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Here are some of the guests who appeared on The Jim Bohannon Show in 2006:
Friday, December 29
We got a return visit from money expert Jordan Goodman, who talked to us about a wide range of personal finance issues to help us all become better investors. His latest book is "Master Your Money Type" (now in paperback from Warner Business Books).
Thursday, December 28
We've all heard stories about the time it takes for new 'miracle' drugs to get from the lab and into the hands of doctors and their patients. For the first time, a thorough examination of the process has been made, and the result is the book from Richard Epstein: "Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation" (published by Yale University Press).
Wednesday, December 27
Gerald Ford, whose brief Presidency was defined by his controversial pardon of Richard Nixon, has died at the age of 93. We talked about the life and legacy of Gerald Ford with two guests: veteran journalist Ron Nessen, who served as President Ford’s White House press secretary and is currently Journalist in Residence at The Brookings Institution, and John Fund, Senior Editor of and Politics Columnist for The American Spectator.
How threatened is the American way of life by Islamic fundamentalism? Our guest said we need to get our heads out of the sand and realize that we are in that battle right now. Brigitte Gabriel, founder of the non-profit American Congress for Truth, has written the book “Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America” (published by St. Martin’s Press).
Tuesday, December 26
Aaaugh! In no time at all, those dreaded Income Tax forms will be arriving in our mailboxes! With Federal Tax filing day less than four months away, if you haven’t given much thought to tax planning, the time to rectify that is now. As always when it comes to tax matters, we turned to return guest Dick Jones of Wood-Jones and Associates of Rolla, MO. His specialty is tax representation: helping you out of your tax problems with the IRS.
Monday, December 25
We warmed up your cold winter night with a replay of our summer evening at the 2006 Ozark Empire Fair, where our guests included the legendary Lennon Sisters, country music superstar Blake Shelton, and the man who helped MTV get off the ground 25 years ago, Les Garland. Hope you enjoyed that leftover slice of fruitcake!
Friday, December 22
Celebrities are everywhere, from the red carpets at awards shows to supermarket openings. The reason is marketing, and with us was a man who makes those appearances happen: Darren Prince, founder and CEO of the Prince Marketing Group
We talked to former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey about his decision to come out as gay—the first sitting Governor ever to do so. He tells his story in his memoir, entitled “The Confession” (published by Regan Books).
Have you heard about the “Terrorist Attack Survival Kit”? It’s a new CD-ROM designed to help protect you and your loved ones. We chatted with the man behind it: Kelly Perdew, founder and president of American Family Protection, Inc.
Thursday, December 21
Jim snuck out a day early on his Christmas vacation, so the program was guest-hosted by Jake Steinfeld (you know, that "Body By Jake" guy!). And Jake brought a big-name guest with him: actor Sylvester Stallone, whose latest (and last--he promises!) Rocky film, Rocky Balboa, is now open.
Wednesday, December 20
Politics has changed drastically since the start of what's now known as the '24-hour news cycle'--the fact that news broadcasts are now available on multiple cable television channels like CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, around the clock. We discussed how the existence of these news outlests has changed the political debate with Jeff Cohen, author of "Cable News Confidential" (published by PoliPointPress).
Tuesday, December 19
The Presidency of Ronald Reagan continues to guide the nation's political direction nearly two decades after it ended. We talked about the Reagan legacy, and the man's journey from Democrat to conservative Republican, with Ed Yager, author of the book "Ronald Reagan's Journey" (published by Rowman & Littlefield).
Monday, December 18
Foreign Policy magazine managing editor William Dobson joined us to talk about the Top Ten News Stories of 2006 that we all may have missed--underreported stories that 'flew under the radar' but will have a major impact on all Americans as time passes.
Friday, December 15
This was the day for our big, annual "Year in Review" program as Jim sat down and discussed the biggest news stories of the past 12 months and their impact on our lives. This year's guest panelists were Paul Rodriguez, Managing Director of Media for the P.R. firm Burson-Marsteller; freelance journalist Karen Feld, whose columns appear in the Alexandria (VA) Times; and David Boaz, Executive Vice President of the Cato Institute.
Thursday, December 14
Risk expert Dan McGinn, President and CEO of the McGinn Group, joined us to explain the real issues we Americans should be worried about, and what things we shouldn’t be concerning ourselves with. In particular, McGinn says there’s a chance we’re all being exposed to too many low-risk warnings. That can lead us to ignore those warnings, setting us up to be exposed to real risks.
The hospitalization of Democratic Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota shook up official Washington. While our thoughts are first and foremost for the Senator and his family, the political impact should Senator Johnson be unable to resume his seat is enormous: no less than control of the new Senate is at stake. We discussed the situation in detail with Jonathan Allen, reporter for Congressional Quarterly.
Wednesday, December 13
Officials announce a possible terrorist action on the horizon, and we all get nervous. The government raises or lowers the National Terror Threat Index and our feelings either rise or fall, depending on the change in color code. But, is is possible our emotions are being manipulated? We found out when we spoke to John Mueller, who's written the book "Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe Them" (published by Free Press).
Identity theft has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and is now the fastest-growing crime in America, so it’s well past time for all of us to get serious about protecting our identities. We talked to an expert on that subject: certified computer professional Steve Groner. He’s written the book “Protect Your Good Name! (From IDentity Theft)” (in softcover from PublishAmerica).
Everyone in Springfield, MO, knows Jerry Jacob, who's spent 11 years on-air there on KY3 (WKYT-TV). But Jerry will be leaving his job on January 5 to do something he felt compelled to do after Nine-Eleven: enlist in the U.S. military. He tried before, but was turned down because of his age. However, with the age requirements recently altered, Jacob gets the chance to try again on January 11, just under two weeks shy of his 42nd birthday—the new upper age limit for enlistment. We found out what led him to his decision, and why what he is doing is so much more unusual today than it was in past wars.
Tuesday, December 12
One of the most talked-about recommendations in the Iraq Study Group report is the one that calls for direct talks with Iran and Syria to help find a solution. But first, we should consider a country where both Iran and Syria are already involved, overtly and covertly, in an ongoing conflict. That country is Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been staging massive protests in an effort to oust the pro-U.S. government. Can Syria and Iran be trusted? We talked about the situation in Lebanon and other, wider Middle East questions with Tom Harb, Secretary General of the International Lebanese Committee for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, and return guest John Hajjar, North American Director of the World Council of the Cedar’s Revolution.
U.S. immigration agents raided six Swift & Co. meat plants, temporarily shutting down operations in six states. The raids came as a part of a Federal investigation into identity theft involving illegal immigrants. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made it clear the company was not at fault, and that the raids were undertaken to capture individuals who have stolen identities of U.S. citizens, and who are here working illegally. According to ICE officials, hundreds of stolen identities may be involved. What does identity theft entail, and how can you protect yourself from it? We found out from identity theft protection expert Chris McGoey.
Monday, December 11
The Iraq Study Group has recommended that the U.S. start direct talks with Iran because, in the words of co-chairman James Baker, ‘you talk to your enemies, not just your friends.’ But just how good of an idea is that, and would Iran even bother? We discussed those questions with Michael D. Evans, co-author (with Dr. Jerome Corsi) of the book “Showdown with Nuclear Iran: Radical Islam's Messianic Mission to Destroy Israel and Cripple the United States” (published by Nelson Current).
Friday, December 8
Religion is the most pervasive yet least understood subject helping to govern life on Earth. Countering criticism that the mainstream media can’t properly cover religion, Newsweek magazine and the Washington Post have collaborated on a new, interactive website called “On Faith” that is doing just that. We found out more about it when we spoke with the two people spearheading the online effort: famed Washington Post writer Sally Quinn and Newsweek editor Jon Meachum.
Thuesday, December 7
If you’re a fan of American history—and of good thrillers—you’re going to enjoy the latest novel from best-selling author Brad Meltzer. It’s called “The Book of Fate” (published by Warner Books), and it centers on a young White House aide caught up in an assassination attempt on the President. That incident touches off a quest to find out just what happened, requiring the aide to delve into the historic secrets of the Freemasons and decipher a two centuries old code devised by President Thomas Jefferson.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has started to get her ducks in a row in expectation of her candidacy for President in 2008. What kind of a candidate will she be, and why are the Republicans actually going to be happy if she chooses to run? We found out from Amanda Carpenter, author of "The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's Dossier on Hillary Clinton" (published by Regnery).
Wednesday, December 6
The Iraq Study Group's long-awaited report on how the U.S. should overhaul its effort in Iraq is now in the President’s hands. We discussed what the report contains, and if we can expect the President to implement its recommendations with author and terrorism expert Richard Miniter.
Could it actually be bad for you to go more 'green' in your daily life? That's the opinion of author John Berlau, who's written the book "Eco-Freaks: Environmentalism is Hazardous to Your Health!" (published by Nelson Current).
Tuesday, December 5
Robert Gates, the man President George W. Bush chose to succeed outgoing Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, said during his confirmation hearings that the United States was not winning the fight in Iraq and would need to embrace a new approach to end the violence and prevent a possible region-wide conflict. The Gates hearing began just one day before the release of the much-anticipated report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. We discussed Robert Gates, our options in Iraq, and the Iraq Study Group report with MSNBC military analyst, retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona.
You’ve seen him in film roles and heard his music in the movies and on the radio. We talked on this night with Frank Stallone, Sly’s younger brother, about his movie roles and his music, which are featured in the new film Rocky Balboa—proving once again that the excitement over Frank Stallone is, in the title of his biggest hit, “Far From Over.”
We'll also talked to Gregg Stebben about the Best Life magazine article "21 Rules of Stree-Free Travel."
Monday, December 4
Giving up on a years-long battle, President Bush accepted the withdrawal of John Bolton from consideration as the U.S.’ Ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Bolton had held that job since a recess appointment a year ago, but the White House conceded that Bolton’s nomination had no chance of passage with the Democrats in control of the new Congress. We discussed Mr. Bolton’s tenure with Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute; Stewart Stogel, reporter for the website Newsmax.com; and Nico Pitney, Assistant Editor of Thinkprogress.org and the Progress Reports at the Center for American Progress.
We also chatted with Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The Museum, which includes America's only Radio Hall of Fame, is undergoing reconstruction, looking toward a reopening date early in 2007. We got an update on how things are going, and talked a bit about the luminaries who were inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Friday, December 1
Should affirmative action play a part with schoolchildren as young as age five? The Supreme Court is hearing a case dealing with racial preferences in Seattle and Louisville school districts in grades K through 12. We got a persepctive on the case from Sharon Browne, principal attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation, which is arguing that the school districts are way out of line.
Plus, it was on this evening that our show took a hard left turn. Many of them, in fact! No, we weren't talking politics--we were speaking with Joe Garner, author of the book "Speed, Guts, and Glory: 100 Unforgettable Moments in NASCAR History" (published by Warner Books), which includes a bonus DVD narrated by NASCAR great Jeff Gordon.
Thursday, November 30
King Abdullah of Jordan recently said there can be no peace in Iraq—indeed, no peace in the Middle East as a whole—until the Israeli-Palestinian situation is resolved. We talked about Iraq, Iran, Syria, and the whole Middle East with independent journalist Connie Lawn, who has over two decades of experience covering Israel and Middle Eastern affairs.
Wednesday, November 29
President Bush’s trip to Jordan to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki didn’t exactly work out as planned. First there was that leaked memo written by National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley to the President that questioned Mr. Al-Maliki’s ability to lead his country, quickly followed by a postponement of the first meeting between the leaders that's been widely perceived as a snub of the President. We discussed the Iraq situation and the options that may come out of the Iraq Study Group with two return guests: Jed Babbin, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for President George H.W. Bush, and Justin Logan, Cato Institute Foreign Policy Analyst.
Plus, our studios were graced with a visit from Joan Collins, actress and now author of "The Art of Living Well: Looking Good, Felling Great" (published by Sourcebooks). She told us about how the lifestyle program she outlines in her book keeps her in top form, and she talked us about the show she's currently touring the country in (Legends!, along with fellow diva Linda Evans).
Tuesday, November 28
It’s been a long, strange trip, but our guest was, thankfully, still around to talk about it. Folk-rock icon David Crosby, founding member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, visited to talk about his roller-coaster life, as contained in his second autobiography, “Since Then: How I Survived Everything and Lived to Tell About It” (published by Putnam).
When the James Baker-led Iraq Study Group makes its final recommendations to the Bush administration on Iraq policy soon, one of the provisions it is expected to contain is a call for regional talks, including the involvement of Iran and Syria. One group that comes down on the side of keeping Iran and Syria at arms-length is the World Council of the Cedar’s Revolution. We discussed the issue with their spokesperson, Middle East expert Eblan Farris.
Monday, November 27
The holidays are a time for giving, and that usually includes donations to charities. But, how do you know which ones to trust with your money? We talked with Doug White, author of the book “Charity on Trial: What You Need to Know Before You Contribute” (published by Barricade Books). We found out which organizations have been naughty, which have been nice, and how you can get the best results from the money and goods you donate.
Friday, November 24
This summer’s foiled plot to explode aircraft traveling between Great Britain and the United States proved that weaknesses remain in our air security. We found out more when we talked to airline security expert Omar Khan.
Why does it remain notoriously difficult to get Federal judicial nominees confirmed? We explored the question find out with Sean Rushton, Executive Director of the Committee For Justice.
Harmonica virtuoso Robert Bonfiglio joined us to talk about—and play—songs from his CD “Harmonica America” (released through the website CDBaby.com), which features some of the nation's favorite tunes, all played in an intimate setting.
Thursday, November 23
The goal that the new Iraqi government could secure its own country is still unfulfilled, and our fighting forces are stretched to their limit. What went wrong? Former diplomat Peter Galbraith explains in his book “The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End” (published by Simon & Schuster).
Plus, we spent some time with the beautiful Deana Martin, Dean’s little girl, talking about a CD of her versions of some of her dad’s greatest hits. The CD, and her earlier book on her Rat Pack father are both called “Memories Are Made of This” (with the 2006 CD on the Big Fish label and the 2004 book published by Harmony Books).
Wednesday, November 22
The Baby Boom generation is racing towards retirement, and a lot of people need help learning how to cope. We got some assistance from Steve Weisman, author of the Prentice Hall book “Boomer or Bust: Your Financial Guide to Retirement, Health Care, Medicare, and Long-Term Care.”
Is China finally losing patience with its client-state North Korea? We talked about North Korea and it’s eccentric leader Kim Jong Il with the former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Stephen Bosworth.
You loved his first treasure-hunting book, and now author Michael Stadther is back with more! Follow the clues to what could be a big payday in his latest work “The Secrets of the Alchemist Dar” (published by Treasure Trove, Inc.).
Tuesday, November 21
We went inside the investigation into the worst-ever attack on American soil with that probe’s former co-chairman, Lee Hamilton, co-author of the Knopf book “Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission.”
Which is the real party of taxing and spending? It’s now the Republicans, claimed our guest: Stephen Slivinski, Director of Budget Studies at the Cato Institute.
Are your kids safe when they use social networking Internet sites? We found out when we talk to computer expert Larry Magid about his book “My Space Unraveled: A Parent’s Guide to Teen Social Networking” (published by Peachpit Press).
Monday, November 20
What is the role doctors should play in the interrogation of detainees? We discussed that with Dr. Steven Miles, author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror" (published by Random House).
You wouldn’t expect a top-notch thriller to be written by a former Secretary of Defense, bit it’s true. Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen has penned “Dragon Fire,” a tale of action, espionage, intrigue, and romance (published by Forge Books).
What lessons can be learned from the Hurricane Katrina and Rita reconstruction effort? We found out from Jerome Ringo, Chairman of the Board of the National Wildlife Federation, and himself a Hurricane Rita evacuee.
Friday, November 17
It’s about the worst thing to happen to a parent—to have a child die before you do. That it happened in wartime is scant consolation. We spoke with four Gold Star family members--John Holley, Debra Bastian, and Janet & Joseph Johnson--who have each lost a son to the War in Iraq. They recently completed a trip to that country, which was organized by Move America Forward, the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization. They told us what they saw, and described the state of troop morale since the Democratic takeover of Congress and the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
The Thanksgiving holiday fast approaches and Christmas isn’t that far behind. Need some extra cash to buy gifts? You could have a fortune buried in your basement, attic, or garage. It’s those old, dusty vinyl records you collected as you were growing up, in the days before the CD and digital music downloads. To find out what your old records, and especially those usually-valuable picture sleeves, are worth, we again enlisted the aid of 'the Record Guy,' "Mighty” John Marshall. (If you couldn't get through, visit “Mighty” John’s website, www.MoneyMusic.com, or give him a call at his toll-free number, 1-800-653-2258.)
Thursday, November 16
Former Senator and Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards visited to talk about his new book "Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives" (published by Collins). Edwards has collected nearly 60 moving stories from such luminaries as General Tommy Franks, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Senator John Glenn, and celebrity chef Mario Battali to paint a portrait of how home, and the very concept of home, shapes our lives. (Of course, given his background, we also talked to the Senator about the recent Democratic sweep in the midterm elections and about his possible Presidential aspirations!)
Can Muslims and the West bridge their cultural differences to help stabilize Iraq? That's the hope and belief of Lieutenant Colonel Alan King, former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority's Tribal Affairs and Sunni outreach programs, and author of "Twice Armed: An American Soldier's Battle for Hearts and Minds in Iraq" (published by Zenith Press).
Wednesday, November 15
We chatted with John Yoo about the decisions made by the Bush administration since Nine-Eleven, as outlined in his Atlantic Monthly Press book "War By Other Means: An Insider's Account of the War on Terror." As a member of the White House Office of Legal Counsel, the analyses by Yoo and his colleagues led to many of the Bush administration’s most controversial policies, from the detentions at Guantánamo Bay to the warrant-less wiretapping program.
Plus, we celebrated the year in science as we heard unveiled the 2006 “Scientific American 50,” thanks to a return visit from the editor-in-chief of Scientific American, John Rennie, to honor the year’s top contributions to science and technology.
Tuesday, November 14
To this day we marvel at the accomplishments of our Founding Fathers and learn from their wisdom. Yet, at one time, many of them believed the nation didn’t need many of the specific protections we enjoy today. We explored this with Richard Labunski, author of "James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights" (published by Oxford University Press).
Monday, November 13
You have probably never heard of this man, yet he is one of America’s most leading power-brokers. His influence has been felt far and wide, especially in the political realm. He’s not a politician himself, nor a leader of industry, nor a celebrity. Did we mention that he’s not even an American? He’s a Saudi Arabian prince! William Simpson has just written a revealing look at this influential man entitled “The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal, Prince Bandar bin Sultan” (published by Regan Books).
Millions worship Muhammad in countries around the globe, including the United States. Yet, how many of us really know much about the central figure of the Muslim faith? We remedied our ignorance when we spoke with return guest Robert Spencer, whose latest book is “The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion” (published by Regnery). It’s a comprehensive portrait covering the good and the bad about the Prophet of Islam.
Plus, we talked to Jenny Rosenstrach of Cookie magazine, the new publication designed for parents with young children, about an important article in their October/November issue: "5 Tips for Better Communication with Your Kids."
Friday, November 10
The aftermath of Nine-Eleven helped cement neoconservative thought as the driving force in the country. Yet, the public now appears to be turning away from it. Our guest, British commentator Douglas Murray thinks that’s a bad idea; he makes his case in the book “Neoconservatism: Why We Need It” (published by Encounter Books).
Plus, we went back a few months to the 29th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley and found out what his old records are really worth with the man knows all when it comes to that subject: ‘Mighty John’ Marshall, the ‘Record Guy’ from MoneyMusic.com!
Thursday, November 9
In an appearance in Kansas, outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said he would leave it to history to determine how good he was at his job, particularly in the prosecution of the War in Iraq. News of his resignation cheered some and disappointed others, but everyone agrees it gives the President an opportunity to reshape the nation’s Iraq policy. We discussed Secretary Rumsfeld’s legacy and where the war in Iraq, and the overall War on Terror, go from here with two return guests: NBC News military analyst and four-star General Wayne Downing (U.S. Army, retired), and Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy.
As we got ready to observe Veterans Day, we took some time to talk about an important program helping our Reservists and National Guardsmen and –women serving their country today. We spoke with Major Robert Palmer, Chief of Strategic Communications for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. ESGR is a Defense Department organization providing free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.
Wednesday, November 8
Did the Bush administration and the Republican Party pay lip service to values voters by using faith-based groups to garner support while mocking those same groups in private? That’s the accusation made by author David Kuo in his book “Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction” (published by Free Press).
The people have spoken, and next year will see a somewhat chastened President Bush having to deal with a House of Representatives controlled by the Democrats. It appears Election 2006 has proved that the ‘political capital’ the President earned through his reelection two years ago has now all been spent, with the first evidence of this the departure of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. Is the President already a lame duck? We discussed that with two guests: Faiz Shakir, Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress, and Richard Viguerie, long-time conservative activist and author of the book “Conservatives Betrayed" (published by Bonus Books).
Tuesday, November 7
On many Westwood One stations, this show was be extended by an hour, running from 10:06 pm to 2:00 am Eastern Time! Plus, the final two hours were simulcast in part on CNN, as a part of their Larry King Live election special. Among our guests were Jodi Schneider of Congressional Quarterly; John Samples, Director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government; and Josh Treviño, Vice President of Public Policy for the Pacific Research Institute. We also checked in with correspondents following all of the night's hottest races: Ted Lorson in Connecticut, Spencer Raine in New Jersey, Mary Perren in Tennessee, Stephen Kaufman in Montana, and Gene Kuleta in Maryland. Also, National correspondent Terry Moore monitored trends for us from his post in Washington, DC.
Monday, November 4
On our pre-election program we got analysis and predictions from Mark Warren, Executive Editor of Esquire magazine. In their November issue, Esquire made an endorsement in every gubernatorial and Congressional race—all 504 of them. We also spoke with former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card about the Republican Party's chances to keep control of Congress, Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, about the possibility that the nation will be taking a more leftward turn, and Jonathan Pontell, the man who knew how 'Generation Jones' would vote, that group between the "Baby Boomers" and the Generation X'ers" which is actually larger than either of those other, better known groups.
Friday, November 3
We hear a lot about the violence in Iraq, but we don’t hear enough about the good things going on in the Kurdish north. We talked with Bayan Rahman, Chair of the Kurdistan Development Corporation, about how that part of Iraq is being rebuilt.
One goal of today’s Islamofascists is to dominate the world, as Muslims once did ages ago. Could that lead to a Third World War? We found out from William Wagner, author of “How Islam Plans to Change the World” (in paperback from Kregel Publications).
Plue, we spent an hour absorbing some culture in humorous, bite-sized portions when we chatted with some of the ‘Bad Boys of Abridgement,’ the Reduced Shakespeare Company!
Thursday, November 2
The President has signed legislation authorizing, but not funding, the construction of 700 miles of fencing on the border separating the United States from Mexico. Is it about time, too little too late, or a colossal waste of taxpayer money? We discuss it with repeat guest Pat Buchanan, author of "State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America" (published by Thomas Dunne Books). And, as befits a former Presidential candidate and MSNBC political analyst, we asked him to handicap the midterm elections for us as well.
Plus, we got a return visit from "Professor Bernie" himself, Professor Bernard Gaidosch, who has been helping students fulfill their potential for almost three decades, making sure your children are achieving the way you're expecting them to in school. "Professor Bernie" has some great deals for Jim Bohannon Show listeners. You can get details at the website www.IWantTopMarks.com or by calling 1-877-439-3999.
Wednesday, November 1
The man in the fringed buckskin suit, attorney Gerry Spence, joined us to talk about what he considers to be the rise of and the risks from the neocon culture of hate. He explains in his book "Bloodthirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power" (published by St. Martin's Press).
Tuesday, October 31
On this Halloween, we tackled a really scary problem: that dirty little American secret known as domestic violence. On the final day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we spoke with Cheryl O’Donnell, Communications Director for the National Network to End Domestic Violence; Rita Henley Jensen, founder and editor-in-chief of the opinion and commentary Internet site Women’s eNews; and return guest Anne Crews, a Vice President of Mary Kay, Inc., and a member of the Board of Directors for the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation.
One group of people that frequently gets short shrift when the debate over immigration gets heated are the skilled, legal immigrants who have come to the United States to practice their skills and find a better life, to the great benefit of our nation. We talked to members of Immigration Voice, a group that was organized to help alleviate the problems faced by legal high-skilled foreign workers in the U.S. With us were the founder and president of Immigration Voice, Aman Kapoor, plus group members Shankar Rathnam, Jwalant Pradhan, and Sanjay Mehta.
Monday, October 30
Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota joined us to talk about abuses by contractors in Iraq--taxpayer money being wasted to the tune of a billion dollars or more, and the hiding of infoirmation that should be part of the public record.
What's it really like out in the field for our soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan? We found out when we spoke with Andrew Carroll, editor of a collection of eyewitness accounts, private journals, and other writings from the front lines entitled "Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families" (published by Random House).
Friday, October 27
We got a return visit from Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a lieutenant who led 38 men as an Infantry Platoon Leader, and the founder and Executive Director of the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. They published a Congressional report card on the issues most important to today’s vets, and we heard more about the issues and how IAVA grades our legislators.
Thursday, October 26
The War in Iraq was won, but not so yet the peace. We discussed what’s gone wrong with military reporter Thomas E. Ricks, who’s written the book “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq” (published by Penguin).
We all know the story of Peter Pan, but were you aware of the adventures Peter had before the story we know so well? We found out more when we chatted with Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, authors of the Disney Editions release “Peter and the Shadow Thieves.”
Where does the U.S. go from here in facing down the country working to build an ‘Islamic bomb’? We looked into the future with Ali Ansari, author of “Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Next Great Crisis in the Middle East” (published by Perseus Books).
Wednesday, October 25
Are government and big business conspiring to stifle competition from the little guy? So says Tim Carney, author of the Wiley book “The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money.”
The word ‘cancer’ still strikes fear despite advances in its treatment. We talked with two women who have survived the disease and thrived since: Jackie Nedell, and Ellen Stovall, President and CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.
Documentary filmmaker Pierre Rehov visited to talk about his latest work, From the River to the Sea, which looks at how Hamas won the last Palestinian election and why he believes the U.N. is complicit in that group’s terrorist activities.
Tuesday, October 24
Not too long ago we brought you some fascinating interviews from the first-ever Pentagon Radio Day. On this date it was the White House’s turn. We brought you Jim's interviews with a host of Bush administration officials, including political adviser Karl Rove, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow.
Monday, October 23
It's time for the American middle class to fight back against the indignities being heaped upon it. So says CNN's Emmy Award-winning Lou Dobbs, in his new book "War on the Middle Class" (published by Viking).
Are you ready to properly exercise your franchise? With the midterm elections just days away we talked with the President of Project Vote Smart, Richard Kimball, who believes paid political consultants have played a role in the 'dumbing down' of the American electorate.
Friday, October 20
Al Gore's role in the Clinton presidency had some labelling Gore as a co-President. Does our current Veep, Dick Cheney, have that same kind of power? Or, as some suggest, is he pulling the strings of the man currently holding the Oval Office? We asked author Lou Dubose, who has written the book "Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency" (written with Jake Bernsein and published by Random House).
Plus we’ll got a return visit from Chip Davis, the founder of Mannheim Steamroller. Their latest release is a unique, three-disc CD/DVD combo called “Halloween, Volume II,” out just in time to get you into the Halloween holiday spirit!
Thursday, October 19
We took a hard look at how to protect your child from pornographic images found on the Internet as we spoke to two agents from the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative, Arnold Bell and Kevin Gutfleish.
The next Presidential election is over two years away--so we decided we'd better not waste any more time before we started thinking about it! We did so with Washington Post national political editor John Harris and ABC News Political Director Mark Halperin, co-authors of "The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008" (published by Random House).
Wednesday, October 18
Westwood One and FOX News Channel talk host Bill O'Reilly extended his 'no-spin zone' to nighttime radio as he joined Jim to talk about his new book "Culture Warrior" (published by Broadway Books).
Plus, we got a return visit from wills and estates attorney Les Kotzer to talk about his latest book on the subject, "The Family War: Winning the Inheritance Battle" (co-written with his colleagues Jordan Atin and Barry Fish, and available from Continental Atlantic Publications, Inc.). [This book isn't in stores; you can get it by visiting the website www.TheFamilyWar.com or by calling 1-877-439-3999.]
Tuesday, October 17
We spoke to a rather controversial figure, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, about his term in office, the challenges presented to him by Nine-Eleven, and his book "Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice" (published by Center Street Books).
Professor Rashid Khalidi, a leading expert on the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, joined us to talk about his book "The Iron Cage" (published by Beacon Press), which traces the struggle for Palestinian statehood.
Monday, October 16
What is the value of a President once he has left office? Author Mark Updegrove studied the question, looking into the post-Presidential activities of each of the Chief Executives from Truman through Clinton. He’s turned his research into the book "Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House" (published by The Lyons Press).
Friday, October 13
What was life really like inside Iraq's 'Green Zone' immediately after the fall of Saddam? We found out from the Washington Post's former Baghdad bureau chief, Rajiv Chandrasekaran, who has written the book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" (published by Knopf).
Thursday, October 12
One of the goals of American foreign policy has been the export of free and fair democracies across the globe. But, how has our democracy been faring here at home? Not so well, said Dr. Kevin O’Leary, author of the book “Saving Democracy: A Plan for Real Representation in America” (out in paperback from Stanford University Press).
When we think about Hollywood today, patriotism isn't the first word that springs to mind. But, that wasn't always the case. We talked about one of Hollywood's greatest patriots with Marc Eliot, author of the Harmony book "Jimmy Stewart: A Biography."
Wednesday, October 11
How have failures of intelligence and counter-intelligence harmed our country? Author Bill Gertz describes how the bad guys are gaining access to our nation's most classified information in his book "Enemies: How America's Foes Steal Our Vital Secrets--and How We Let it Happen" (published by Crown Forum).
If you thought North Korea’s Kim Jong Il is a lousy leader, author David Wallechinsky returned to the program to unveil 19 other despots he considers just about as bad. It’s all in his new book “Tyrants: The World’s 20 Worst Living Dictators” (available in softcover from Regan Books).
Tuesday, October 10
North Korea has tested at least a small nuclear device. Having a rogue regime with its finger on the nuclear button is bad enough, but the thought that they might sell nuclear materials or technology to other nations—or even terrorists—is even more worrisome. What to do about a nuclear North Korea? We posed that question to two guests: Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, and Andrew Grotto, Senior National Security Analyst at the Center for American Progress.
Comic and cultural commentator Larry Miller joined us to talk--or is that rant--about the malfeasances described in his book "Spoiled Rotten America: Outrages of Everyday Life" (published by Regan Books). As he says, with "the world going to hell in a handbasket, what better time for a collection of seventeen comic essays?"
Monday, October 9
Former White House counsel John Dean believes unscrupulous politicians have hijacked his Republican party. He makes his case in the book “Conservatives Without Conscience” (published by Viking).
We talked about the role of the CIA in the era of the War on Terror with Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, who explores the issue in his Crown book “Blow The House Down: A Novel.”
You don't hear as much about it anymore, but the scourge of HIV is still with us, with no cure and no vaccine. We discussed the continuing AIDS epidemic with Susan Hunter, author of the book "AIDS in America" (published by Palgrave Macmillan).
Friday, October 6
Author Richard Brookhiser gets inside the heads of our Founding Fathers to answer some of today’s tough questions. His book is “What Would the Founders Do? Our Questions, Their Answers” (published by the Perseus Books Group).
Can progressives and liberals really make a run at regaining political control of the United States? Author Paul Waldman tackles that question in his book "Being Right is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn from Conservative Success” (published by Wiley).
USA Today sportswriter Christine Brennan tells the story of how sports became such a large part of her life in her memoir (from Scribner) “Best Seat in the House: A Father, A Daughter, A Journey Through Sports.”
Thursday, October 5
It’s the 21st Century, but election fraud is still with us, thwarting the will of the voters. We learned more from Spencer Overton, author of “Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression” (published by W. W. Norton).
We spoke with Steve James and Zack Bazzi, two of the people behind the documentary film The War Tapes, the first war movie ever made by soldiers filming all the war footage themselves.
Has bureaucracy and rampant partisanship rendered our government completely dysfunctional? Author Harlan Ullman says so, in his Carroll & Graf book “America's Promise Restored: Preventing Culture, Crusade, and Partisanship from Wrecking Our Nation.”
Wednesday, October 4
There has been a great increase recently in home-based businesses run by women. We found out more about this trend with Kira Wampler of Intuit’s QuickBooks Women’s Small Business Center.
Author Bill Kauffman tells the colorful stories of America’s political mavericks in his book “Look Homeward, America: In Search of Reactionary Radicals” (published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute).
We learned the true story of what’s turned into an American icon—those pink artificial sweetener packets—with Rich Cohen, author of the book “Sweet and Low: A Family Story” (published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux).
Tuesday, October 3
One more night for Jim at WORD, and his guest was Lynn Sherr, correspondent for the ABC-TV newsmagazine 20/20. She's written her memoirs, entitled "Outside the Box" (published by Rodale Press). It's a historical perspective on television news, the women's movement, and how the two came together in her long and distinguished career.
Monday, October 2
Jim broadcast on this night from the studios of America in the Morning affiliate WORD, News Radio 1330/950 in Greenville, SC. (Thanks, folks!) Congressman Mark Foley resigned from his safe seat in Florida's West Palm Beach after it was revealed that he had sent inappropriate messages to young boys working as pages on Capitol Hill. We discussed the political fallout from the Foley case, and how it might affect the Republicans’ attempts to hold onto control of House of Representatives with Congressional Quarterly columnist Susan Ferrechio.
Iran’s President wishes to hasten a new Islamic age by triggering Armageddon. So says return guest Dr. Jerome Corsi, who, with co-author Michael D. Evans, has written the book “Showdown with Nuclear Iran: Radical Islam's Messianic Mission to Destroy Israel and Cripple the United States” (published by Nelson Current).
Friday, September 29
The President got most of what he wanted on the issue of standard governing the treatment and trial of detainees in the War on Terror, as both chambers approved legislation that sets up "military commissions" to prosecute terrorists. The legislation also prohibits the severe abuse of detainees but grants the President leeway to decide which other interrogation techniques are permissible. We discussed the new rules for detainee trial and treatment with two guests: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Consultant for the Gerard Group International and co-chairman of the Counterterrorism Foundation; and former four-term New York Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman.
Thursday, September 28
There are many in this country who don't like the direction the country is taking, and more and more of them are Republicans. Among those is Richard Viguerie, one of the leading proponents of America's conservative movement. He's made his displeasure known through his new book "Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause" (published by Bonus Books, with a companion website at www.ConservativesBetrayed.com).
Ever since the leak and later partial release of the National Intelligence Estimate, there has been a flurry of claims and counter-claims over whether the outgoing Clinton administration and the incoming Bush administration did enough to recognize and act against the threat of al-Qaeda. President Clinton’s contentious interview with Chris Wallace of FOX News just added fuel to the fire. We discussed the issue with Rand Beers, former National Security Council member and Counter-terrorism Adviser to Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and both Presidents Bush; and former New York Congressman John LeBoutillier, who currently serves as a political commentator for the news and opinion website NewsMax.com.
Wednesday, September 27
We spent an hour with the former Governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey, whose life changed when he 'came out' as gay and resigned his post in 2004. He explains all in his just-published memoir "The Confession" (from Regan Books).
Tuesday, September 26
The Republican Party is trying to hold power in Congress even as forces within it are working to tear it apart. We found out how evangelicals, libertarians, and other groups are working to control the G.O.P. with Ryan Sager, author of “The Elephant in the Room” (published by Wiley).
We also got a return visit from Kelly Perdew, the winner of season two of Donald Trump's The Apprentice. He's the driving force behind a new CD-ROM that could help save the lives of you and your loved ones: the Terrorist Attack Survival Kit (available at www.terroristattackcd.com).
Monday, September 25
With the midterm elections fast approaching, Republicans are starting to stem the tide of what has been looking like a big November night for the Democrats. Part of the winning and losing is how the sides manage to play the game of hardball politics. One of the best at it is former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. He has written the book “Winning Right: Campaign Politics and Conservative Policies (published by the Threshold Editions division of Simon & Schuster).
Friday, September 22
What is the Pentagon doing with some of our tax money? Author Sharon Weinberger said some of the projects are unbelievable—and not in a good way. Her book is “Imaginary Weapons” (published by Nation Books).
We talked with New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, who was embedded with the troops in Iraq, about covering the battlefield and about his Random House novel where he puts that knowledge to use called “The Faithful Spy.”
In our zeal to fight Communism, did the U.S. indirectly help create the Osama bin Ladens of the world? That’s the argument made in “Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam” (published by Metropolitan Books), written by our guest, Robert Dreyfuss.
Thurday, September 21
Is it inevitable that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for President in 2008? We found out when we spoke with political commentator John Podhoretz, author of the book “Can She Be Stopped?” (published by Crown Forum).
How close are we to nuclear attack on American soil? Closer than we think, says author Paul L. Williams in his work from WND Books, "The Dunces of Doomsday.”
Walter Boyne, former director of the National Air & Space Museum, joined us to talk about his book "Roaring Thunder: A Novel of the Jet Age" (published by Forge Books), the first volume in a planned trilogy chronicling the history of the aircraft industry.
Wednesday, September 20
The creation of the Pentagon set in motion the forces that caused it to be attacked on Nine-Eleven. That’s the premise of James Carroll’s book “House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power” (published by Houghton Mifflin).
Legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas joined us to talk about his memoir “Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son’s Struggle to Become a Man” (published by Ecco Books), an examination of his life both inside and outside the squared circle.
The American people remain up in arms over our country’s porous borders. We talked illegal immigration with Republican Congressman J. D. Hayworth of Arizona, whose book on the subject is “Whatever It Takes” (published by Regnery).
Tuesday, September 19
The former Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton, Lanny Davis, joined us to talk about how scandal-driven politics and the 24-hour news cycle has changed our political process forever. He's written the book "Scandal: How 'Gotcha' Politics is Destroying America" (published by Palgrave Macmillan).
The woman who turned her back on the conservative movement and became a voice for the opposition, Arianna Huffington, operator of the news and opinion website The Huffington Post, has written the book "On Becoming Fearless...In Love, Work, and Life" (published by Little, Brown and Company), which declares that women can be bold and more than hold their own when it comes to the issues and people that matter.
We also chatted once again with Gregg Stebben of Men's Health magazine about the recent article by Scott Quill dealing with the epidemic of childhood obesity.
Monday, September 18
The Cato Institute has released a new foreign policy study outline options for the United States in regard to Iran's nuclear program and their attempts to buy enough time to develop nuclear weapons. The author of the study, return guest Ted Galen Carpenter, joined us to examine five U.S. policy possibilities-not that any of them is truly perfect.
Celebrities, including stars of sports, movies, and TV, are everywhere, from the red carpets at awards shows to supermarket openings. The answer to how that happens is marketing. Darren Prince, founder and CEO of the Prince Marketing Group, discussed with us the value of celebrity endorsements and the financial responsibilities of professional athletes. Plus, we found out what it's really like having a volatile celebrity like NBA star Dennis Rodman in your stable of clients.
Friday, September 15
This date was National P-O-W/M-I-A Recognition Day, and we got get a visit from Lieutenant Colonel Mark Brown, Public Affairs director of the Joint P-O-W/M-I-A Accounting Command, whose mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans listed as missing in action in all of the nation's past military conflicts. Joining him was the organization's Deputy Scentific Director, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bob Mann.
Plus, we spent an hour with the internationally-renowned singer Julio Iglesias. (We had no idea his real plan was to become a professional soccer player!) His new CD is called "Romantic Classics" (released by Columbia/Burgundy Records).
Thursday, September 14
T. Christian Miller joined us to talk about his book "Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq" (published by Little, Brown). He's steamed over how both the American people and the Iraqis have been cheated and exploited.
You seen him--and heard him!--on The History Channel's "Mail Call" program: R. Lee Ermey joined us to talk about the show, his military and acting careers, and his work with the VFW-affiliated 'Unmet Needs' initiative.
Wednesday, September 13
Exactly how did al-Qaeda get started, and how did they become one of the most feared organizations in the world? We found out from Lawrence Wright, author of "The Looming Tower: al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11" (published by Knopf).
Some of the most dangerous work in Iraq is actually being done by private contractors. We learned more about them from Robert Young Pelton, author of "Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror" (published by Crown). [This show was recorded for later airing on C-SPAN2's "BookTV"--watch for it!]
Tuesday, September 12
We went behind-the-scenes to take a close look at how the news media covers storis today when we talked to Larry Garrison, author of "The NewsBreaker" (published by Nelson Current). He revealed some little-known details on how news is made and reported, and why the mainstream media wouldn't, or couldn't, give the full story on some of the most important news events of our time.
We also looked at the day's primary elections with David Hawkings, Managing Editor of Congressional Quarterly's CQ Weekly, and correspondent Gene Kuleta, who joined us to break down the races in the state of Maryland.
Also on the bill: a Pentagon Day interview we didn't have time to fit in on the previous night, a chat Jim had with Alphonso Jackson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Monday, September 11
We commemmorated the fifth anniversary of the Nine-Eleven attacks with a series of special interviews Jim conducted earlier i the day at the Pentagon. Among those we heard from were Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Edmund Giambastiani, Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs 'Cully' Stimson.
Friday, September 8
Are we safer today than we were before Nine-Eleven? And what of the organization that allegedly exists to keep the peace and promote peace around the world, the United Nations? We talked about that with return guest Jed Babbin, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for President George H.W. Bush. His 2004 book “Inside the Asylum: Why the United Nations and Old Europe Are Worse Than You Think” argued that the U.N. actively pursues anti-American policies, appeases America's enemies, and tolerates rampant corruption while being largely funded by billions of dollars of American dues. Also on the topic of the U.N., we talked about a major conference sponsored by the Hudson Institute bringing together leaders and U.N. experts to talk about the role the organization is currently playing in the world, and the war on terror. Joining us was Herb London, the president of the Hudson Institute since 1997 and a Senior Fellow there for over 30 years, and Anne Bayefsky, Senior Fellow at Hudson and Visiting Professor at the Touro College Law Center in New York City.
The U.S. auto industry has fallen on hard times, and even a family-led auto giant--Ford--has had to turn to another industry to find a new leader to turn it around. We discussed Detroit's woes with Charlie Hughes, who used to run both Mazda and Land Rover in North America. His new book is "Branding Iron" (co-written by William Jeanes and published by Racom Books).
Thursday, September 7
Is the Democratic Party now in the control of those who were radicalized in the 1960s? That's the belief of author David Horowitz, who makes his case in the book "The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party" (published by Nelson Current).
We also spent some time with Gregg Stebben, representing Intuit's QuickBooks.com, to talk about the need for you to regularly and carefully peruse that pay stub you get from your employer every two weeks.
Wednesday, September 6
The Democrats are looking forward to major gains in the midterm elections. But author David Limbaugh says the Democratic Party is in worse shape than you might think. He explains in his book "Bankrupt: The Intellectual and Moral Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic Party" (published by Regnery).
During a speech at the White House, President Bush acknowledged for the first time that the CIA held and interrogated important detainees in the War on Terror in secret locations in other countries. The last of these have now been moved to the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The President has proposed changes in U.S. law to allow detainees to be tried before military tribunals. We discussed the issue from two perspectives, with Mark Agrast, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and return guest Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy.
Tuesday, September 5
With the midterm elections fast approaching, the Republicans are trying to prevent the Democrats from taking control of one or both houses of Congress. Part of their strategy is revealed by author Thomas Edsall in his new book “Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power” (published by Basic Books).
Monday, September 4
The last major Summer holiday is over and schools are now open for most. For America’s students, this means a new wardrobe, fresh school supplies, and return to the nightly ritual of homework. There has been a controversy for years over how much homework is too much, and just how valuable it is. We hashed it out with Alfie Kohn, author of “The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing” (published by Da Capo Press).
Labor Unions have fought hard for their place in American society, as the protector of and champion for the rights and benefits of American workers. However, a variety of factors, not the least of which is the number of jobs outsourced out of the United States, have conspired to weaken the American labor movement. We took a look at where American unions and the American worker stand today with Ron Blackwell, Chief Economist of the AFL-CIO.
Friday, September 1
With Iran and Iraq claiming the major international headlines, that other member of the 'Axis of Evil' is still out there. North Korea remains one of the most dangerous regimes on the planet; we got the lowdown from Stephen Bosworth, former Ambassador to South Korea and current Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Also: Just in time for the Labor Day—is it okay to pig out over long holiday weekends? We found out when we talked to Janice Taylor, professional weight loss coach and author of the book “Our Lady of Weight Loss” (published by Studio Books).
Thursday, August 31
The Baby Boom generation is racing towards retirement, which means a lot of people trying to learn how to cope. We got some help from author Steve Weisman, who’s written the book “Boomer or Bust: Your Financial Guide to Retirement, Health Care, Medicare, and Long-Term Care” (in softcover from Prentice Hall).
What can the U.S. and the international community do to stop terrorists from getting the money they need to do their dirty work? We found out when we got a return visit from Dr. Rachael Ehrenfeld, author of the book "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How To Stop It" (available in an expanded paperback edition from Bonus Books).
Wednesday, August 30
Why does it remain notoriously difficult to get Federal judicial nominees confirmed? It’s an issue that could have an impact on this year’s midterm elections, according to our guest, Sean Rushton, Executive Director of the Committee For Justice.
Tuesday, August 29
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen joined us to talk about his new work of fiction, "Dragon Fire" (published by Forge Books), which draws heavily on his experience at the top levels of the American military, making it a political thriller only he could write.
How has the economic recovery of the Gulf coast progressed since the devastion wrought by Hurricane Katrina a year ago? We discussed that with Dr. Jared Bernstein, Labor Economist at the Economic Policy Institute, and Amy Liu, Deputy Director of the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.
Plus, we talked about the Secret Rules for Back-to-School with Best Life magazine columnist Hugh O'Neill.
Monday, August 28
On the eve of the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall, we spoke with Ben Brandzel, the Advocacy Director of MoveOn.org, and co-creator of "It Takes a Nation: How Strangers Bacame Family in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina" (in paperback from Earth Aware, and edited by Laura Dawn), an inspiring collection of stories and images from the group's Hurricane Housing project, which brought shelter and aid to thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
Friday, August 25
The fifth anniversary of Nine-Eleven is quickly coming upon us. Tonight we’ll talk to two men responsible for documentaries on the event: Michael Cascio, the man behind Inside Nine-Eleven on the National Geographic Channel, and former C-I-A analyst Michael Scheuer, who’s also written the book “Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror” (in paperback from Potomac Books).
Have you heard of online social networking? How about the website MySpace.com? Even if you don’t your kids sure do; millions are turning there every day. What’s the big deal? One big issue is how to keep your child safe while using MySpace, or other social networking sites. We talked about that with CBS News technology expert Larry Magid, operator of the websites SafeKids.org, SafeTeens.org, and BlogSafety.org, and author of the new book “My Space Unraveled: A Parent’s Guide to Teen Social Networking” (co-written with Anne Collier and published by Peachpit Press).
Thursday, August 24
Are you ready should a major disaster, on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, happen where you live? To find out what steps you can take to make yourself ready we talked to Irwin Redlener, author of "Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do" (published by Knopf).
It sometimes seems that fathers in America are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to their rights within the family. We spoke with Dr. Ned Holstein, Executive Director of group Fathers and Families, about the importance of fathers in healthy American families.
Wednesday, August 23
Iran has once again thumbed its nose at the rest of the world, rejecting calls for it to stop enriching uranium. Iran claims the enrichment is for peaceful nuclear power, but the rest of the world worries that the real goal is the creation of nuclear weapons. While Iran says it is willing to engage in serious talks, this is seen by many as just being a delaying tactic. As a result, the Bush administration says it has begun plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments, which could include U.N. sanctions against Iran. Where does the world go from here in attempting to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons? We discussed the issue with Justin Logan, a foreign policy analyst from the Cato Institute and Dr. Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, a non-partisan, non-political, non-sectarian, and non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Iranian-American participation in American civic life.
We also got a look at one of the famous Rat Packers from the inside--WAY inside--when we spoke to Deana Martin, daughter of Dean, who has written the book "Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes" (in paperback from Three Rivers Press). Plus, there's a companion CD, too!
Tuesday, August 22
Former Presidential candidate and MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan made a return visit to talk about his new book on illegal immigration: "State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America" (published by Thomas Dunne Books).
Little League baseball is a big deal in much of the United States, culminating with the Little League World Series each year in South Williamsport, PA. Charles Euchner joined us to talk about his book "Little League, Big Dreams: The Hope, the Hype and the Glory of the Greatest World Series Ever Played" (published by Sourcebooks), and how this organized game for kids has turned into a huge money machine.
Monday, August 21
Despite their recent ethics woes, Republicans are continuing their plans to be the preeminent political party in this country for years to come. Can they pull it off, or will voter dissatisfaction with the Bush administration derail their grand plan? We found out when we talked to Los Angeles Times writers Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, authors of the book "One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century" (published by Wiley).
We also spoke wirh Hurricane Rita evacuee Jerome Ringo, who also happens to be the Chairman of the Board of the National Wildlife Federation. He told us about the lessons learned from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina and the number of pork barrel projects that got funded as a part of the recovery effort.
Friday, August 18
The surprise arrest of a suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case brings up the question of how the forensic evidence will be used by the prosecution and the type of people who commit murders like the one the suspect is accused of. We discussed that with former F-B-I profiler and current MSNBC analyst Clint Van Zandt, author of the forthcoming book “Facing Down Evil” (coming in September from Putnam).
How are air travelers coping with the new security measures put in place since the recent failed British terror plot that involved liquid explosives? We talked to security expert Omar Khan to find out what can be done to make us safer and to pinpoint the areas in which the U.S. is falling short.
Thursday, August 17
Do we really know the whole story behind Nine-Eleven? We talked to the Vice-Chairman of the now-disbanded Federal Nine-Eleven Commission, former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton, about that fateful day nearly five years ago. He and the Chairman of the Commission, former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, have collaborated on the book "Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission" (published by Knopf).
After years of dormancy, there’s been a major break in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case, with the arrest of a suspect in Thailand, John Mark Karr, who has reportedly told police officials that he was indeed there at the time of JonBenet’s death, though he claims her death was an accident. How hard will it be to prosecute Karr, and will those statements, made in another country, be admissible in a U.S. court? We talked about that with a return guest, criminal defense attorney and former New York prosecutor Paul Callan.
Wednesday, August 16
Have you heard of the “Financial Report of the United States”? It's a collection of the official annual White House financial reports for the past year--a report which almost never gets seen in public. You learned why when Jim talked about the report with Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee.
We also celebrated Elvis Presley Week with a favorite return guest: 'the Record Guy,' "Mighty" John Marshall, the man from MoneyMusic.com who can tell you what those old Elvis 45s, EPs, and (especially) those collectible picture sleeves are really worth!
Tuesday, August 15
Which is the real party of taxing and spending? It's now the Republicans, said Stephen Slivinski, Director of Budget Studies at the Cato Institute. He says the foxes have been given the keys to the henhouse, and the result has been soaring deficits. He explains in his book "Buck Wild: How Republicans Broke the Bank and Became the Party of Big Government" (published by Nelson Current).
Monday, August 14
The aftermath of Nine-Eleven helped cement neoconservative thought as the driving force in the country. Yet, after years of few public successes in the War on Terror and years of being bogged down in Iraq, the public appears to be turning away from neoconservatism. Our guest argued that is exactly the wrong move for these dangerous times. British commentator Douglas Murray makes his case in his new work “Neoconservatism: Why We Need It” (published by Encounter Books).
A cease-fire in Lebanon is finally in place. Are we finally on the road to peace? Did Israel or Hezbollah gain from the conflict (since, given the lives involved, we know what each has lost). We discussed that with two gentlemen who gave us some perspective on what may lie next. First: John Hajjar, the North American Director of the International Lebanese Committee for United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 and a member of the |
