's website.
The following humble suggestions are based on my seventy years of experience as an underground fighter, special forces soldier in the 1948 war, editor-in-chief of a newsmagazine, member of the Knesset and founding member of a peace movement:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090112/avnery
A Memo to Obama on Israel
Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Uri Avnery:

The following humble suggestions are based on my 70 years of experience as an underground fighter, member of the Knesset and founding member of a peace movement in Israel.

1) As far as Israeli-Arab peace is concerned, you should act from Day One.

2) Israeli elections are due to take place in February 2009. You can have an indirect but important and constructive impact on the outcome, by announcing your unequivocal determination to achieve Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-all-Arab peace in 2009.

3) Unfortunately, all your predecessors since 1967 have played a double game. While paying lip service to peace, and sometimes going through the motions of making some effort for peace, they have in practice supported our governments in moving in the very opposite direction. In particular, they have given tacit approval to the building and enlargement of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories, each of which is a land mine on the road to peace.

4) All the settlements are illegal in international law. The distinction sometimes made between "illegal" outposts and the other settlements is a propaganda ploy designed to obscure this simple truth.

5) All the settlements since 1967 have been built with the express purpose of making a Palestinian state--and hence peace--impossible, by cutting the territory of the prospective State of Palestine into ribbons. Practically all our government departments and the army have openly or secretly helped to build, consolidate and enlarge the settlements--as confirmed by the 2005 report prepared for the government by lawyer Talia Sasson.

6) By now, the number of settlers in the West Bank has reached some 250,000 (apart from the 200,000 settlers in the Greater Jerusalem area, whose status is somewhat different). They are politically isolated, and sometimes detested by the majority of the Israel public, but enjoy significant support in the army and government ministries.

7) No Israeli government would dare to confront the concentrated politi
cal and material might of the settlers. Such a confrontation would need very strong leadership and the unstinting support of the President of the United States to have any chance of success.

8) Lacking these, all "peace negotiations" are a sham. The Israeli government and its US backers have done everything possible to prevent the negotiations with both the Palestinians and the Syrians from reaching any conclusion, for fear of provoking a confrontation with the settlers and their supporters. The present "Annapolis" negotiations are as hollow as all the preceding ones, each side keeping up the pretense for its own political interests.

9) The Clinton administration, and even more so the Bush administration, allowed the Israeli government to keep up this pretense. It is therefore imperative to prevent members of these administrations from diverting your Middle Eastern policy into the old channels.

10) It is important for you to make a complete new start, and to state this publicly. Discredited ideas and failed initiatives--such as the Bush "vision," the Road Map, Annapolis and the like--should be thrown into the junkyard of history.

11) To make a new start, the aim of American policy should be stated clearly and succinctly. This should be: to achieve a peace based on the two-state solution within a defined time span (say, by the end of 2009).

12) It should be pointed out that this aim is based on a reassessment of the American national interest, in order to extract the poison from American-Arab and American-Muslim relations, strengthen peace-oriented regimes, defeat Al Qaeda-type terrorism, end the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and achieve a viable accommodation with Iran.

13) The terms of Israeli-Palestinian peace are clear. They have been crystallized in thousands of hours of negotiations, conferences, meetings and conversations. They are:

13.1) A sovereign and viable State of Palestine will be established side by side with the State of Israel.

13.2) The border between the two states will be based on the pre-1967 Armistice Line (the "Green Line"). Insubstantial alterations can be arrived at by mutual agreement on an exchange of territories on a 1:1 basis.

13.3) East Jerusalem, including the Haram-al-Sharif ("Temple Mount") and all Arab neighborhoods will serve as the capital of Palestine. West Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and all Jewish neighborhoods, will serve as the capital of Israel. A joint municipal authority, based on equality, may be established by mutual consent to administer the city as one territorial unit.

13.4) All Israeli settlements--except any which might be joined to Israel in the framework of a mutually agreed exchange of territories-- will be evacuated (see 15 below).

13.5) Israel will recognize in principle the right of the refugees to return. A Joint Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, composed of Palestinian, Israeli and international historians, will examine the events of 1948 and 1967 and determine who was responsible for what. Each individual refugee will be given the choice between (1) repatriation to the State of Palestine, (2) remaining where he/she is living now and receiving generous compensation, (3) returning to Israel and being resettled, (4) emigrating to any other country, with generous compensation. The number of refugees who will return to Israeli territory will be fixed by mutual agreement, it being understood that nothing will be done that materially alters the demographic composition of the Israeli population. The large funds needed for the implementation of this solution must be provided by the international community in the interest of world peace. This will save much of the money spent today on military expenditure and direct grants from the United States.

13.6) The West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip constitute one national unit. An extraterritorial connection (road, railway, tunnel or bridge) will connect the West Bank with the Gaza Strip.

13.7) Israel and Syria will sign a peace agreement. Israel will withdraw to the pre-1967 line and all settlements on the Golan Heights will be dismantled. Syria will cease all anti-Israeli activities conducted directly or by proxy. The two parties will establish normal relations between them.
13.8) In accordance with the Saudi Peace Initiative, all member states of the Arab League will recognize Israel and establish normal relations with it. Talks about a future Middle Eastern Union, on the model of the EU, possibly to include Turkey and Iran, may be considered.

14) Palestinian unity is essential for peace. Peace made with only one section of the people is worthless. The US will facilitate Palestinian reconciliation and the unification of Palestinian structures. To this end, the US will end its boycott of Hamas, which won the last elections, start a political dialogue with the movement and encourage Israel to do the same. The US will respect any result of democratic Palestinian elections.

15) The US will aid the government of Israel in confronting the settlement problem. As from now, settlers will be given one year to leave the occupied territories voluntarily in return for compensation that will allow them to build their homes in Israel proper. After that, all settlements--except those within any areas to be joined to Israel under the peace agreement--will be evacuated.

16) I suggest that you, as president of the United States, come to Israel and address the Israeli people personally, not only from the rostrum of the Knesset but also at a mass rally in Tel-Aviv's Rabin Square. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt came to Israel in 1977, and, by addressing the Israeli people directly, completely changed their attitude towards peace with Egypt. At present, most Israelis feel insecure, uncertain and afraid of any daring peace initiative, partly because of a deep distrust of anything coming from the Arab side. Your personal intervention, at the critical moment, could literally do wonders in creating the psychological basis for peace.

Get The Nation at home (and online!) for 75 cents a week!
If you like this article, consider making a donation to The Nation.

About Uri AvneryUri Avnery is a veteran of Israel's 1948 war, a former Member of the Knesset, founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement and winner of the 2001 Right Livelihood Award, often called the "alternative Nobel Peace Prize." His book "1948: A Soldier's Tale, the Bloody Road to Jerusalem," which was published in Hebrew soon after the 1948 war and was a bestseller in Israel, has just been translated into English for the first time by Oneworld Publications. more...

Today on Air America

Today is the 5th of 6 shows I'm guest hosting for Ron Kuby on Air America. The main thread running through all the shows is the Year in Review, and we're focusing in on two months per show.

Today, it's September and October. We go from the Democratic Convention to the Republican Convention and, of course, the absurdity that was the candidacy of Sarah Palin for VP! Will there be lots of good audio from her? You betcha!!

I've tried to bring some great guests to the party, and today is one I've truly been looking forward to. Marianne Williamson will join me at the top of hour three-- 2PM Eastern/5PM Pacific.

If you happen to be in South Florida, which is where Radio or Not originates, Marianne will be here for a fundraiser for FIU's Center for the Study of Spirituality Wednesday evening, February 25, at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, beginning at 7:30 pm.

Click here for ticket info, or call 305.538.2503.

Coming today on Air America radio...

I'll be speaking with Newsweek's Jonathan Tepperman who wrote a piece entitled The Noose Tightens: Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and other top Bush officials could soon face legal jeopardy. (Thanks to listener John from Elko who sent me the link a few days ago!)

I'll also be joined by voiceover artist Randy Thomas, who was brought in by the Democratic Party to announce the final night of the convention at Invesco Field, and will add a bit of unique perspective to our Year in Review segment about the convention in August. Randy also just wrote a new book, Voice for Hire, which is must-reading for anyone looking to make a living in the lucrative voiceover field.

July and August are on the menu today as we continue our Year in Review...

Talk to you from 3-6pm eastern at www.airamerica.com!

The Year in Review continues

The Year in Review continues tomorrow (Monday) on Air America, as I'll be filling in for Ron Kuby again tomorrow through Wednesday...

But I thought you might enjoy a look at the year gone by much more quickly, by the geniuses at Jib Jab:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

A Christmas Day interivew on a great cause to support

From my show yesterday when I guest hosted "Doing Time with Ron Kuby" on Air America... and interview with Richard Cohen, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. I hope you'll listen, and help them out if you can...




Merry Christmas and all that jazz....

Christmas Eve and a last minute gift

I'm getting ready to fill in for Ron Kuby today on Air America (3-6pm eastern), and today's show should be a good one, but I must share this with you before I crack the mic...





Last night, I was searching for the gun shaped egg fryer that Dave Barry told us about yesterday (scroll down to yesterday's post to see his very unique Holiday Gift Guide!). The link takes you to Amazon.com, where I was disappointed to learn that the egg fryer was sold out. But it gave some other gift ideas, like the "My Sexy Little Pole".





Now, not only is the product worth checking out (and perhaps getting for that special someone in your life), but there are three product reviews that are worth the price of admission and more! This one was my favorite (and I found it interesting that only 2 or 9 people found this review helpful!:





2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Worth it for the DVD alone, October 21, 2008







By
NedMuffin (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviewsI was delighted at the prospect of purchasing an East European bride, as was my elderly mother who couldn't wait for her 48-year old son to leave home. Although Amazon's newest range appeared to be limited to this one Polish babe, I really liked the look of the leggy blonde in the photo, despite her being incorrectly dressed for the scaffolding work she was apparently undertaking. Even with my limited knowledge of the opposite sex, this looked like just the type of special lady that would be handy around the house and a fox in the bedroom. When the parcel arrived, I guessed from the size and shape that I had made an awful mistake, probably due to my over excitement at the prospect of finally finding a life-partner. Of course, mummy said I should have been more suspicious of the modest price but I didn't hear the old dragon comment at the time. In the end, my expectations were dashed by my ignorance of pole dancing, a practice that consists entirely of listening to music whilst hanging upside-down in your underwear. I know this now because the pole -- which incidentally, I use to support mummy's sagging washing line -- came with a free DVD that I watch on a nightly basis after the battleaxe has gone to bed. The quality of this DVD alone warrants my 5-star rating.

On today's show, we'll talk about holding the outgoing administration accountable for their crimes with David Swanson (of Democrats.com, afterdowningstreet.org and DavidSwanson.org) in the first hour. In the second hour, we'll speak with Richard Cohen, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. If you don't know of this group, you need to hear what they do! And check out the website at www.splcenter.org)

Filling in on Air America again!

I'm honored to have the opportunity to be heard on Air America radio again this week and next. This time I'm filling in for Ron Kuby, who's heard weekdays from 3-6 pm eastern. If
Doing Time with Ron Kuby isn't on in your market, you can always listen to the stream at http://www.airamerica.com/.

Yesterday, I spoke with Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado (hear the interview here) and check out his Extra Bases Foundation here, and today I'll be speaking with humorist Dave Barry. One of my favorite Dave Barry pieces is his annual Holiday Gift Guide for the Miami Herald. If you're still looking for a special gift for the people in your life, you might just find one here!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we'll speak with David Swanson of Democrats.com, as we wonder what Christmas Eve pardons W has in his bag of crimes. This came in the email box from Democrats.com yesterday, and it's something you should be interested in...

Will Bush Pardon Cheney on Christmas Eve?

On Christmas Eve 1992, defeated President George H.W. Bush pardoned Caspar Weinberger, Elliott Abrams, Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, Clair George, and Robert McFarlane for their Iran-Contra crimes. Not one served a single day in jail; Weinberger was about to go on trial and would have tied Bush himself to the scandal.

Will George W. Bush follow his father's precedent and pardon Dick Cheney and his other criminal co-conspirators this Wednesday on Christmas Eve?

Last week, Cheney was all over TV setting the stage for pardons. He admitted he personally approved torture, but insisted it destroyed Al Qaeda and saved American lives.

According to a powerful article by David Rose in Vanity Fair, the Bush-Cheney torture regime accomplished exactly the opposite. The torture photos from Abu Ghraib helped Al Qaeda's recruitment soar. U.S. officers in Iraq say torture-inspired attacks on U.S. soldiers were the #1 and #2 cause of soldiers' deaths. CIA analysts say the "intelligence" produced by torture was worthless.

On November 20, Rep. Jerrold Nadler introduced H.Res. 1531 to urge Bush not to pardon his criminal co-conspirators. Nadler's bill has 9 co-sponsors but we need every Representative (and Senator) to speak out against corrupt self-pardons.

If you haven't signed our petition to Congress, please join over 48,000 who have: http://democrats.com/nadler-pardons

Discuss this here: http://www.democrats.com/will-bush-pardon-cheney-on-christmas-eve _______________________

I'm crazed with the madness of the holidays, but read all the comments, and hope you'll be listening on Air America!

And Happy Hanukkah too....

I've Got Some Presents for Santa

Hear today's episode of Radio or Not by clicking here (runtime 10:18)

The title of today's entry is actually a song title. It's probably my favorite Christmas song, as it's irreverent and dirty, and sounds good too! Written and recorded by Bill Mumy (yes, the Bill Mumy who played Will Robinson on Lost in Space and the kid from the Twilight Zone who wished people to the cornfield), and sung by Sarah Taylor, it's my holiday gift to you at the end of today's show.

Today's show is really a big thank you for the support you've shown me this year, and my promise to fight the good fight as we move forward into a new year with a new administration.

As you can tell from yesterday's show, I will not give Obama a free ride just because he's a Democrat. If anything, I'll probably be even more critical of him. I know we'll have no shortage of material in the weeks and months to come.

I'll be back with you Monday on the air at Air America, and streaming live at www.airamerica.com, filling in for Ron Kuby from 3-6 pm eastern time. I hope you'll join me!

Hear today's episode of Radio or Not by clicking here (runtime 10:18)

What the hell is Barack Obama thinking?

Hear my Radio or Not commentary on the subject, along with the audio of President-elect Obama trying to explain this move, by clicking here (runtime 10:11).

I understand wanting to be the bigger man.  I've admired President-elect Obama for being able to put personal differences aside and show that he's not vindictive or out to get those who may have gone against him politically in the past.  But this is ridiculous.

It's the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.  Naming Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church to deliver the invocation at the inauguration is an outright insult to those of us who've been insulted, demeaned, and discriminated against by this so-called man of faith.

To me, Rick Warren, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and the others of that ilk are nothing more than power-hungry, money-grubbing fast talkers who prey on weaker souls and line their own pockets with the money taken from their God-fearing followers.

As one who does not believe in a "supreme being" but chooses to believe in the power of the universe and karma, I think there's a special place in hell for those I've named.  Barack Obama thinks Warren warrents the spotlight at his inaguration?

I think he's gone overboard on the inclusiveness here.

I was a guest commentator on a right-wing radio station in Ft. Lauderdale for two weeks leading up to election day.  Yes, I was the token liberal, because management thought they could take advantage of attitudes changing a bit.  As we discussed Amendment 2 here in Florida (our equivalent of California's Prop 8), a caller shocked me when she said she thought we were getting "too tolerant".  

I just about exploded!  How can we be TOO tolerant?  I guess I got my answer today.

Barack Obama is being too tolerant of hate mongers, of those who've worked for the last 8 years to keep good people down, to promote discrimination and intolerance.

I've been supportive of Obama as he chose people for his cabinet that may not have been as progressive as I'd like.  But this is an abomination.

Hear my Radio or Not commentary on the subject, along with the audio of President-elect Obama trying to explain this move, by clicking here (runtime 10:11).

A listen back to March 2008

Hear the highlights of March 2008 in today's Radio or Not podcast by clicking here (runtime 25:39)

Our look back at the year gone by continues today with March... a month that saw the 5th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, and the downfall of NY Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Speaking of Spitzer, why is it that a sex scandal is immediate grounds for an elected official to step down - or even be impeached - but it's not that simple when an elected official is as corrupt as the hard drive that imploded on my other computer last week? Blogojevich won't go away, and we couldn't impeach George W. Bush... but the Republicans impeached Bill Clinton, and Spitzer resigned immediately.... both because neither one could keep their respective dicks in their pants! Unbelievable!

Hear the highlights of March 2008 in today's Radio or Not podcast by clicking here (runtime 25:39)

February 200- FISA, Pimping and Lynching....

Click here to listen to February 2008 in Review on Radio or Not (runtime 32:41)

As we continue looking back at the year almost past, this episode of Radio or Not focuses on February 2008. This was a leap year, but I spent that extra day in the hospital, fighting pneumonia. However, I still had plenty of audio from the month of February.

This month saw the FISA fight heat up in Congress, a bit of political theater as the Republicans in the House staged a walkout because they didn't want to vote on holding Harriet Miers and Josh Bolton in contempt for ignoring federal subpoenas. We saw MSNBC's David Shuster suspended for suggesting the Clinton campaign was "pimping" Chelsea, but no backlast whatsoever for Bill O'Reilly suggest a "lynching party" for Michelle Obama.

And the hits just keep on rolling....

Click here to listen to February 2008 in Review on Radio or Not (runtime 32:41)

Sidelined by tech problems

Sorry for the lack of new shows this week. As we near the end of the year, it seems my equipment has been rebelling! I've been working on a video project for a client, and my Mac decided to melt down on me. So, I've been a bit sidetracked by the need to get that project done, not leave a client in the lurch and make some money!

Once I got those problems fixed, my printer apparently decided it was it's turn to monopolize my energies for the better part of the day today!

On top of all that, I'm working on getting my home studio upgraded to be able to do the Air America fill-in work from here. I'll be guest-hosting the Ron Kuby Show during the weeks of Christmas and New Years (Mon-Wed 12/22-24 and Mon-Wed 12/29-21), and I've been dealing with AT&T to get the broadcast lines installed, as well as an engineer to get the equipment I need to be able to do this.

Unfortunately, the Radio or Not podcast has suffered this week. But I promise you that I'll be here and podcast over the holidays and well in to the next year, when hopefully we'll take this baby to new heights!

So, thanks for your patience... We'll get back to the year in review next week, along with some thoughts on the craziness in the end of the year news cycle!

Bagging Blago: The Musical

Hear Bagging Blago: The Musical, today's Radio or Not podcast, by clicking here (runtime 8:31)

Thanks to listener John who posted "Prop 8: The Musical" on the message board a few days ago. Sometimes music helps make the unbelievably awful easier to swallow. So, I figured I'd go the musical route for today's podcast.

With a little help from Crosby, Still, Nash and Young singing about the political machine in Chicago 40 years ago, I bring you yesterday's proceedings from the sad, corrupt state of Illinois and a greedy, corrupt governor who needs to be impeached immediately.

It's a short one today... we'll get back to the year in review tomorrow on Radio or Not!

Hear Bagging Blago: The Musical, today's Radio or Not podcast, by clicking here (runtime 8:31)

Two-fer Tuesday: Que Pasa Illinois, and 2008 in Review: January

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 46:12)

Since I skipped a day yesterday, I'm stealing a theme from Rock Radio... Today is Two-Fer Tuesday.... You get two, two, two shows in one!

The first half of today's Radio or Not podcast is a look at what's in the news today, most of which centers on Illinois. Yes, the governor stood up for the workers at Republic Windows & Glass, who've staged a sit-in. The plant was shuttered, and the workers are being denied certain things they've worked for, including severence and vacation pay.

Even with my limited understanding of business principles, I do know that businesses operate on credit. The biggest casualties in our economic meltdown have been small businesses lines of credit. The $7 billion bailout of our banking industry was supposed to, once again, make credit available both to businesses who need it to stay in business and to consumers who wish to use credit for purchases.

Unfortunately, in Chicago, Republic Windows and Glass who had previously been given operating credit by Bank of America is being refused that credit. The governor of Illinois gave a press conference yesterday in which he said the state will suspend doing business with BofA until they resume doing business with companies such as Republic...

See video of that press conference here.

But, oh, what a difference a day makes, as federal authorities showed up at Governor Rod Blagojevich's home at 6:15 this morning and arrested him on corruption charges related to his appointment of President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate. Read all about it here.

The second half of today's Radio or Not podcast is the beginning of our annual Year in Review. Today, we go back to January of 2008... from the Iowa caucuses to the final George W. Bush State of the Union address. Listen and remember...

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 46:12)

Songs and Cars and songs about cars....

Click here to listen to today's musical edition of Radio or Not (runtime 16:36)

I was totally remiss yesterday. I didn't record a Radio or Not show, nor did I write a blog entry. I was torn. I could have commented on the return of the Big 3 CEOs to the Senate, or part 2 of W's first "exit interview"... but nothing really moved me. Plus, I'm working on some other things that kept me occupied for most of the day, and I just let it slide...

Today as I was preparing, I kept hearing Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" playing in my head, as it's in the news... first, for garnering a load of Grammy nominations yesterday, and second, because Coldplay is being sued by guitarist Joe Satriani for plagiariazing the hook of that very hook-laden song.

So, today I decided to indulge the musicologist inside me and look at those two songs, along with some famously plagiarized songs of the past.

And then I moved on to the controversy over what to do with the auto industry. Instead of giving you my opinions, I thought I'd point you toward www.michaelmoore.com. He's done some great writing over the past few days on the subject, and has appeared on a few talk shows, including Countdown, discussing it. Instead, I thought I'd take a brief musical look at how important cars have been to Americana in song. Enjoy.

If you'd like to make suggestions for a part 2, by all means... post your ideas in the comments section below!

Have a great weekend....

Click here to listen to today's musical edition of Radio or Not (runtime 16:36)

Richardson, Martinez, Jackie Gleason and more...

You can hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here. (Runtime 30:34)

Today's Radio or Not podcast is a potpourri of sorts. There's so much going on at a time of year that's usually so very slooow.

First of all, I'm heartened to see Barack Obama stepping up and actually doing everything he can to prepare to jump in with both feet following his inauguration on January 20. I love the fact that he held a meeting with all the Governors yesterday, proving that this is a pragmatic guy who will actually get things done.

What a contrast to the outgoing administration who only seemed concerned with deflecting blame and responsibility for all the things that were going wrong, rather than trying to fix them!

On today's show we listen to a few clips from that Governor's meeting, as well as a few clips from an interview I conducted with NM Governor Bill Richardson just a couple of weeks before the election. Today, Barack Obama is expected to name Bill Richardson as his Secretary of Commerce.

Yesterday, I played a short clip of an interview I conducted with Sen. Mel Martinez of FL, who had announced that he would not be seeking re-election. Today, I share the entire interview with you.

I also mentioned yesterday's release of nearly 200 hours of White House tape recordings and 90,000 pages of documents of former President Nixon, adding to the long list of secret Nixon material now in public hands. The recordings are of Nixon’s White House conversations from November 1972 to January 1973, and the interesting timing of the new movie Frost/Nixon, opening this weekend... The movie studio must have done research to find out the release date by the Nixon Library and the National Archives, and timed the movie to coincide. Click here to take a look and listen to the tapes and documents.

I also promised during today's show that I'd link to a couple of interviews I had the pleasure of conducting with Ray Davies. Click here to listen to the first one, done on the air at KSCA/Los Angeles. The second one, a sort of off-air continuation of the first, can be heard by clicking here. Enjoy!

You can hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here. (Runtime 30:34)

The Long Goodbye Begins

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 24:26)

I begin both today's blog and today's podcast episode by correcting myself for something I said yesterday. I somewhat backpedaled immediately after saying it, but didn't go back far enough. Then Rachel Maddow corrected me on her MSNBC show.

No, I don't think she did it intentionally... but in her "Lame Duck Watch" segment, she spoke of the damage that W is doing on his way out of office... just a few mere hours after I said he really couldn't do much more damage in his lame status.




See, I was wrong. And I went looking for more of these last minute regulations that are being thrust down our collective throats by this administration. The California Nurses's Association has put together an interesting website to illustrate some of them, and give you a venue to voice your displeasure by signing a petition. Check out http://www.sendbushpacking.com/.

If you can stomach it, you can watch some of the "highlights" of George W. Bush's first "exit interview" with Charles Gibson on ABC here. What's even more fun, though sad in a strange way - when you think about the fact that this guy has inhabited the White House for the past eight years- is to read the transcript, which you can do here.

A few other stories I touched on in today's podcast include the Big Three chiefs heading back to DC, driving their hybrids, taking massive pay cuts and asking again for the money, this time by saying pretty please, with the sugar on top being actual business plans.

And our junior Senator from Florida, Republican Mel Martinez, has decided not to run for re-election. Actually, that's not a big surprise, but worth noting today.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about seeing Ray Davies Saturday night at the newly renovated "Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater" in Miami Beach, and give you some holiday radio fill-in news.

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 24:26)

Sitting Here in Limbo

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 21:13)

We're at an odd place in time right now... It's lame-duck time for this obscene excuse for a president who was ineffective at best, downright criminal at worst. He can't, nor should he be able to, get anything more done to further damage this country.

It's a time of preparation for our incoming administration. A time when many of you are second-guessing the president-elect's every move. But he's not in power yet, and has not had the chance to show what he can and will do.

He is assembling his team, and wasting no time in doing so. But he does not yet have the power to affect any change or policy. We have to give him time.

For we Americans, it's also limbo time. The time of year between Thanksgiving and the start of the New Year. A traditionally horrific time to be unemployed and looking for work, yet a time of year when companies, feeling the pinch, do often let workers go. And this year figures to be the worst in recent memory.

It's also the time of year when we traditionally spend more than we should, all in the spirit of giving. It's one contradiction after another.

It's a time of waiting, of impatience, and also of hope combined with hopelessness.

I'm suggesting we give our newly elected, not-yet-in-office President Obama the chance to succeed before proclaiming him a failure! He'll get enough of that from the Republicans who'll criticize anything he does.

In watching his introduction of his national security team today, I could hear the bloggers in my mind going nuts. "Where's the Change?" is the refrain that I know will be blanketing the blogosphere.

The change, I believe is right there in front of our eyes. It comes with a president who actually has a brain and the common sense to use it. It's in a president who's secure enough with his intelligence to seek out differing points of view instead of just a cabal of yes-men who'll follow his every order without question-- which is exactly what we witnessed for the past eight years.

Instead, Obama chose people who are highly competent, intelligent, and capable of doing the job. Not a cronie in sight. And for that we should be very thankful. See the credentials of these people here.



The change comes in the form of a president who knows enough to surround himself with other brilliant minds -- even though and even possibly because they may not agree -- and to use the benefit of their knowledge, experiences and opinions to come up with the right answers for the very difficult questions he's charged with figuring out the answers to.

I believe in giving intelligence of the brain-trust type a chance to figure it out. That's why I voted for Barack Obama in the first place.

Let's use the tools of the increased transparency this administration is promising to stay on top of the actual moves made by these teams being assembled, and hold them accountable for every decision made along the way. But how about letting them actually get to work before we deem them ineffective or, even worse, failures.

It's tough to remain optimistic when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But neither you nor I had the temerity, wherewithal or ability to go for the job. So why don't we just let the people who did and do prove to us that they're worthy of it. At least let them start the job before we tell them they're doing it wrong!

On another note that may prove to be sour to many on the left, I think Obama needs to leave the prosecution of Bush and Company to others. Barack Obama has done amazingly well by staying above the fray, not getting bogged down by drama and political infighting.

He's positioned himself as an agent of change and forward thinking.

If there were not ways to hold the Bush Crime Family accountable for their many crimes against humanity, I would not give this administration a pass on it. But there are.

First of all, one need look no further than little Willacy County, TX and a rogue prosecutor who was able to obtain indictments against Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzalez. Here's some new info on how he was able to do it. Thanks to Michael Moore for keeping an eye out for us.



Next, there's Vincent Bugliosi. Yes, the prosecutor of Charles Manson and many others knows that there are over 4000 cases to be made to prosecute George W. Bush for murder, and he lays it all out in a book for any DA or prosecutor who cares to use it. I interviewed him back in March when the book was first released, and included that interview in today's podcast.

Of course, many are still calling for impeachment, even if only to stop George Bush from issuing blanket pardons. You can and should sign the petition here.

See TV ads that are running in California and some other places around the country, with a renewed call for impeachment:



And read David Swanson's blog today, As Congress Lay Dying.

By the way, I applied for a job in the Obama administration. Although it's pretty likely nothing will come of it, I love the fact that we can all do it. Just click here, fill out the initial form, and they'll email you an application. What have you got to lose? I basically made a suggestion for a dream job for myself, and I think it'd be a great move on their part to hire me to do it. You never know unless you try!

Hear today's Radio or Not episode by clicking here (runtime 21:13)