Why is Leonard Peltier Still in Prison?

**Update** Click here to listen to the hour of the program that includes all the interviews regarding Leonard Peltier **


I got a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago from a listener, asking me to "give some visibility to Leonard Peltier's case before the July 28 hearing... He's been in prison 34 years, falsely convicted of murder." The letter was signed Larry Wartels, Volunteer, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, Canada.

Well, I didn't get to it before the parole hearing, which did happen on Tuesday. Hopefully, the first hour of tonight's show on Air America radio will open more eyes to the plight of Peltier.

I'll be joined by Eric Seitz, one of Leonard Peltier's attorneys, who'll give us the background of the story, tell us what transpired at the hearing, and let us know what we can do to help while we await the parole board's decision.

Longtime activist Harvey Wasserman has written much about Peltier over the years, including a piece this week entitled "How Leonard Peltier Could leave Prison by August 18" that appeared in Huffington Post, FreePress.org, and many other places.

The list of influential people is extremely long and diverse. Among those who continue to speak out publicly in support of Peltier is singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, who I was able to track down today and spoke with for a few minutes. We'll hear some of that conversation tonight as well.

If you want to learn more about Leonard Peltier, two of the best sites I found are at FreePeltierNow.org and WhoIsLeonardPeltier.info.

If you have about 90 minutes, you'll want to watch the brilliant film, Incident at Oglalla, produced and narrated by Robert Redford. In fact, you can watch it here, right now:



If you want to help, you can write to the Parole commission to voice your support for Leonard Peltier. The address is:
US Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Blvd. Ste. 420
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286

You can call as well. The commission phone number is 301-492-5990. Just reference Leonard Peltier, #89637-132

In our second hour tonight, I'll be joined by Brent Budowsky, who knows Washington DC from the inside out, a knowledge he gained by working for years as a legislative aide to some of the most powerful men on Capital Hill. These days, he acts as an informal advisor to many in power, and writes a blog for The Hill's Pundits Blog. He'll bring us completely up to date on where we are in the fight for health care reform, on this Friday night, as the House adjourns for their August recess, and give us some insider thoughts on where it's all heading... **Update*** Click here to listen to my conversation with Brent Budowsky***

Listen live by clicking here from 11pm-1am ET, call in at 866-303-2270, and join in the live chat by clicking here.

Single Payer Day

**Updated to add links to listen to the interviews**

Today is the 44th anniversary of Medicare, and thousands of people showed up at a rally today in Washington D.C. to tell Congress that we should all be able to buy into the same health care system they're in.

Medicare is a single payer, government run health care system that operates on a not-for-profit basis. It works. And if we could all participate in it, we'd be a much healthier country, in every sense of the word.

Tonight, we've got a full slate of guests lined up for my Air America radio program!

We'll hear from my activist guru, David Swanson, of www.afterdowningstreet.org, democrats.com, and lots of other progressive organizations. He was at the rally today, and at the party celebrating the 5th anniversary of Progressive Democrats of America tonight, but took a few moments to give us a recap of what happened today, where we stand on health care legislation, and what we need to do to convince our elected officials to do the right thing! (Click here to listen to our conversation and hear what David Swanson had to say)

We'll hear from Dr. David Scheiner who was, for 22 years, Barack Obama's personal physician. Dr. Scheiner is a staunch single payer advocate who spoke at today's rally, and will join us tonight to tell us why he thinks single payer, or "Medicare for all" is the way to go. (Listen to my conversation with Dr. Scheiner by clicking here)

Howie Klein, who blogs at downwithtyranny.com, will join us live to talk about the health care fight. He just returned from a month in Asia where his reading helped put this fight into historical perspective, which he'll share with us tonight. Hear our conversation by clicking here.

Richard Wolffe, MSNBC contributor -and guest-host tonight of "Countdown"-, and author of "Renegade: The Making of a President" will also speak with me. (Click here to listen to that interview.)

And Christy Harvey will be with us from the Center for American Progress, to kick off the show with some of the news stories that we might have otherwise missed. Click here to listen

Listen live by clicking here, call in at 866-303-2270, and/or participate in the live chat by clicking here!

Single Payer... Our Right to Health Care

Congressman Eric Massa of NY is a stauch advocate for a single payer health care system... Click here to listen to our interview from my Air America radio program from last night!.

To Free or Not To Free... That's The Question

Last night on my Air America radio program, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine about his new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. Scroll down to yesterday's entry for more info about Free...)
Click here to listen to our interview.

I followed that interview with a sometimes heated conversation with Ron Stone of Gold Mountain entertainment, who argues against the theory of Free.... listen to that interview by clicking here.

Hump Night... It's Free!

I figured that would get your attention!

No, I'm not abandoning my crusade on health care, but we will take a bit of a detour tonight on Air America radio from 11pm-1am ET.

We'll talk about Free. Entering the NY Times bestseller list at #12 on Sunday in its first week of eligibility, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, was written by Chris Anderson, who also happens to be Editor in Chief of Wired magazine. (In keeping with the theme and message of the book, the link I provided is to the free version offered at Google Books!)

Chris's theory is that as bandwidth, storage and processing becomes increasingly cheaper, every business that goes digital will eventually become free. More and more businesses will use free as a means to make more money! It's a fascinating concept that he spells out with lots of examples in the book.

Chris will join me at about 11:15 tonight. I'll follow up that conversation with a guy who'll argue that these things we're currently enjoying for free should come with a price tag!

Ron Stone is president of Gold Mountain Entertainment, and manages some of the music industry's best artists. He was front and center in fighting Napster during the early days of internet music piracy, and he remains an outspoken critic of file sharing and disseminating copyrighted materials online. He'll join us at the top of the midnight (ET) hour, to refute Chris Anderson's claims.

We'll bookend the show tonight with info and interviews about health care reform.
At the beginning of the show, I'll be joined by Katie Robbins, a national coordinator at Healthcare-Now, who helped to put together tomorrow's huge rally in Washington DC, on the 44th anniversary of Medicare, where speakers and attendees will demand Medicare for All!







We'll end the show with Congressman Eric Massa of Western NY state. I first heard of him last night from John Nichols, who said I'd enjoy speaking with him. You'll find out that's true if you listen tonight... Eric Massa will join me in the last segment of tonight's show, talking about all the reasons why we need a single payer health policy in the US!

Listen live by clicking here, call in at 866-303-2270, and join in the live chat by clicking here!

Stan Brock & RAM... True Heroes

Click here to listen to my interview with Stan Brock, founder and president of Remote Area Medical, better known as RAM.

Health Care Reform Again Tonight...

I'm not going to let it die without a fight!

In our first hour tonight on Air America, I'll be joined by John Nichols of The Nation, who yesterday wrote a scathing piece on where we are on the road to getting health care reform, entitled "Hope for Health Reform? Push Single Payer Now".

It's a must read. In that piece, Nichols says, more eloquently and concisely, what I've been saying for the past few weeks. We'll talk about it in the first hour of tonight's show, beginning shortly after 11pm ET.

In the second hour, I'll be joined by Stan Brock, founder and president of RAM- Remote Area Medical. Brock founded RAM to bring medical services to remote areas of the world, as the name would suggest, where people don't have access to care. These days, 64% of his work is done here in the US, where people can't get the health care they need.

I first learned of RAM through this 60 Minutes piece:



I ran across RAM again a couple of weeks ago when, in an interview with Bill Moyers, former CIGNA executive Wendell Potter cited their "health fair" in VA last year with opening his eyes to what the health insurance companies were doing to the American people.

I reached out to Stan Brock, who immediately responded. He'll join me tonight in our second hour.

I hope you'll join us too... Click here to listen live, call in at 866-303-2270, and participate in our live chat during the show by clicking here.

Health Care and Campaign Finance Reform Go Hand-In-Hand

Last night on my Air America radio program, we got to the real reason why health care reform seems to be on life support at the moment. Those hypocrites we elected to represent us are more beholden to their big money donors than they are to their constituents who voted for them!

As important as health care reform is, I don't believe we'll get any meaningful change until we get the money out of politics and elections.

I discussed this with Dan Weeks, president of Americans for Campaign Reform, who told us about Fair Elections Now Act (HR 1826), which will come before the Committee on House Administration this Thursday!

Listen to our interview by clicking here, and then call your representatives and urge them to co-sponsor the Fair Elections Now Act!

Monday's Thoughts on Health Care!

Congress will adjourn next week for their August recess without getting health care reform done. In some ways, that's a good thing. I'd prefer they don't rush into passing legislation. We will likely not have an opportunity to fix the system again in my lifetime, so I want it done right!

On the other hand, I read a story today that said that the RNC will spend at least $1 million during the month of August alone to try to turn the public against their own best interests!

The fact of the matter is that health care should be a basic human right and, as such, should be one of the services on which no profit is made. Yes, doctors, nurses, and other true health care professionals are entitled to make a handsome living. But for-profit health insurance companies --which do nothing to cure the ill or to keep people healthy and exist only to make a profit by draining 30% of the money we spend on health care (as a parasite leeches on and drains its host of blood and nutrients)-- should be done away with entirely!

If we took the profit motive out of health care, and had just one, centralized "insurance company" that paid all medical claims, taking no profit for itself, every dollar you spent on health care would actually go towards your medical care.

Is that Utopia?

No! It's what every other first world country on the planet offers their citizens!

Before jumping on the right wing Kool-Aid bandwagon by saying you don't like the health care bill (we don't have one yet!) or that it costs too much (it won't if we get rid of the parasitic for-profit insurance companies), take the August recess when your elected representatives will be at home and use the time constructively to call and visit their offices and demand real reform once and for all!

Tonight on Air America, I'll get a postscript from Dr. Ogan Gurel, who walked 700 miles from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to call attention to the health care crisis in this country. He arrived in D.C. yesterday, and tonight will tell us what he was able to do with all the stories he gathered.

I'll also explain tonight why I think health care is our nation's second most important issue! Number 1 is campaign finance reform. My guest will be Dan Weeks, president of Americans for Campaign Reform. Until we get money out of politics and elections, we'll never get true reform on health care, or anything else! Too much money is at stake, and too many lobbyists are throwing it around, and our representatives are beholden to too many special interests!

And we'll wrap up the night with a visit from Alaska blogger/broadcaster Shannyn Moore, who was there yesterday, close enough to tell Sarah Palin no to let the door hit her on the ass on her way out...

Listen live here, call in at 866-303-2270, and join in the online chat by clicking here!

We Made It To Friday!

The weekend has arrived, but I still have tonight's Air America radio show to do before I rest!

Yes, tonight we will once again deal with health care... I'll update you on some of the stories we dealt with this week. For instance, what happened with Anthony Weiner's single payer amendment today? I'll tell you tonight.

We'll also get an update from Dr. Ogan Gurel, who's checked in with us a few times during his 700-mile walk from Chicago to Washington DC. He's meeting people along the route and gathering their health care stories to call attention to the nightmare that is the health care system in the US. Follow his progress at www.walk4healthcare.org.

Dr. Gurel will arrive in Washington DC on Sunday, in time to participate in "The People's Rally: Medicare For All Now" at Malcolm X Park (16th & Euclid St. NW) from 1-4pm. On Monday, he'll be meeting with some of our elected officials who are currently debating (read:fighting) over the health care bills they're supposed to be marking up! He'll be back with us Monday night to give us a postscript on his walk, and a preview of what he'll do next.

Since we must sprinkle some fun and enjoyment in with our politics and activism, I try to branch out especially on Friday nights. And tonight is no different....

In just a couple of weeks, we'll mark the 40th anniversary of Woodstock! Tonight, I'll be joined by Eliot Tiber, without whom Woodstock would not have happened. He wrote his story in a book titled, Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, A Concert, and A Life.

The book will soon hit the big screen too. The film "Taking Woodstock," directed by Ang Lee, opens nationwide August 28, and tells Eliot Tiber's story of coming to the rescue when the promoters couldn't get a permit, and didn't have a venue! It's a fun story of one of the greatest moments of a generation.

Check out the trailer...



I hope you'll join me tonight! Listen live here, call in at 866-303-2270, and participate in the live chat here.

Kucinich and Weiner on Single Payer

As promised, here are my interviews from last night's show on Air America with Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and Anthony Weiner on single payer health care.

Click here to listen to Dennis Kucinich (runs 10:03), and here to listen to Anthony Weiner (runs 15:42)

Single Payer, Like Monty Python...Not Dead Yet!

Hope for a Single Payer Health System in the US is not dead!



And hopefully, it never will be!

Tonight on my Air America Radio Show, I'll speak with two members of the House of Representatives who are working feverishly to get a single payer system of health care in this country... the only thing that would truly bring meaningful reform to this shameful system we suffer under today in the United States.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) will tell us about the "Kucinich Amendment" to HR 3200 (the House Health Care bill that's going through mark up in three different committees), which passed on Friday through his committee, Education & Labor.

Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee, where tomorrow, he will offer a single payer amendment which would actually replace HR 3200 with HR 676. He wrote about single payer yesterday in this piece for Politico.com.

I'll ask each of them about what the other is doing. It's all pretty confusing... but the one thing that's certain is that we need reform, and true reform can't come while the insurance companies are getting rich off our health care.

The first hour tonight will be spent visiting with Christy Harvey of the Center for American Progress with a look at some of the more offbeat stories in the news that we might have missed today, as well as a discussion of some of the top stories of the day.

Listen live here from 11pm-1am ET, call in at 866-303-2270, and join in the live chat by clicking here!

We Are Not Family...Thankfully!

Last night on my Air America radio program, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. It was fascinating and truly frightening at the same time.

Click here to listen to our interview!

I Wish I Had Three Hours Tonight!

My program on Air America radio runs from 11pm-1am ET. Two hours goes by very quickly, especially on a night like tonight!

I just finished watching President Obama's press conference on health care. At WhiteHouse.gov, you were able to watch the video, along with a facebook feed of comments. I'm amazed at all the dittoheads out there who have zero compassion for their fellow human beings, and those who are just incredibly un-informed about what health care reform would do for millions of Americans.

Health care should be a basic human right, not a profit center for insurance companies! Every other first world country has universal health care. There is something seriously wrong in America right now, and those who would deny others this basic human right are the ones with the big problems.

So, I watched the press conference, recorded it and chopped it up to be able to share clips on my show tonight. But I have a couple of other interviews too!

In the second hour tonight, I'll be joined live by Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power." He has a piece on Salon.com right now that is a must-read: "Sex and Power inside 'The C Street House.'" He's been to C Street, and will be with us tonight to talk about it. And yes, we will take your calls at 866-303-2270.

Earlier today, I recorded an interview with Retired US Navy Commander Kirk S. Lippold, who was the commander on board the USS Cole when it was attacked by Al Qaeda. He was offered as a guest by a group called Military Families United, where he is the Senior Military Fellow, to talk about the Obama administration's announcement Monday that they were delaying the release of the findings of the Guantanamo Review Task Force for six months, which would put the release right around the time the administration still says they will close the prison there. We debated a number of issues, and I thought this interview was important enough to air this evening.

So, I'll run it in the first hour tonight and, I'm sure will be able to fit in some commentary on the health care crisis and President Obama's press conference tonight.

Listen live by clicking here, and join me here in the chat room. I'll be dropping in and out of the chat room! Feel free to join us there... Just register and log in. It's free, and there's a great group of people in there to listen with!

Taking Guns Across State Lines and More on Healthcare

Back to the debate over health care reform after this important message.

Tomorrow, at 12noon ET, the Senate will vote on an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill (S. 1390), authored by Sen. John Thune (R-SD), which would give anyone with a concealed weapons permit in their home state to carry a concealed weapon in every other state that offers concealed weapons permits (all except Illinois and Wisconsin)!

I'll talk about this tonight in our second hour with Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence. Again, the vote is happening tomorrow at noon, so get informed on the issue, and make sure your Senators hear how you feel about it. They're preparing for a very, very close vote!

Tonight on my Air America radio program (streaming live here from 11pm-1am ET/8-10pm PT), I'll share an interview I did with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) early this morning on the health care issue.

I'll also share some audio from a conference call that President Obama held yesterday with bloggers. They asked great questions, and he gave some surprising answers as well.

I'll have lots of great audio, and some more health care facts that you might not have previously heard. And we'll get to laugh at the inane talking points of RNC boss Michael Steele.

I hope you'll call in with your thoughts on health care reform too. 866-303-2270. You can also join in the chat... Thom Hartmann has graciously offered us the use of his chat room during my Air America program. Just click here. If you haven't already done so, register for free, and chat away...

One last thing... I got a wonderful email this weekend from a soldier stationed in Iraq, who told me they're listening to us online in theater. If you want to click here to send Herb Jones an email, I know he'd be thrilled to hear from you.

If You're Over 50, You're Screwed

When it comes to health care, and your chances of getting a new job, anyway.

That's the thesis of a guest op-ed piece that I read on Buzzflash.com yesterday, written by Steve Corrick. I posted it here yesterday, and then tracked him down and invited him on my Air America program last night.

Click here to listen to the very insightful, scary and hopeful interview.

My Health Insurance Woes-Congressman Rob Andrews interview

As promised, here is my interview with Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ). He is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pension, who is one of the co-authors of the Health Care bill HR3200 -- America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

I had him scheduled for an interview, and he called in for the taping at the tail end of a long-drawn out phone call with my daughter's (now former) health insurance company, during which I was informed that her policy had been canceled in December!

As I told you, I got a bit emotional while explaining what happened to him, but decided to leave the interview as it happened because it's real. What happened to us is happening to families all over the country, and it must stop.

We're hearing real, human stories like this... and we need to keep hearing them to put faces to the problems inherent in the sham of a system we have today, in order to effect the change we need!

Listen to my interview with Congressman Andrews by clicking here.

My Health Insurance Woes!

After spending over 30 minutes on the phone with my daughter's insurance company, I was informed that her policy was canceled six months ago! I've continued getting their bills for the past six months, and have paid them $600 that seems to be missing in action. Well, it's probably just sitting as profit on their bottom line.

I hung up while waiting for a supervisor, because I got a call from Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ), one of the authors of America's Affordable Health Choices Act, the health care bill that came out of the Education & Labor Committee, in response to my request for an interview.

I'm nothing if not honest with my listeners, so tonight, if you tune in to my program on Air America Radio from 11pm -1am ET, you'll hear my frustration and tears. I'm letting this go on the air because I know I am not alone.

As I told Congressman Andrews, I'm a well-educated, intelligent woman, with lots of resources. If I can't get better care from the insurance company and thus get this emotional and frustrated at the way we're treated, I can only imagine how many others in this country are feeling exactly as I am today.

While I was waiting on hold for the probably non-existent supervisor that I demanded to speak with at my daughter's now-former insurance company, I ran across an excellent guest commentary at Buzzflash, written by Steve Corrick, entitled "50 Year Olds are Unemployable Without a Public Option."

Obviously, it piqued my interest, and I found a brilliantly written commentary on the other side of my story. I will turn 50 in November, just when my COBRA coverage will run out.

At the end of his piece, this bit of bio information appeared: Steve Corrick is a Montana realtor, verified voting and climate change activist and 56 year old who, like most members of his generation, desperately needs better insurance options.

Thanks to the Google, I tracked him down, and invited Steve to join me on the air tonight to talk about the sad reality we face. He'll be with me in the second hour tonight.

I hope you will too! Listen live here from 11pm-1am ET/8-10pm PT , and please call in and add your thoughts to the discussion at 866-303-2270.

If you'd rather not talk on the radio, but would like to participate, the wonderful Thom Hartmann has offered me the use of his chat room during my show. You can access it by clicking here. Just register with a username and password, and I'll chat with you later!

I hope you'll listen in tonight, and then join in on the discussion. 866-303-2270.

A Not So Quick News Update

My colleague at Air America Radio, Jack Rice, called yesterday. In addition to his noon-3 ET show on Air America, Jack is a correspondent for the Talk Radio News Service.

He called to join me for yesterday's Quickie News Update. But when Jack and I began talking, we were on a roll, and our conversation continued for almost 30 minutes!

I was going to air the whole thing on my Air America show last night, but the news of Walter Cronkite's passing came just after we concluded our conversation, so I only had time to air the first segment.

We bring you up to date on what's happening with health care reform, what's going on with the CIA and Congress, and we talk a bit about the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings too. You can hear the whole thing by clicking here.

A Musical Tribute to Uncle Walter Cronkite

I love Ben Folds Five. On their very first album, they have a song called "Uncle Walter" that always made me think of Walter Cronkite. So, when I heard the news that he died today, that song began playing in my mind.

I don't think Ben would mind my mix... I hope you enjoy it in the spirit in which I put it together.
RIP Uncle Walter. Listen here.

RIP Uncle Walter!

Although it wasn't unexpected, the news in the last couple of hours that Walter Cronkite has died brings sadness. He reminds us of a time when the news actually was the news, and not considered entertainment. It was a public service and considered a loss leader by the networks.

Although we won't dwell too much on the death of Uncle Walter tonight, I will have a unique tribute to him to open the show tonight. I'll post it here and podcast it tomorrow, just in case you don't have the chance to hear it tonight.

After a week of Senate confirmation hearings, which will lead to the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as our next Supreme Court Justice, I thought we'd speak with my old friend Amy Simon. She's full of info about woman, so I gave her the assignment to bring us some stories about other female pioneers... a class that Sotomayor will soon join.

And since it's Friday night, we'll take on the topic of sex again. This time, in the context of education. I'll be joined by Dr. Sorah Dubitsky, who teaches psychology classes at Florida International University that focus on what is optimal human development. Specifically, tonight's theme will be Why do we have sex? And the answer to that question will determine the quality of the experience. Sorah has a 2007 study that identified 237 reasons that college students gave for having sex... some of them are very funny.

And I'll wrap up the show with a visit from my Air America colleague Jack Rice, for a fun, frank discussion about the news of the day.

Of course, all that might change. If you really want to talk about Walter Cronkite, we can do that. It's up to you. 866-303-2270.

Kucinich Amendment Passed!

Yesterday, I spoke to you of the Kucinich Amendment to the House Health Care Bill (HR3200). Congressman Kucinich called in the last moments of the show yesterday when I was guest hosting the Thom Hartmann Program. You can hear our brief conversation by clicking here, in which he tells us the significance of this amendment.

Last night on my Air America radio show, I spoke with David Swanson (afterdowningstreet.org, davidswanson.org, democrats.com, PDAmerica.org...) at greater length about the amendment and the future possibilities of a single payer health care system in the US. Hear that interview by clicking here.

This morning, I awoke to an email from David Swanson with the good news. The Kucinich Amendment passed this morning in committee. Here's the text of his message:

House Committee Allows States to Create Single-Payer Healthcare
By David Swanson

On Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. ET in the House Committee on Education and Labor, the committee members voted 25 to 19 to pass Congressman Dennis Kucinich's amendment to the healthcare reform bill. This amendment, if it survives the full House, the Senate, the conference, and the President, will not alter the federal legislation except to allow states to create single-payer healthcare systems if they choose to. If this change to the bill makes news, it will pass the Senate, because there is no legitimate argument against it, and the support for it is bipartisan.

The committee members voted in order of seniority through all the Democrats and then the Republicans, returning to allow those who passed or were not present on the first round or the second round to cast their vote. No members switched their votes from yes to no or vice versa, during the voting, but several passed and then voted after hearing their colleagues vote. In the final count, 25 voted Yes, 19 No, 2 left their vote as "Pass," and 3 were not there or did not respond at all.

On the first go round, these Democrats voted Yes: Woolsey, Kucinich, Holt, Grijalva, Loebsack, and Fudge. Not nearly enough, but then came the Republicans, not a single one of whom has supported single-payer healthcare, but many of whom apparently respect states' rights: Kline, Petri, McKeon, Souder, Ehlers, Biggert, Platts, Wilson, McMorris Rogers, Price, and Guthrie. That gave us 17 votes going into round two. Among Democrats, we then picked up Payne, Scott, Shea Porter, and Polis. Among Republicans, Hoekstra and Castle joined in. We had 23 votes moving into round three. Two more Democrats, Tierney and Tonko, brought the total to 25.

Then you have the list of members who voted for the arguably unconstitutional step of banning states from providing their citizens with healthcare, a step for which no legitimate case has been made, but which the health insurance companies strongly favor. First and foremost was Committee Chairman George Miller who led the voting with a resounding "No." He was joined on the first round by Democrats Kildee, Andrews, Hinojosa, McCarthy, Bishop, Sestak, Altmire, Hare, Courtney, Sablan, and Titus, and Republicans McClintock, Hunter, Roe, and Thompson. On the second round Democrats Davis and Hirono voted No, along with Republican Cassidy. On the third round, no more Nos were added. Not voting yes or no were: Wu, Clarke, Pierluisi, Chu, and Bishop of Utah.

There are major campaigns with a good chance of passing single-payer healthcare if Congress permits it in the following states: Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, and Massachusetts.

ROLL CALL ON VOTE TO ALLOW STATES TO CREATE SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE
9:40 a.m. ET, July 17, 2009
House Committee on Education and Labor
Y=Allow states to provide their citizens healthcare if they choose
N=Ban states
PASS= Pass
--= Not present or no response
Democrats

25 to 19 to 2

* George Miller, Chairman (CA-07) N
* Dale E. Kildee (MI-05) N
* Donald M. Payne (NJ-10) PASS, Y
* Robert E. Andrews (NJ-01) N
* Robert C. Scott (VA-03) --, Y
* Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-06) Y
* Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) N
* Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04) N
* John F. Tierney (MA-06) --, --, Y
* Dennis J. Kucinich (OH-10) Y
* David Wu (OR-01) PASS, PASS
* Rush D. Holt (NJ-12) Y
* Susan A. Davis (CA-53) PASS, N
* Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) Y
* Timothy H. Bishop (NY-01) N
* Joe Sestak (PA-07) N
* Dave Loebsack (IA-02) Y
* Mazie Hirono (HI-02) PASS, N
* Jason Altmire (PA-04) N
* Phil Hare (IL-17) N
* Yvette Clarke (NY-11) --, --
* Joe Courtney (CT-02) N
* Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) --, Y
* Marcia Fudge (OH-11) Y
* Jared Polis (CO-2) PASS, Y
* Paul Tonko (NY-21) --, --, Y
* Pedro Pierluisi (PR) --, --
* Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Northern Mariana Islands) N
* Dina Titus (NV-3) N
* Judy Chu PASS, PASS,

Republicans

* John Kline, Ranking Member (MN-02) Y
* Thomas E. Petri (WI-06) Y
* Howard "Buck" McKeon (CA-25) Y
* Peter Hoekstra (MI-02) PASS, Y
* Michael N. Castle (DE-At Large) PASS, Y
* Mark E. Souder (IN-03) Y
* Vernon J. Ehlers (MI-03) Y
* Judy Biggert (IL-13) Y
* Todd Russell Platts (PA-19) Y
* Joe Wilson (SC-02) Y
* Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) Y
* Tom Price (GA-06) Y
* Rob Bishop (UT-01) --, --
* Brett Guthrie (KY-2) Y
* Bill Cassidy (LA-6) PASS, N
* Tom McClintock (CA-4) N
* Duncan D. Hunter (CA-52) N
* Phil Roe (TN-1) N
* Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-05) N

Air America stream down

I've gotten a few emails from listeners about problems with the Air America stream tonight. If you're having trouble hearing us tonight, you can try these stations that stream the show:

www.880therevolution.com or www.am950ktnf.com/

Support The Kucinich Amendment for Single Payer Health Care

I spoke with Congressman Kucinich briefly today while filling in for Thom Hartmann about this amendment. I'll post the audio in the morning...

I'm now on the air at Air America, so please read the following from Democrats.com and take action.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich proposed a crucial amendment today for single-payer healthcare and we urgently need you to call one or more of the 26 Democrats on the House Education and Labor Committee. Our message is simple:

Please support Rep. Kucinich's Amendment today in the HELP Committee to let states create single-payer healthcare systems. The federal government should give states the freedom to fix our health care crisis.

You can call any time and leave a voicemail if no one answers. If you do speak with a staffer, please post their reply here:
http://www.democrats.com/support-kucinich-single-payer-amendment-today

You can also urge your Senators and Representatives to support the Single Payer Health Plan (H.R. 676) by signing our petition:
http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-petition

George Miller (CA-7) 202-225-2095
Dale Kildee (MI-5) 202-225-3611
Donald Payne (NJ-10) 202-225-3436
Robert Andrews (NJ-1) 202-225-6501
Bobby Scott (VA-3) 202-225-8351
Lynn Woolsey (CA-6) 202-225-5161
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) 202-225-2531
Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) 202-225-5516
John Tierney (MA-6) 202-225-8020
David Wu (OR-1) 202-225-0855
Rush Holt (NJ-12) 202-225-5801
Susan Davis (CA-53) 202-225-2040
Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) 202-225-2435
Tim Bishop (NY-1) 202-225-3826
Joe Sestak (PA-7) 202-225-2011
David Loebsack (IA-2) 202-225-6576
Mazie Hirono (HI-2) 202-225-4906
Jason Altmire (PA-4) 202-225-2565
Phil Hare (IL-17) 202-225-5905
Yvette Clarke (NY-11) 202-225-6231
Joe Courtney (CT-2) 202-225-2076
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) 202-225-5456
Marcia Fudge (OH-11) 202-225-7032
Jared Polis (CO-2) 202-225-2161
Paul Tonko (NY-21) 202-225-5076
Dina Titus (NV-3) 202-225-3252

Al Franken's First Time Questioning A Supreme Court Nominee

Congressman John Dingell on Health Care

Sorry for not posting this earlier, but it's been a busy day.

Click here to listen to my interview with Congressman John Dingell of Michigan. In addition to being the longest-serving current member of the House of Representatives, he's the Chairman Emeritus of the House Commerce and Energy Committee, who released the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" - HR 3200.

I'm getting ready for tonight's show in Air America Radio.

In the first hour, I'll be joined by Christy Harvey of the Center for American Progress. We'll talk about the news of the day... and you're welcome to join in the discussion at 866-303-2270.

In the second hour, we'll once again get a recap of the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings from Doug Kendall of the Constitutional Accountability Center. He's been liveblogging the hearings for Huffington Post and joining us each night to give us the lowdown on what happened during the day.

Whew! That Was Fun!

I just finished three hours guest-hosting the Thom Hartmann Program. What a treat that was! Great callers, and some emotional topics.

Healthcare was the biggest issue today. Just as we were going on the air, I got word that Congressman Dennis Kucinich would be introducing an amendment to the House Health Care Bill that would let individual states create single-payer healthcare systems even if Congress fails to create a nationwide single-payer system.

Congressman Kucinich called in with literally one minute to spare at the end of the show to tell us about it, and urged us all to call our representatives with our support. This is our LAST chance to avoid shutting the door on single payer. It really is that important.

From Democrats.com:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich will propose a crucial amendment today for single-payer healthcare and we urgently need you to make a few calls to key Democrats:
http://tr.im/sCUD

The Kucinich Amendment would let individual states create single-payer healthcare systems even if Congress fails to create a nationwide single-payer system.

That's exactly how Canada evolved towards single-payer: one province at a time. Given the corporate-funded resistance to single-payer in Congress, the U.S. may have to follow the Canadian path.

Progressive activists in California and Pennsylvania are leading the way for single-payer systems and the Kucinich Amendment would remove the legal roadblocks they face.

The fate of the Kucinich Amendment rests in the hands of Democrats on the House Education and Labor Subcommittee: Robert Andrews, Yvette Clarke, Joe Courtney, Marcia Fudge, Phil Hare, Rush Holt, Dale Kildee, Dave Loebsack, Carolyn McCarthy, Joe Sestak, John Tierney, and David Wu.

You can call all of them at once for free here:
http://tr.im/sCUD

Type in your phone number at the bottom and press "Start Calling," and CauseCaller will connect you to each of the relevant offices. It's efficient and fun. Please do it now:
http://tr.im/sCUD

More later... and don't forget to join me tonight on Air America from 11pm-1am ET.
Thanks for listening... radio or not!

Guest-Hosting the Thom Hartmann Program Today!

What an honor it was to have Thom Hartmann invite me to guest host his show today! I've got a great three hours planned, so I hope you'll join us. The number to get in on the discussion is 866-987-THOM (8466). Listen live from noon-3pm EDT at ThomHartmann.com, or check the site to find your local affiliate!

We'll talk healthcare in the first hour. I'll be joined by Dr. Ogen Gurel, an MD who's walking 700 miles from Chicago to Washington DC, gathering healthcare stories from people he meets along the way. Today he arrives in Pittsburgh where he'll partake in a rally and mini-walk. He'll join us at about 12:15, the rally begins at Roberto Clemente Memorial Park at 12:30. Follow his progress at www.walk4healthcare.org.

In the second hour, I'll speak with investigative journalist Larisa Alexandrovna, who blogs at www.atlargely.com, and writes for Raw Story, Huffington Post, Alternet and others-- and regularly visits with Thom Hartmann. She'll update us on the US Attorney scandals that plagued the Bush administration and, truly unfortunately, continue today!

In hour 3, we'll talk a bit about the Senate confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as our next Supreme Court Justice with Marjorie Cohn, president of the National Lawyers Guild and a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she teaches criminal law and procedure, evidence, and international human rights law. She lectures throughout the world on human rights and US foreign policy.

There also just might be a few surprises along the way! I hope you'll listen and join in on the conversation!

Health Care, Movies and More Sotomayor!

That's the lineup for tonight on Nic@Night... the Air America show I host weeknights from 11pm-1am ET. Catch it live tonight, streaming here.

We'll kick off the show tonight with an update from Doug Kendall of the Constitutional Accountability Center. Doug's been liveblogging the hearings for Huffington Post, and joining me every night to recap the excitement (or not) of the day. An interesting item from today is that Senator Al Franken, in his first week on the job, is getting rave reviews for his first round questions today!

In the second hour, we'll lighten things up a bit with a visit from Claudia Puig, film critic for USA Today. It's a big week at the movies... I'll ask her if we can only see one movie this weekend, should we go for Bruno or the new Harrry Potter film?

And in the last half-hour, I'll be joined by Congressman John Dingell of Michigan, who's held that seat for 28 terms! He's the Chairman Emeritus of the Energy & Commerce Committee, which yesterday gave us the new "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" - HR 3200.

We'll talk about what the bill does, doesn't do, and the chances that it will pass...

Tomorrow, join me at a special time, from noon-3 ET, as I'll be filling in for Thom Hartmann on his national program. Check ThomHartmann.com for stations, or to listen live online!

WBCN RIP, and more from Sotomayor

They're dropping like flies! Music radio stations, I mean. Seriously!

The legendary Boston rock station WBCN will cease to exist next month. Actually, another CBC owned music station, WBMX, will move up the dial to 104.1, the prime location that has been home to WBCN since before it became one of the ground breaking early FM rock pioneers back in 1968!

Come mid-August, listeners to Mix 98.5 will have to tune to 104.1 to get their "Hot A/C"... a more adult version of Top 40, where WBCN now lives. A new Sports Talk station will move into the 98.5 dial position.

More and more these days, music stations seem to be going the way of the dodo. And more and more talk stations are moving from the AM band to the FM. For those of us who do and and enjoy talk radio, that's a good thing. But is the era of music on the radio coming to a close?

Studies show that young people don't turn to radio to find new music any more. The internet has usurped that responsibility. And it might be due to the fact that radio just hasn't been that good at it... especially since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the floodgates for consolidation. Radio was no longer the local medium, owned by small media companies.

This is the world of Clear Channel and 1200 station portfolios, where the credo was no longer creativity. It was the shareholders and the bottom line.

We'll discuss the changes afoot tonight on Air America with Joel Denver, founder and publisher of the All Access Music Group - one of the few remaining radio and record industry trade publications (his lives exclusively online).


In the second hour of tonight's show, I'll once again speak with Doug Kendall, founder and president of The Constitutional Accountability Center, who is also liveblogging for Huffington Post the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sotomayor about what went on today, Day 2, of the hearings.

Join in the conversation at 866-303-2270!

Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi on Goldman Sachs

The brilliant Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone magazine joined me on Air America last night to talk about his piece in the current issue, "The Great American Bubble Machine"-- which gives you all the dirty info about Goldman Sachs... How they've been screwing us while raking in billions of dollars in profits.

Hear our interview by clicking here!

A Brand New Week

It's going to be a busy one! I'm back again all this week, from 11pm-1am ET on Air America Radio. In addition, I'll be guest-hosting the Thom Hartmann Program this Thursday (noon-3pm ET).

It's not only busy for me, but for the nation as a whole. Our television sets will be dominated by the confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who should wind up our next Supreme Court Justice. I'll get a re-cap of each day's hearings from Doug Kendall, founder and president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, who is also live-blogging the hearings for Huffington Post.

Doug will join me in the second hour of tonight's program.

In the first hour, I'll be joined by the Matt Taibbi, investigative journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, who's current piece, "The Great American Bubble Machine" shows us how Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression, and should really make you worried about Cap and Trade!

I had the great pleasure of interview Taibbi in March, when his piece on AIG blew our minds. (You can listen to that interview here.)

But as I said in my opening statement, there's a lot going on this week. Attorney General Eric Holder is finally saying what lots of us have been screaming: We need an independent prosecutor to investigate crimes of torture! Ok, he's not screaming it, but he is making the right kinds of noises along those lines.

Kevin Zeese, Executive Director of Voters for Peace will join me at the top of our second hour and bring us all up to date on what got Eric Holder to this point and give us tips on how to take action now to encourage them to do the right thing!

The fight for universal healthcare is still being waged, although there are those who'd like to keep us all broke and sick. Today, President Obama nominated Alabama Dr. Regina Benjamin as the next surgeon general, and vowed to get health care reform passed!

We're learning more about the CIA's secrets and lies, and Cheney's super secret plans abroad. It gets more and more surreal. We'll deal with all of it this week....

On the Checking Out of Nice Asses

Early this morning, I received an email with this picture....



My initial thought was, "How funny! Cool, he's human." And I posted it to facebook. A while later, a friend posted a comment that said the picture wasn't entirely accurate, and referenced this video, which shows the few seconds before and after.



Well, it looks like President Obama was being the gentleman, helping another woman down the steps, while Sarkozy was, indeed, checking out the girl's ass!

Either way, big deal. As long as they didn't touch....

It's Finally Friday!

We made it through this week without another major celebrity passing, though we did endure the endless coverage of Michael Jackson's demise (no, it's not over yet), and the soon-to-be ex-governor who just won't go away.

And on Monday, the Supreme Court will enter the television spotlight as the confirmation hearings begin for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

We're hearing the discouraging news about the Blue Dog Democrats trying to delay or derail health care reform, and we just cannot let that happen!

Tonight on my Air America radio show, I'll spend the first hour with Dr. Ogan Gurel, a Harvard and Columbia educated physician who is currently in the middle of a 700-mile month-long trek from Chicago to Washington D.C., his way of calling attention to the stories of hardship and inequity that persist in our healthcare system. He's using his blog to update his progress, and post the stories of the people he's met along the way.



As we officially usher in the weekend, we'll spend the second hour together with a man who personified rock and roll. Lonn Friend was editor-in-chief of RIP magazine during its heyday, and as such was there for the rise and stardom of bands including Metallica, Guns n Roses, Bon Jovi and many more. His memoir, Life on Planet Rock: From Guns N' Roses to Nirvana, a Backstage Journey through Rock's Most Debauched Decade, was released three years ago tomorrow.

Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll, and politics too...

Talk About That Right Wing Hypocrisy...

Sing along, if you know the words! Chances are, you're thinking "I know those words...". Well, if you were an Air America listener from the start, you might remember the newest US Senator, Al Franken, used to host a show, and he'd sing theme songs for some of his regular guests.

The words in the headline were taken from his song for Christy Harvey of the Center for American Progress. Well, Christy is still with the CAP, but in a slightly different role. She's now living in Alaska, and edits MicCheckRadio.org, a sort of cheat-sheet for people like me! She'll join me tonight on my show on Air America in the first hour (11pm ET/8pm PT) to talk about the news of the day. And no, I will not be singing. You can thank me later.

In the second hour tonight, I'll be joined by an old neighbor of mine from Los Angeles. When I met Janet Ritz, she was a singer/songwriter. I'm sure she still does that in her spare time, but her day job is Managing Editor of The Environmentalist, and Huffington Post Environmental Writer. You can probably guess what we'll be talking about!

Cynthia McKinney and Rabbis for Gaza

I hope you were able to listen to last night's show on Air America radio. If not, please take some time to listen to these interviews.

First, Cynthia McKinney joined me to discuss the capture of the Spirit of Humanity boat on which she was one of 21 aboard bringing relief supplies to the people of Gaza. Click here to listen to our interview.

And if you need a shot of hope, listen to my conversation with Rabbi Brian Walt about the the Jewish Fast for Gaza! It's truly inspiring. Click here to listen...

Cynthia McKinney- Back in the US and on the Nicole Sandler Show Tonight!

If you listened to my Air America radio show last week, you heard nightly updates about the group of 21 volunteers who were taking a boat, the Spirit of Humanity, loaded with relief supplies and toys for the children of Gaza. The boat was surrounded and then was boarded by the Israeli Navy, who took the 21 people aboard, including former US Congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, and held them in an Israeli prison for six days.

Cynthia McKinney is now home, and will be my guest tonight at 11pm ET on Air America radio. You can find and follow Cynthia at the following locations:
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

In our second hour, I'll speak with a Rabbi who sent me information about a group of rabbis, Jews, and other people of conscience who are taking on a monthly daytime fast to call for the lifting of the Gaza blockade, provide humanitarian and developmental aid to the people of Gaza, and more. This is not about religion... it's about humanity! Find out more about the Jewish Fast for Gaza here.

In the last half-hour of the show, I'll be joined by Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project, who have started running an ad on tv in California today, urging the state to consider legalizing and taxing marijuana as a way to help ease their financial woes, while helping patients at the same time. Watch the ad here, and listen for Bruce Mirken tonight at 12:30am ET/ 9:30pm PT.

Is It Over Yet?

Michael Jackson death week, that is. Today was the big day in Los Angeles, and it was a lot classier than I anticipated. In the second hour of the show tonight, I'll chat with someone who was there, and updating his Facebook page the entire time, with pictures and commentary!

And we'll be joined by Lisa Derrick, who writes the La Figa blog at FireDogLake, and was live blogging throughout the event. But don't worry, we won't spend the entire hour on the post mortem of the post mortem. We'll just dish a little, then move on to other issues of interest and curiosity.

But the first hour will be spent on a more serious topic. A listener named Kevin suggested I interview Will Bunch, who writes for the Philadelphia Daily News, and also writes the Attytood blog, and in February released the book "Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts our Future."

I checked out his stuff, and was intrigued, and am thrilled that Will Bunch will join me in the first hour of the show tonight. I hope you will too -- from 11pm-1am ET/ 8-10pm PT, streaming live at www.airamerica.com/listen.

Sarah Palin and Jesse Ventura: Nothing in Common

It figures that Sarah Palin would decides to announce her resignation on the Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend, when most of the media is already gone. That's ok. It's Monday, we're back, and we're talking about it.

Of course, when the news broke on Friday, BradBlog was already posting that rumors were swirling about a possible federal indictment coming down for the soon-to-be ex-governor. Brad Friedman's source was Shannyn Moore, an Alaskan broadcaster and blogger, who the Palinator soon singled out with threats of a lawsuit.

The fact of the matter is that there have been rumors floating around for many, many months now. A simple google search will turn up hundreds of thousands of entries. And Shannyn Moore has promised that she won't be silenced. She certainly won't be quiet tonight! She'll be my guest, at around 11:30 ET tonight.

In our second hour together tonight, I'll be speaking with the former governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura!

The fact that Palin and Ventura both served as governors is about as far as the similarity goes. I spent the weekend devouring Jesse Ventura's latest book, Don't Start the Revolution Without Me, in which at one point he writes about when he actually thought of resigning. I'll ask him about that tonight, and get his thoughts on Palin too.

I hope you'll listen in and, if you feel so moved, pick up the phone and join in the conversation at 866-303-2270.

Our Founding Mothers, Don Was and more....

It's the 3rd of July. And since tomorrow's actual holiday falls on a Saturday, many of us have today off. Tonight's show on Air America radio will be a "best of" ... but the good news is that I'll be back again all next week for more Nic @ Night!

But last night's show had so much going on that I wanted to share it with you.

I started the program with some personal comments. A friend of mine -- actually a very, very dear friend of my boyfriend's-- passed away yesterday. We've learned of a number of famous people who've died recently, but it's much more difficult to deal with when it's someone close to, and even worse when it could have been prevented. If only the health care system in this country actually worked.
Hear my comments on Charlie's death by clicking here.

When we hear about the birth of our nation, the stories we're told are about the "founding fathers." Very little is written in the history books about our Founding Mothers. So, last night I invited my friend Amy Simon back to the show to talk about her research into the women that were quite active, but still relatively unknown today! Listen to our interview here.

Scroll down to see a wonderful video of the old Ben E. King classic "Stand by Me" as performed by Iranian superstar Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi and others, including producer Don Was, who put the whole thing together. Don joined me on the air last night to talk about this video, along with his music, and his Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music on MyDamnChannel.com.

Hear my interview with Don Was by clicking here!

And we got an update on a story we've been following all week. A boat carrying relief supplies for residents of Gaza was boarded by the Israeli Navy, and the 21 volunteers on board, including former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, were captured and imprisoned by the Israeli government. Last night, we connected with Free Gaza's Greta Berlin in Cypress, and got an update on the situation. Listen to our phone call here.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday! Please remember to join me Monday night, July 6 on Air America radio from 8-10pm PT/ 11pm-1am ET. You can listen live online at www.airamerica.com/listen. My special guest will be former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura!

Radio (Not Radio)

Sort of like Radio or Not! Right?

Well, tonight, I'm thrilled to welcome Don Was, who came to fame as half of Was (Not Was) before becoming known as one of the best music producers working today!

Although I've always been a fan, I've never had the opportunity to interview Don. But over the past week, I've seen this video everywhere. Don brought a bunch of people into a studio -- Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora, along with Iranian super star Andy Madadian -- and they recorded this rendition of the Ben E. King classic "Stand By Me".

Here's the video, along with Don Was' intro, explaining what it's all about.



Don will join me at the beginning of the second hour -- 12 midnight ET/9pm PT.

In our first hour, in honor of the 4th of July coming up this weekend, we'll take a fun albeit irreverent look back at our founding fathers and mothers with comedienne Amy Simon.

And, of course, we'll deal with the news of the day too.... I hope you'll join in the fun!

Catching Up... A Plethora of Interviews

I've been remiss. I really got thrown off course on Friday when my power was out all day. I now have a backlog of interviews that I'm just getting around to podcasting.

This should keep you occupied for a quite a while... so, here goes:

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Huffington Post's Ryan Grimm about his new book, This is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America.
Click here to listen

Michael Jackson died on Thursday. My power went out Friday morning at 6am. The one good thing about that was the fact that I couldn't watch any of the news coverage that dominated the television all day Friday. Although I didn't see any of it, humorist Andy Borowitz watched ALL of it, and joined me on the air Friday night to fill us in on the day he'll never get back.
Listen to my chat with Andy Borowitz here.

After receiving a bunch of emails from Michael Jackson fans, who accused me of everything from "jumping on the bandwagon" to having my mind in the gutter for even thinking there was anything sexual in his sharing his bed with young children who were not related to him, I decided it was time for a dose of healthy sex. So, I invited sex expert Chrystal Boughon from Better Sex Radio to join me on the air.
Hear our discussion here.

Yesterday was another big news day.... Making good on a US- Iraqi Security Pact signed by then-President George W. Bush, June 30 was the day designated to withdraw US troops from the major cities in Iraq, moving toward the Dec. 31, 2011 deadline to have American forces out of the country. I spoke with Jonathan Morgenstein of Third Way, a Marine reservist who was called up for two tours of duty in Iraq. Click here to listen to our interview.

While Americans are in the midst of a debate over the future of health care in this country, more and more people are seeking out alternative treatments for illness. I've recently come across a very promising development in the search for a cure for cancer. Seriously!

My boyfriend's dog, Orion, was diagnosed with malignant oral melanoma. The tumor that was growing inside Orion's mouth was growing so quickly that it had begun affecting his right eye. Our wonderful vet suggested he try a botanical compound called Neoplasene. Six weeks later, the tumor is virtually gone.

I know many others can be helped with his info, so I invited Dr. T.S. Fox of Buck Mountain Botanicals to join me on the air last night. Listen to our interview by clicking here.

My old friend Judge David Young was one of the 250 people invited to the White House on Monday to take part in President Obama's reception for leaders in the LGBT community. He joined me last night on the air to talk about that experience, along with some recent high profile cases-- Bernard Madoff, the New Haven Firefighters Supreme Court ruling and Sonia Sotomayor, SC Gov. Mark Sanford, and lots more. Hear our interview here.

And finally, the fate of 21 people who were on a relief mission to Gaza had their boat boarded by the Israeli Navy in international waters, and were taken prisoners. Among the 21 passengers was former US Congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. I reached out to Donna Baranski-Walker, who has posted updates on the FreeGaza.org website. Hear our conversation by clicking here.

Tonight on Air America (from 11pm-1am ET), a conversation with the president of the National Education Association, an update on the passengers hijacked by the Israeli Navy, and some highlights from President Obama's town hall on health care from this afternoon. I hope you'll join in by listening (airamerica.com/listen) and calling in at 866-303-2270.

Tuesday night on Air America Radio

I'm very late posting this update on tonight's show, as I actually went out this evening. Just to show you the things we do for love, I accompanied my boyfriend to see the Average White Band at the Hard Rock Live.

He wanted to go so, even though I'm a music snob, I went... and got home just in time to go on the air.

I'll post all the links and show information tomorrow, but I did want to post this information about the Free Gaza relief boat carrying former Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, and 20 others, that was apprehended by the Israeli Navy.

Read the Green Party's press release here and visit FreeGaza.org for more information.