Posts Tagged ‘Hal Sparks’
LiveBlog for Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 7:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform, the economy, and yesterday’s elections.
• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Republicans won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey yesterday, two states that had backed President Obama last year. Dem Bill Owens beat Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in upstate New York. Opponents of gay marriage claimed a victory in Maine, but voters approved an “everything but marriage” law in Washington State that greatly expands the rights of gay couples.
• In a blow to the White House, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) signaled yesterday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing health care legislation, leaving the measure’s fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season.
• Republicans boycotted the start of committee debate yesterday on a bill to curb greenhouse gases, protesting that the bill’s costs have not been fully examined. The action put a spotlight on the difficulties Dem leaders face in moving climate legislation this year.
Tags: Bill Owens, Climate Change, Doug Hoffman, Hal Sparks, Harry Reid, Health Care Reform, Karl Frisch, Media Matters for America, Ron Kind
Posted in liveblog | 420 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said yesterday that while he’s “strongly inclined” to vote to move Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) health care plan with an opt-out public option to the Senate floor for debate, he would ultimately oppose the measure and join a GOP filibuster because it includes that option.
• The White House said yesterday that President Obama has nearly finished gathering information and advice on how to proceed in Afghanistan. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that a planned meeting on Friday with the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be among the last events in the decision-making process.
• The FAA has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew a passenger jet past their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles last week. They had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.
Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Hal Sparks, Harry Reid, Joe Lieberman, John Yarmuth, Karl Frisch, Media Matters for America, Northwest Airlines, Robert Gibbs
Posted in liveblog | 294 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
• Lester Brown, Founder of the Earth Policy Institute and author of “Plan B 4.0,” calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the need for immediate environmental action.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”
• Comedian Margaret Cho calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about her upcoming shows and the release of her new concert DVD, “Beautiful.”
• President Obama has sought to spend no more than $900 billion over a 10-year period on health care reform. Yesterday, however, House Dem leaders received a new cost estimate of $871 billion from congressional budget umpires who measured a bill with a a robust public option.
• President Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday and congratulated him for accepting the report of the UN-backed Election Complaint Commission which ruled that he garnered under 50% of the vote in the August election after vote fraud had been factored in, mandating a recount.
• Oprah Winfrey announced yesterday that Sarah Palin will appear on her show on Monday, November 16th.
Tags: Afghanistan, Allyson Schwartz, Barack Obama, Earth Policy Institute, Hal Sparks, Hamid Karzai, Health Care Reform, Karl Frisch, Lester Brown, Margaret Cho, Media Matters for America, Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Palin
Posted in liveblog | 146 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
• Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the importance of health care reform.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host “Right Wing World.”
• Hal Sparks joins the Mooks in studio in L.A. at 8am Pacific for “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to tell us what’s next in the health care reform process.
• Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first GOP supporter yesterday and cleared a key Senate hurdle. “When history calls, history calls,” said Maine GOP-er Olympia Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense and provided the only drama of a 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said yesterday she expects that the House will vote on a health care bill by Thanksgiving and that the House version will have a public plan option.
• Rampant government corruption might derail the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaida in Afghanistan, even if as many as 80,000 additional U.S. troops are sent to the war, Gen. Stanley McChrystal has concluded.
Tags: Afghanistan, Hal Sparks, Health Care Reform, Jim Wallis, John Sarbanes, Karl Frisch, Nancy Pelosi, Olympia Snowe, Stanley McChrystal
Posted in liveblog | 217 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Delegate Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) calls in at 6:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform, its progress, and reconciliation of the bills.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• A new Associated Press poll says 56% of those surveyed in the past week approve of President Obama’s job performance, up from 50% in September. It’s the first time since he took office in January that his ratings have gone up.
• President Obama yesterday ruled out shrinking the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism campaign. Yet he did not signal whether he is prepared to send any more troops to the war zone – either the 40,000 his top commander wants or a smaller buildup.
• The Obama administration is considering a series of measures to help the unemployed. Those ideas include extending unemployment and health benefits and offering states temporary “loan packages.”
Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Bruce Braley, Donna Chrisensen, Hal Sparks, John Yarmuth, Karl Frisch, Media Matters for America, Unemployment
Posted in liveblog | 317 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) calls in at 6:35am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to help us with Right Wing World.
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• The Senate Finance Committee yesterday rejected two amendments to include a government-run public health insurance option in the only compromise health care bill so far. The amendments were opposed by all 10 GOP-ers on the committee and a few Dems, including committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.
• A powerful earthquake in the South Pacific hurled a massive tsunami at the shores of Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and sweeping cars and people out to sea, leaving at least 99 dead and dozens missing.
• The U.S. is speeding up its military withdrawal from Iraq, sending 4,000 more troops home next month. The reduced number of troops in Iraq marks the latest U.S. step in winding down the six-year war.
Tags: American Samoa, Hal Sparks, Health Care Reform, Iraq, James Clyburn, Karl Frisch, Max Baucus, Media Matters for America, Public Option, Ron Kind, Samoa
Posted in liveblog | 341 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific for a live edition of Right Wing World.
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus yesterday unveiled changes to his compromise health care proposal intended to alleviate the concerns of fellow Dems as the panel began debating more than 560 proposed amendments to the measure. Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) both introduced amendments to include a public option in the Baucus plan.
• World leaders, including President Obama, converged yesterday in New York to focus on climate change, with the clock ticking down toward a summit this year in Denmark, where a global climate change pact is to be signed. Negotiations for the global pact have stalled and yesterday’s gathering was aimed at jump-starting those talks.
• Prodding Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restart talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their conflict, President Obama dropped a demand for an Israeli settlement freeze.
Tags: Allyson Schwartz, Barack Obama, Charles Schumer, Climate Change, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Hal Sparks, Israel, Jay Rockefeller, Karl Frisch, Max Baucus, Media Matters for America, Palestine
Posted in liveblog | 341 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
• Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and the rebuke of Rep. Joe Wilson.
• Christian Weller, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about the economy and housing crisis.
• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about the health care crisis and the rebuke of Rep. Joe Wilson.
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific to talk about all things politics and pop culture.
• Former President Jimmy Carter said yesterday that Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst to President Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act “based on racism” and rooted in fears of a black president.
• The House formally rebuked Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) yesterday for shouting “You lie!” at President Obama during last week’s nationally televised speech. Lawmakers thought Wilson had violated basic rules of decorum and civility in his outburst.
• ABC News says it was wrong for its employees to Tweet that President Obama had called Kanye West a “jackass” for the rapper’s treatment of country singer Taylor Swift. ABC said some of its employees overheard a conversation between the president and CNBC and didn’t realize the conversation was off the record.
Tags: Barack Obama, Center for American Progress, Christian Weller, Donna Edwards, Hal Sparks, Jimmy Carter, Joe Wilson, John Yarmuth, Kanye West, Taylor Swift
Posted in liveblog | 258 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
• CNN’s Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about the president’s health care reform speech tonight.
• Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Jennifer Palmieri, Senior Vice President of Communications for the Center for American Progress, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform and Obama’s speech to kids yesterday.
• Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and Obama’s speech to school kids yesterday.
• House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said yesterday he could vote for a health care bill that lacks a public option. However, his statement differed from the insistence later yesterday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that a public option was essential to passing a bill in the chamber.
• President Obama steered clear of politics yesterday in a pep talk to students that sparked controversy among high-strung conservatives, who accused him of trying to indoctrinate America’s children.
Tags: Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Candy Crowley, Eliot Engel, Hal Sparks, Jennifer Palmieri, Nancy Pelosi, Roland Burris, Steny Hoyer
Posted in liveblog | 221 Comments »
LiveBlog for Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”
• Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died late last night at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77. “We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live in our hearts forever,” a family statement said.
• Former Vice President Dick Cheney is again taking aim at President Obama, issuing a statement yesterday suggesting the administration’s decision to name a prosecutor to investigate CIA interrogations under President Bush fuels “doubts about this administration’s ability to be responsible for our nation’s security.”
• The White House now expects the 10-year budget deficit to reach $9.05 trillion, roughly $2 trillion more than it estimated earlier in the year. Budget office director Peter Orszag pointed to a number of measures put in place to stem the pain of the economic downturn.
• President Obama announced yesterday he wants to keep Ben Bernanke on as Fed chairman, saying he shepherded American through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Tags: Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Dick Cheney, Hal Sparks, Peter Orszag, Ted Kennedy
Posted in liveblog | 361 Comments »
