• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

John Fugelsang

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

• 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.

• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific to hang out and talk about the news of the day.

• President Obama sharpened his language on Iran yesterday, saying at a news conference, “The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days,” adding that he strongly condemns “these unjust actions.”

• President Obama yesterday squared off with the insurance lobby over industry charges that a government health plan he back would dismantle the employer coverage Americans have relied on for 50 years and overtake the system.

• South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s aides say he was stunned by all the fuss over his five-day absence and would cut short a secretive hike along the Appalachian Trail. He is expected back in his office today.

• Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) apologized to his GOP colleagues for his affair with a staff member, which has already caused him to step down from his party leadership post and could threaten his Senate career.

• David Shuster, MSNBC’s dayside anchor and regular substitute for “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Iran and health care reform.

• Jennifer Palmieri, Senior Vice President for Communications at the Center for American Progress, calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about health care and Iran.

• Lead Franken attorney Marc Elias calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the latest in the Franken / Coleman senate recount.

• Iran’s election authority has rejected claims of voting irregularities by a defeated presidential candidate, while acknowledging that the number of ballots cast in dozens of cities exceeded the number of eligible voters there, state-run TV reported today. Earlier yesterday, thousands of riot police and militia lined Tehran’s streets as the public rift among Iranian leaders appeared to be widening.

• Several senior Dem advisers to the White House are urging President Obama to further step up his personal involvement in the health care debate, as administration allies privately warn the president’s push for a major reform bill is hitting major roadblocks at a critical juncture on Capitol Hill.

• President Obama is set to sign into law an anti-smoking bill today that will give the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco.

• Warren Eckstein, pet expert and national radio host, calls in at 7:06am Pacific to talk about house training Steph’s puppy Oliver.

• Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the growing tide of hate that the Right Wing Media is spreading against Obama.

• Thousands of Iranians planned to protest for a fifth day today against an election they claimed had been manipulated – even as the government stepped up its crackdown, hauling dozens to jail, banning international journalists from filming rallies and blocking access to social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

• President Obama will sign a memorandum today granting health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.

• Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) admitted yesterday to an extramarital affair last year with a woman who had worked for him. Ensign has made it clear he does not plan to resign. Ensign had previously suggested that Former Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) resign after Craig was arrested in an airport bathroom sex sting.

• Chris Hansen from NBC’s “Dateline” calls in at 7:06am Pacific to talk about his new hidden camera investigation, “Dateline: Vegas Undercover.”

• Gov. Jesse Ventura calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about the paperback release of his book, “Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me.”

• Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and the recent news about the auto industry.

• Iran’s supreme leader has ordered an investigation into allegations the country’s presidential vote was marred by ballot rigging as chaos following hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s declared victory continued for a third day.

• Media rights group Reporters Without Borders is urging nations to not recognize the results of Iran’s presidential election, citing censorship and a crackdown on journalists. 4 reporters have been arrested by Iranian authorities.

• President Obama is ready to roll out on Wednesday an overhaul of the intricate rules and systems that govern America’s troubled financial institutions. The goal is to prevent a recurrence of the economic crisis that erupted in the US and exploded last fall.

• After a flare-up over controversial detainee photos, negotiators from the two chambers of Congress sealed an agreement on Friday on a crucial war-funding bill when President Obama personally guaranteed the photos would never be released.

• West Hollywood City Councilmember (and former Mayor) John Duran calls in at 8:06am Pacific to talk about West Hollywood’s Gay Pride, Prop. 8, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and Chastity Bono.

• Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton (Frangela) return from the jungle and join us in studio at 8:35am Pacific for another edition of Fridays with Frangela!

• President Obama took his health care reform push on the road yesterday, saying in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that those concerned with high costs and rising deficits should be proponents of a change to an ailing system. He aimed his comments at GOP opponents of Dem-backed proposals for a government-funded national health care option intended to ensure that 47 million Americans can afford coverage.

• Iranians began voting today on whether to keep hard-line President Ahmadinejad in power for four more years or replace him with a reformist more open to loosening the country’s Islamic restrictions and improving ties with the U.S.

• The Obama administration struck a delicate balance on executive pay yesterday, blaming flawed compensation packages for encouraging disastrous risk-taking but insisting it doesn’t want to dictate how corporation reward their top people.

• President Obama appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night, addressing issues about AIG and restating his support for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. In an off-hand comment, he also compared his bowling to The Special Olympics. The White House released a statement, saying Obama did not intend to offend.

• Denouncing a “squandering of the people’s money,” lawmakers voted decisively yesterday to impose a 90% tax on millions of dollars in employee bonuses paid by troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies. The House vote was 328-93. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate and President Obama quickly signaled general support for the concept.

• President Obama told Iran’s people and leaders that the United States wants to engage their country and end decades of strained relationship, but not unless their officials stop making threats. Obama made these statements in a video message with Farsi subtitles.

• A spokesman for the IRS said yesterday that the agency “stands ready to take collective action if the need arises” to get back taxes from 13 still unnamed companies that received billions of dollars in federal bailout money.