Welcome to Talking Politics!

The first episode of Talking Politics with Tim and Aaron focuses on Redefining American Energy Policy.

Click to Play the Episode Below!

 

 Standard Podcast [5:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (45)

Episode 1 Show Notes:

Today’s News Blurb was from a New York Times article titled Risk is Clear in Drilling; Payoff Isn’t.

Energy usage statistic quoted by Aaron was drawn from this presentation on fossil fuels.

Question of the Day: What does a “national energy policy” mean to you?
Respond to the question in the comments below or contact us and your comment might be featured in our next episode!

Image by mkeefe

Politics! I love it. And I love listening to these progressive liberal talk shows. Before Air America launched, I actually had no idea that there were liberal or progressive talk shows on the air. The ones that existed before Air America were mostly small, local shows as far as I can tell. Now, everyone has at least heard of a few of these shows – even conservatives.

I’ve selected my 9 favorite talk shows and included links so you can check them out. Let me know, in the comments below, what shows you like!

Top 9 Liberal Radio Talk Shows

1. Thom Hartmann – One of my three favorite shows, Thom Hartmann Nationwide is one of the largest progressive liberal talk shows in the nation. The depth of his knowledge is impressive and he really describes things in a way that’s digestible for everyone. Thom has written a vast array of books and even helped create a Discovery Channel documentary on the JFK assassination. [Thom Hartmann Nationwide]

2. Ed Schultz – The self-described “big fat red head from Fargo”, Ed Schultz, is the most entertaining progressive talker to listen to. Ed serves up a large helping of common sense to political discussions. Schultz is easily one of the most passionate radio hosts, uncovering the lies of the right with humor, insight and great sports analogies. [The Ed Schultz Show]

He’s a straight talking, no-nonsense voice of reason in unreasonable times. While others preen and pontificate, Ed Schultz keeps the lines wide open for his listeners-making good on his boast that The Ed Schultz Show is Where America Comes to Talk. No radio talk show is as accessible. [About Ed]

3. Randi Rhodes – Funny, feisty, yet down to earth, Randi is the best female liberal talk show host on the radio and one of the best in the biz across the board. Randi was named “Woman of the Year” by Talkers Magazine in 2007. It’s a well deserved award. Randi fights for women, the rights of homosexuals in the military, and all other Americans. [The Randi Rhodes Show]

It should be noted that after all their bluster, Senate Republicans managed to hold up the bill with frivolous amendments for exactly 21 hours. Every dog has his day, but these dogs didn’t even manage a full day. [Randi's Blog]

4. Norman Goldman – Widely known as Ed Schultz’s Senior Legal Analyst, Nor-man Gold-man is a strong character in his own right and I was stoked when I heard he’d earned his own show! Norm is the most independent of the bunch, he’ll swing at liberals just as hard as conservatives if they’re not acting right. When it comes to legal issues, Norm breaks down legalese like a bull in a china shop. [The Norman Goldman Show]

5. Carl and Christine – This is a local duo in Portland, Oregon, frequently collaborate with Thom Hartmann, and they bring a lot of local coverage and humorous commentary to the air waves. [KPOJ Mornings]

6. Stephanie Miller – According to her site, “Miller’s fresh voice and political satire have been cultivated over years of experience as a media personality and comedienne.” Stephanie’s show is a big ball of fun. Her comedy skills are always on display as she skewers loony right-wingers. Her co-hosts are an enjoyable bunch but Stephanie is the light of the show. [The Stephanie Miller Show]

7. Ring of Fire – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papintonio, and David Bender are three political activists who have had impressive careers outside of radio. Together, on air, these three bring a lot of history, legal expertise and laser sharp intellect to the political issues of the day. These gentlemen host very insightful interviews with lawmakers and topical experts. [Ring of Fire Radio]

8. Jack Rice – Jack is a former CIA Officer, so his insight is a rarity on radio programs. No one on right-wing radio has this kind of experience to share. Jack’s expertise is sought on other shows too – Ed Schultz being one of them. [Jack Rice: In the Cross Hairs]

As an award winning journalist and correspondent, he has chased stories around the world. He is a former CIA Special Agent and Field Operations Officer as well as a former prosecuting attorney and columnist. [About Jack Rice]

9. Bill Press – Author, Columnist and TV show host, Bill Press has worked in every media format. Bill is an interesting guy and his four-Emmy Awards demonstrate the quality of his work. Reasonable, smart and laid back, The Bill Press Show is the latest addition to my play lists. [The Bill Press Show]

The former co-host of MSNBC’s Buchanan and Press, CNN’s Crossfire and The Spin Room, Press has built a national reputation on thought-provoking and humorous insights from the left side of the political aisle. [About Bill Press]

Image by Paul Schultz

Obamacare. Healthcare reform. Single-payer system. Public option. What do you support?

I decided to head out into the streets of Portland to find out where average Americans stood on the issue. I was really hoping to find some strong opinions especially against reform. Not because I don’t support healthcare reform but because I wanted to try to dig past the one liners from TV and see how they really felt. But alas, none were to be found.

Average Americans Discuss Healthcare Reform

A big “Thank You!” to my friend Aaron Jensen for helping me with this project and to the friendly people who agreed to participate.

Image by Shermee.

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up Powell’s Books Calendar of Events earlier this month to see that Governor Howard Dean would be coming to speak about his new book. Gov. Dean’s book is titled, Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform: How We Can Achieve Affordable Medical Care for Every American and Make Our Jobs Safer. That’s a monster of a title but don’t worry it’s a quick read at only 160 pages.

As you may or may not know, Gov. Dean served as the Governor of Vermont and after running for president in 2004, he became the Democratic National Committee Chairman. Howard Dean led the 50-State Strategy which helped Democrats pick-up seats in the House and Senate, even in traditionally conservative states. Now, the Democrats lead the country as the majority party.

The book describes Gov. Dean’s experience as a physician and his critiques of the healthcare industry, specifically the for-profit health insurance industry. He is very precise in his critiques and draws great comparisons to other countries and even demonstrates the efficiency of Medicare to show how much money can be saved. His argument is that we should at least offer every American the chance to utilize the same quality care and service that people over 65 years of age enjoy when they use Medicare.

Howard Dean’s Speech

Dean was going to begin by signing books but since some people had taken their lunch break to attend he switched gears and launched into a clear and passionate speech about the problems we face and how we can fix them. Just moments into his speech, a heckler starts harassing him about single-payer healthcare. The heckler was roundly shushed by the audience and Gov. Dean asked him to please respect other people’s time and when it comes to Q&A he will be called on to speak. However, the guy wanted to be a pain and he was eventually asked to leave by Powell’s employees. Another heckler attempted the same thing shortly after and was again shushed by the crowd and asked to leave by employees. After that it went without a problem and was very informative.

Points to take away:

• We offer efficient, government run healthcare already for veterans and the eldery. We should expand this to everyone.
• Medicare only costs 4% of every dollar to administer. The best private insurance can do is 20%. Huge savings potential.
• Primary care physicians in the British healthcare system typically make more money than primary care physicians in America.
• Prevent health problems instead of overpaying for expensive treatment in the case of preventable diseases.
• President Obama’s plan will offer a huge benefit to small business by relieving them of the expense of providing health care. With a public option.
• American businesses will become more competitive with foreign companies who enjoy lower employment costs due to their own governments’ universal healthcare plans. (Example, Toyota from Japan is gobbling up market share due to low costs. Please note: This is my example and not one Gov. Dean pointed out.)