On Friday’s Radio Show…

Happy New Year!

Alan takes a look back at the biggest political issues of 2010. Guests include:

• Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD)
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
• Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL)
• Actress/comedian Victoria Jackson
• Comedian Bill Maher
• Former talk show host Montel Williams…

Live From New York, It’s New Year’s Eve!

Watch live streaming video from 2011 at livestream.com
…

These Words Are Never To Be Used Again

The fine folks at Lake Superior State University have the list of words that should result in fines or imprisonment if used in 2011. (h/t Mediaite)

Here is where you can submit next year’s nominations.…

Paul Krugman: The New Voodoo Economics

“Voodoo economics” was a term used by George H. W. Bush to refer to Ronald Reagan’s economic plans. Of course, that was before he signed on as Reagan’s VP. There is a new kind of voodoo economics practiced by Republicans, as Paul Krugman notes.

And I don’t just mean politicians. Did you notice the U-turn many political commentators and other Serious People made when the Obama-McConnell tax-cut deal was announced? One day deficits were the great evil and we needed fiscal austerity now now now, never mind the state of the economy. The next day $800 billion in debt-financed …

Alfred Kahn (1917-2010)

by Stuart Shapiro

Alfred Kahn passed away earlier this week.  He is not a big name to those who follow politics today but he had a huge impact on public policy in the 1970s.  Kahn was a proponent of deregulation of the airline and trucking industries and oversaw airline deregulation during the Carter Administration (with cooperation from Ted Kennedy).

The most important result of Mr Kahn’s work was that airlines, no longer forced to compete simply on quality and amenities, began to compete fiercely on price. Discount airlines like Southwest and JetBlue entered the market and forced the existing giants …

It’s 2011 In Sydney, Australia

Here’s wishing Australia a better 2011.

Sydney’s Harbour Bridge exploded in a spectacular blaze of New Year fireworks Friday as people around the globe began welcoming 2011 with a glittering array of parties.

A fiery waterfall plunged from the landmark Australian structure as seven tonnes of fireworks ignited in the night sky, thrilling 1.5 million people crammed on the city’s foreshore.

The celebrations follow devastating floods that have hit 200,000 in the country’s northeast, while extreme heat prompted wildfire warnings around Melbourne and Adelaide.…

Too Easy To Predict: Cost Of Obama Vacation Riles Conservatives

The ultra-conservative Washington Examiner blares the headline: “President and family on multi-million dollar Christmas vacation in Hawaii.”  It links to a story in another conservative publication, the Hawaii Reporter, that details expenses.

* Mrs. Obama’s early flight to Hawaii: $63,000 (White House Dossier)

* Obama’s round trip flight to Hawaii: $1 million (GAO estimates)

* Housing in beachfront homes for Secret Service and Seals in Kailua ($1,200 a day for 14 days): $16,800

* Costs for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel: $134,400 ($400 per day for 24 staff) – excluding meals and other room costs

* …

Latest GOP Target Is New Deputy Attorney General James Cole

James Cole has been given a recess appointment by President Obama to be the Number 2 person in the Justice Department, after Republicans held up his nomination longer than any recent deputy attorney general nominee.

Cole’s view that “the Sept. 11 attacks were criminal acts of terrorism against a civilian population” doesn’t sit well with the GOP. The soon-to-be deputy attorney general wrote that the country “has faced many forms of devastating crime, including the scourge of the drug trade, the reign of organized crime, and countless acts of rape, child abuse, and murder. The acts of Sept. 11 were …

“American” Companies Created Millions Of Jobs, Just Not In This Country

By Yashwanth Manjunath

Great news! According to a recent report released by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank,  “American” companies created over 2 million jobs last year! Unfortunately 1.4 million of the jobs were overseas, compared to less than 1 million here in America. It turns out that multinational corporations would prefer to hire wage slaves in China and India rather than deal with worker protections and safety regulations here in America. Who would have figured?

To combat this, Senate Democrats introduced a bill back in late September to at least stop providing tax breaks and subsidies …

Gone This Year

We often forget who the year has ushered out. Here is a reminder.

Howard Zinn, 1922-2010

Howard Zinn, world-renowned historian, teacher, activist, author and playwright, passed away on Jan. 27 of a heart attack while swimming in California, according to his daughter and the AP. He was 87 years old.

Zinn had a kind, friendly personality, was generous with his time, and spoke easily with others. He was also relentlessly unafraid to stand up for what he believed in, and speak the truth – even if doing so could cause him distress in his personal and professional life.

Over …

On Thursday’s Radio Show…

• The Blame Game: Alan examines Christine O’Donnell’s claims about the investigation into her use of campaign funds.

• Should the government regulate morality? Sherri Williams, who has waged a long legal battle to sell sex toys at her “Pleasures” stores in Alabama, debates Morality in Media‘s Robert Peters.

• Allison Warden of We Can Know is so sure that Judgment Day will be May 21, 2011, she’s buying billboards to announce it. Alan asks her why.…