Posts Tagged ‘Iran’
LiveBlog for Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 12th, 2009
• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) joins Steph in studio in NYC at 8:05am Pacific for “Rude Mondays”
• Tim Robbins calls in at 8:35am Pacific to promote “The WTF Festival” at The Actors Gang in Culver City, CA.
• President Obama pledged to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign Saturday, but acknowledged to a cheering crowd that the policy changes he promised on the campaign trail are not coming as quickly as they expected.
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to Russia today hoping to win Moscow’s backing for a strong stance on Iran’s nuclear program and looking for progress on a new arms control pact.
• Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said yesterday that any added military deployment in Afghanistan smaller than the 40,000 troops reportedly requested by the top U.S. commander there “would be an error of historic proportions.” McCain also said that the war there could not be won with fewer than the 40,000 troops requested.
Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Eric Boehlert, Hillary Clinton, Human Rights Campaign, Iran, John McCain, Lee Papa, Media Matters for America, The Rude Pundit, Tim Robbins
Posted in liveblog | 278 Comments »
LiveBlog for Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, October 5th, 2009
• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Rep. Grayson (D-FL) and other rudeness in the news.
• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow for Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.
• Nicole Sullivan, formerly of Mad TV, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to tell us about the second season of her Lifetime series, “Rita Rocks.”
• The Obama administration is considering steps to ease the burdens of laid-off workers, including possible extensions of unemployment and health benefits, officials said Saturday. The administration has stopped short of calling for a second economic stimulus package to augment the $787 billion measure approved this year.
• The White House said yesterday it sees signs of progress in confronting Iran’s nuclear program while members of Congress endorsed authorizing tougher U.S. economic penalties against the Tehran government. International inspectors are to visit Iran’s newly disclosed uranium enrichment site on October 25.
• President Obama said Friday he has “no doubt” that Chicago put together the strongest bid it could to win the 2016 Olympics. He said he wished he had brought back better news from Friday’s voting in Copenhagen, where his personal appeal did not help his adopted hometown win.
Tags: Barack Obama, Chicago, Eric Boehlert, Iran, Lee Papa, Lifetime, Media Matters for America, Nicole Sullivan, Olympics, Rude Pundit
Posted in liveblog | 314 Comments »
LiveBlog for Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
• Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and bringing the Olympics to Chicago.
• Filmmaker Michael Moore calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about his new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story.”
• Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and other news of the day.
• The U.S. and five other world powers began high-stakes talks today with Iran to demand a freeze of its nuclear activities, with a senior U.S. official saying Washington is open to rare one-on-one talks with Iranian diplomats.
• A White House-backed overhaul of the nation’s health care system survived a long day of GOP challenges over abortion, illegal immigration, and other issues yesterday, and the bill’s architect claimed enough votes for passage by the Senate Finance Committee, possibly by the end of the week.
• Samoans dug through the wreckage of homes and told of the terror of being trapped underwater or flung inland by the tsunami that ravaged towns and killed at least 149 people in the South Pacific. Officials expect the death toll to rise as more areas are searched.
• First lady Michelle Obama arrived in Copenhagen yesterday to lend her support to Chicago’s effort to win the 2016 Summer Olympics. President Obama arrives in Denmark tomorrow.
Tags: Frank Pallone, Health Care Reform, Iran, Jan Schakowsky, Michael Moore, Michelle Obama, Olympics, Samoa, Tsunami
Posted in liveblog | 388 Comments »
LiveBlog for Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
• Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) calls in at 6:05am Pacfic to talk about health care reform.
• Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) calls in at 6:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• The Obama administration is planning to push for new sanctions against Iran, targeting its energy, financial, and telecommunications sectors if it does not comply with international demands to come clean about its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials.
• The Senate Finance Committee today is expected to consider whether the government should offer its own insurance plan for the middle class in competition with private carriers. A public option is the top goal for Liberals, but it has no GOP support and moderate Dems say the Senate will never go along.
• In two cases, judges appointed by GOP presidents have refused at an early stage to dismiss lawsuits against former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Justice Department official John Yoo. The lawsuits stem from law enforcement and intelligence efforts after 9/11
• The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a survey on Facebook that asked whether people thought President Obama should be assassinated. The poll was taken off the site quickly after Facebook officials were alerted to its existence.
Tags: Barack Obama, Facebook, Health Care Reform, Iran, John Ashcroft, John Yoo, Robert Andrews, Secret Service, Vic Snyder
Posted in liveblog | 356 Comments »
LiveBlog for Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28th, 2009
• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Glenn Beck and allegations against ACORN.
• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific for a live edition of Right Wing World.
• Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard has test-fired one of the longest-range missiles in Tehran’s arsenal, state TV reported today. The missile is capable of striking Israel and U.S. Mideast bases and parts of Europe. It was the third round of tests meant to demonstrate the country’s preparedness for an attack.
• President Obama on Saturday resumed his push to overhaul the health care system, telling a Congressional Black Caucus conference that there comes a time when “the cup of endurance runs over.” He underscored that we’ve “been waiting for health reform since the days of Teddy Roosevelt… we cannot wait any longer.”
• The White House acknowledged for the first time Friday that it might not be able to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay by January as President Obama promised. They said resolving thorny legal issues and logistical questionsmeans the deadline may slip.
• Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on a decades-old arrest warrant stemming from a 1977 sex charge in California.
Tags: Barack Obama, Eric Boehlert, Guantanamo Bay, Health Care Reform, Iran, Lee Papa, Media Matters for America, Roman Polanski, Rude Pundit, Teddy Roosevelt
Posted in liveblog | 360 Comments »
LiveBlog for Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 25th, 2009
• Max Blumenthal calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about his new book, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered The Party.”
• Terry O’Sullivan, President of the Laborers International Union of North America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Comedian John Fugelsang calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk abou all things politics and pop culture.
• The U.S., Britain, and France today will accuse Iran of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel and demand that Tehran grant access to international weapons inspectors, The New York Times reported.
• The Senate Finance Committee defeated a Dem amendment that would have gradually closed the coverage gap in the Medicare drug benefit at the expense of drugmakers. Nonetheless, another proposal to shield seniors in Medicare private insurance plans from benefit cuts remained alive.
• Advocates for a public insurance plan, the idea that has generated the most passion in the health care debate, are pressing for a crucial test vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
• Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized yesterday after becoming ill in her office at the court. She had received a treatment for an iron deficiency and developed “lightheadedness and fatigue” about an hour later. She is expected to be released today.
Tags: Health Care Reform, Iran, John Fugelsang, Max Blumenthal, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Terry O'Sullivan
Posted in liveblog | 398 Comments »
LiveBlog for Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
• James Woolsey, former CIA Director, calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about clean energy and how it relates to our national security.
• Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the Sotomayor hearings and about health care reform.
• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the Sotomayor hearings and Sen. Jeff Sessions’ racism.
• Sonia Sotomayor strongly asserted her adherence to the law while senators from both parties pressed her on her personal views on issues such as abortion, gun control, and executive powers on the third day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Sotomayor consistently answered she needed to know the specifics of a particular case, such as applicable state statutes and other facts.
• One of several proposals to overhaul the U.S. health care system passed a Senate committee yesterday, with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) praising the $600 billion plan as a step toward his longtime goals. GOPers said it costs too much and would ration care to Americans.
• Iran’s crackdown on protests after its disputed presidential election has “shifted” its prospects for direct talks with the United States, but they remain on the table, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday.
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Iran, James Woolsey, Lee Papa, Linda Sanchez, Rude Pundit, Sonia Sotomayor, Ted Kennedy
Posted in liveblog | 335 Comments »
LiveBlog for Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
• Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about the economy and the stimulus.
• Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) calls in at 8:35am Pacific to talk about the economy and the stimulus.
• CIA Director Leon Panetta recently testified to Congress that the agency concealed information and misled lawmakers repeatedly since 2001, according to a letter from seven House Democrats to Panetta made public yesterday. The letter contained no details about what information the CIA officials allegedly concealed of how they purportedly misled members of Congress.
• House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said Tuesday he would consider supporting a second economic stimulus bill, but said people need to give the package that passed in February more time to work.
• Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said yesterday that lawmakers still need to come up with $320 billion over the coming decade in taxes to pay for health care reform. The remaining cost of the bill would be paid for through savings in Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs.
• The leaders of the G-8 nations issued a joint statement last night expressing serious concerns about the post-election violence in Iran, as well as its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, but the G-8 will not push for new economic sanctions or tougher enforcement of those that exist, the Obama administration announced yesterday.
Tags: Barack Obama, CIA, Eliot Engel, G-8 Summit, Gregory Meeks, Iran, Leon Panetta, Max Baucus, Steny Hoyer
Posted in liveblog | 309 Comments »
LiveBlog for Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 26th, 2009
Hey everyone! Hal Sparks will be filling in for Steph today, but the mooks are still here! Also, John 
Fugelsang will be joining us in studio in Hour 3.
Of course, the big topic of the morning will be Michael Jackson’s death, but we will also touch on Farrah Fawcett’s death, and weave a little Iran and Mark Sanford in there. Enjoy!
Click Here To Find Your Congresspeople!
Capitol Switchboard: (202)224-3121
Tags: Farrah Fawcett, Hal Sparks, Iran, John Fugelsang, Mark Sanford, Michael Jackson
Posted in liveblog | 482 Comments »
LiveBlog for Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
• Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Penn Jillette calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about the new season of “Penn & Teller: Bullsh**” on Showtime
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about movement on the energy reform bill.
• South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), just back from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or his wife, admitted yesterday he has carried on an extramarital affair with a woman in Buenos Aires. In a press conference yesterday, Sanford apologized to his wife and 4 sons, his staff and supporters, and said he would resign immediately as the head of the Republican Governors’ Association.
• A ceremony today to remember the victims of Iran’s post-election protests has been postponed – a day after security forces crushed a planned demonstration with a show of force. The event has been postponed for a week, but no specific rescheduled date was given.
• President Obama took his case for major health care reform to the airwaves last night in a nationally televised health care forum while congressional negotiators tackled numerous proposals relating to coverage and cost control.
Tags: Barack Obama, Earl Blumenauer, Health Care Reform, Iran, John Sarbanes, Mark Sanford, Penn Jillette, Ron Kind
Posted in liveblog | 429 Comments »
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