Hugh Hewitt remembering Christopher Hitchens

Hugh Hewitt regularly welcomed Hitchens' on his radio show and speaks fondly of the man after his passing.

Christopher Hitchens, RIP
I will replay my last interview with Christopher Hitchens --a three hour conversation about his autobiography-- sometime between now and the New Year. He was a joy to interview and a wonder to listen to debate, unfailingly gracious to me, my other guests and my audience...

I suspect that every one of the 50 conversations we had on air between 2006 and 2010 is still of interest because Hitchens could not be other than interesting, a compelling voice for freedom and courage in the age of terror. All of those transcripts are in the archive, and a New Year's resolution of mine will be to arrange to have them put into a single CD set so that people will be able to hear as well as read his command of the language and of his arguments. We spent a great deal of time discussing God, and I hope and pray I am correct in my views and that he can concede to me on that subject when we meet again.

Christopher Hitchens in memoriam:
- The art of "Selling" - Christopher Hitchens with Ralph Reed on 'Hannity and Colmes'
- Controversial author Christopher Hitchens appearing at Sydney Writers Festival
- Watch Christopher Hitchens volunteer to get waterboarded for Vanity Fair Magazine
- The week that was: Honorary APF pundits

Newsweek: Republican Debates = Celebrity Wrestling?

Newsweek equates Republican Debates to Celebrity Wrestling?

The Amazing Race (David McNew / Getty Images)
Sept. 7 Simi Valley, Calif.
Do these candidates look presidential? President Obama’s 2012 opponent will likely be one of the eight Republicans who debated in September. None of them, however, seems able to gain a critical mass of support, and their acrimonious debates have come to resemble Celebrity Wrestling.

- Go to Newsweek Magazine
- Find Newsweek's gallery of "Spectacular" Pictures of 2011 here
- Find Politics-as-Wrestling related posts here

Sam Seder doing non-stop 12 hour radio show on Majority.FM

Sam Seder doing a non-stop 12 hour radio show (from 11:30am ET at Majority.FM)?

Majority Report press Release
... WHY?

Good question, one I am asking myself as I write.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Majority Report re-launch. In that time we have had over 1,000,000 free podcast downloads, won the best News and Politics PodcastAward, and delivered unparalleled news and commentary all because of your support.

And today also marks the 2 month anniversary of OccupyWallStreet- a movement which has amazed me in its dedication, committment and capacity to impact our politics. Today, OccupyWallStreet will take direct action.

Even before the Billionaire Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, decided to try to muzzle the message of this movement by sending hundreds of police to crack down on peaceful occupiers and evict them from Liberty Square, this was to be a pivotal day in Occupy history. I want to be a part of it in the best way I know, which is to share it with you. So, I've decided to report on this day, all day.

None of this would be possible without the support of our Majority Report Members and as I write this I am awkwardly blowing a shofar in appreciation. If you are not a member- please, we need your support to keep doing the show every day.

Click here to keep the Majority Report Alive!

As for today, we'll also have a great lineup of some of my favorite guests and some folks with whom I've never spoken... on the bill tomorrow..

Marc Maron talks to Norm Macdonald about politics and spirituality

On a recent live episode of the WTF podcast, political-talker Sam Seder ribbed his old friend and former 'Air America' co-host Marc Maron, "Politics! You remember politics right Marc?"

In a conversation with SNL alum Norm Macdonald, Marc Maron explains his current stance on Politics and Politicians.

Transcript: Maron on politicians (37min mark)

WTF Episode 219 - Norm Macdonald
NORM MACDONALD: ...Even with politicians, they're still human beings.

MARC MARON: Barely. But yeah, they're the worst f*cking people in the world. All of them!

MACDONALD: Well I agree, I'm glad to hear you say that because everybody thinks you're all leftist

MARON: Well I definitely land on the lefty side of things on ideological terms. I've found from doing political talk radio, carrying water for any of them you just gotta realise the quality of people you're dealing with. You're dealing with corporate whores who are operated by business interests. Really its gonna come down to - however you view politics- the question is "Do you give a sh*t about poor people?" and "Are we being taken advantage of?".

Now if you wanna frame that as "Obama is a communist and draining us of our livelihood", well that's your particular delusion and thats fine. But I just got disillusioned with all of it. These are not quality people. I did a joke on Michelle Bachmann on 'Real Time'...

MACDONALD: I saw that

MARON: Yeah and I was getting flack from a very small portion of the Right, (imitating) "He's a misogynist". Well she's a f*cking politician. Can you name me two politicians who demand any respect whatsoever. Why do we respect these people? These people are car salesman, they're idiots, they're more disingenuous than anybody as performers. They've basically figured out a way to bait and placate morons into voting against their self interest. It's an amazing skill but is it respectable? I don't know. Do you respect a guy who sells you horsesh*t in the guise of a health supplement?

The conversation goes into an interesting comparison of Politics and Evangelism and into a much larger, compelling discussion of spirituality.

- Listen to Norm Macdonald interviewing Ann Coulter (Jan 3, 2008)

VIDEO: Daily Show; Moment of Zen - U.K. Hulkamaniacs

VIDEO: Moment of Zen - U.K. Hulkamaniacs (Aug 9, 2011)
Hulk Hogan wants to grab the U.K.'s rioting Hulkamaniacs and shake them.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Moment of Zen - U.K. Hulkamaniacs
www.thedailyshow.com
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Popular heels Glenn Beck and CM Punk deliver farewell promos

Crossing the midpoint of 2011, two of the most popular heels in America cut memorable farewell promos as they departed their respective companies. Controversial Pundit Glenn Beck is leaving Fox News after 2.5 years with the Network. A stint that catapulted him into the national American consciousness.

VIDEO: Glenn Beck's Final Show

Glenn Beck's Final Show (Transcript)
I'm outside tonight. I want to show you. This is the NewsCorp building. This is where FOX is. That's 6th Avenue. This is Times Square at the end of the block. And this little corner is not even attached to the building. It's kind of hanging out there.

When we started, we were up -- most of the 12th floor? Twelfth floor.

And then, we wanted a space that we could change a little bit so they put us in this studio here. And for a while, we had windows open. For a myriad of reasons, we closed them and they haven't been opened I think since we've been in the studio.

Wrestling superstar CM Punk leaves WWE after a great run that places him as one of the more memorable heels of the past decade. Punk started his WWE career as a 'face' but came into his own when he returned to his natural fit as a villain. Punk intends to leave as WWE champion and unlike Beck is planning to burn bridges on his way out.

VIDEO: CM Punk shoots on his bosses (WWE RAW June 27, 2011)

CM Punk shoot from RAW (June 27, 2011)
I've grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon's imaginary brass rings that it's finally dawned on me that they're just that. They’re completely imaginary. The only thing that's real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I've proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary.

Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I'm not on your lovely little collectors' cups, I'm not on the cover of the program, I’m barely promoted, I don’t get to be in movies, I'm not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I’m not on the poster of WrestleMania, I'm not on the signature that’s produced at the start of the show. I'm not on Conan O'Brien, I'm not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn't sour grapes, but the fact that "Dwayne" is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I’m not makes me sick!

Jon Stewart's unedited interview with Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday' (transcript)

 VIDEO: Exclusive: Jon Stewart on 'Fox News Sunday' (unedited)

Transcript of Chris Wallace interviewing Jon Stewart (June 20, 2011)
WALLACE: I'm just trying to understand you.
STEWART: Is that really true?
WALLACE: Yes.
STEWART: Because here's the thing that surprises me about that. I've existed in this country forever. There have been people like me who satirize the political process and who have satirized — what was it that Will Rogers said? How crazy is it when politicians are a joke and comedians are taken seriously? I've existed forever. The box that I exist in has always been around, the change is the box that you guys, you've moved closer to me. But I'd like to know what I'm doing that's really different than what you've seen previously from satirical comedians that work in the political milieu. What is different about it, that makes you so perplexed?