Summary: Featuring Federal Public Defender Kelley Henry, Center for American Progress Policy Analyst Ian Millhiser, and Karl Frisch and the Media Matters for America Smackdown.

A Conversation with Justin Bieber, Part 1 We apologize, but by the time our show aired, Justin Bieber had to cancel. We’re sad but we forge ahead with the Liberadio(!) “To Do” list, Freddie as a bicycle valet, the Davidson County Democratic Party straw poll debrief, and a rundown of the news. Plus, Federal Public Defender Kelley Henry joins us live to tell us the story of her client Gaile Owens, one of two women on Tennessee’s death row, and Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper issues an opinion[pdf] on the constitutionality of yet another vanity license plates. Beep, beep, who got the keys to the…ZOMG! Jesus is Lord! [25.4MB Click on the arrow below to listen or download mp3]Download audio file (liberadio20100419part1.mp3)

A Conversation with Justin Bieber, Part 2 In the second hour we tell you all the fun facts that weren’t reported about self-described “Tea Partiers,” and we speak to Ian Millhiser, Policy Analyst for Center for American Progress about the upcoming Supreme Court nomination – what it means to a court primarily made up of conservatives “nuts” and what the confirmation process will look like. Then, it’s once again time for Karl Frisch(!) and the Media Matters for America Smackdown – this week Karl takes Maureen Dowd and the Sunday morning talk shows to the mat – and a quick but important word about a bill that would outlaw some forms of birth control in Tennessee (which has passed in both the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor to be signed). [23.4MB Click on the arrow below to listen or download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20100419part2.mp3)

Summary: Featuring guests A.C. Kleinheider, the blogger formerly known as Post Politics and Karl Frisch, the contributor formerly known as Senior Fellow for Media Matters.

A Day without a Kleinheider, Part 1Play ball! It’s opening day but we don’t have just baseball on our minds – there’s the Easter weekend, some jobs chatter, college hoops, and the Tennessee state legislature can’t say boo to the coal lobby so the feds are coming in to take a good hard look at the quaint little practice of mountaintop removal. Plus, A.C. Kleinheider, who provided the solo byline for Post Politics – the go to place for state and local political news and views – until he was let go last week, joins us for a little debriefing, dodging, and dancing. Was he really fired as the result of a racist email? [26.92MB download mp3]Download audio file (liberadio20100405part1.mp3)

A Day without a Kleinheider, Part 2 Our listeners can’t get enough Kleinheider and neither can we so he stays and our listeners ask him some tough questions. Will he or won’t he comment and tell? And Karl Frisch of Media Matters talks Tiger Woods, Jesse James, Justin Beiber, and Ludacris…until he gets back on track and pulls the curtain back on Sarah Palin’s new Fox talk show. Then? You guessed it, we get another fix of Kleinheider. Will he be back again next week? [23.14MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20100405part2.mp3)

EXTRA: Read the missing last post from Kleinheider.

Summary: Featuring guests Dr. Joseph Romm, Senior Fellow for Center for American Progress and editor of ClimateProgress.org and Karl Frish Senior Fellow for Media Matters for America. Listen to the full Weekly Radio Address from President Obama at whitehouse.gov.

Part 1: Best. Invention. Ever. Make a simple hyperbolic statement and soon we’re discussing discussing politics, energy sources, and the existence of God with our listeners all in the context of just what is the Best. Invention. Ever. Remo, Mary’s dad, even calls in with his unique take. Plus the rich are getting richer and we call “shenanigans” on the guy making fun of the President for using a teleprompter while he was, you know, using a teleprompter. [20.59MB download mp3]Download audio file (liberadio20100222part1.mp3)

Part 2: Best. Invention. Ever. The discussion continues and we conclude that the Best. Invention. Ever. just might be Tennessee State Senator Andy Berke. Plus, a debrief of a trip to our nation’s Capitol (and making plans for another), a listener calls in with a fantastic energy saving idea, an interview with Dr. Joseph Romm of ClimateProgress.org on why now is the time to pay attention to the science of climate change and not the weather, and Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow for media watchdog organization Media Matters for America, covers Conservative Political Action Conference. [23.7MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20100222part2.mp3)

Eric Boehlert of Media Matters nails it – using this past weekend’s tea party festivities as a example – in his essay on the “media double standard that favors Republicans over Democrats.”

And Karl Frisch, a Senior Fellow at Media Matters and Liberadio(!) media correspondent, said on our show on Monday that the responsibility for correcting this, er, “overcorrection,” rests solely in our hands:

Download audio file (frisch-challenge-media20100208.mp3)

“For 40 years, the right has been pushing the idea of liberal media bias, and since Palin is one of the most popular people on the right, the press – because of the pressure they get from every level of the conservative movement from the lowliest volunteer to the presidential candidate – they get immense pressure to bend-over backwards and be “fair.” And by “fair” I mean not correct the public record. The left has only come into its own in terms of coming after the media to get things correct for about 5 or 6 years now in any kind of organized fashion. And even then it’s still not from the lowliest of campaign activists to the tip-tops of the presidential candidates.

It was surely something when the White House started becoming critical of Fox News because we had not seen that before from the left. But this is something that has to be ingrained in the psyche of the progressive movement that you must challenge the media when they get something wrong. Because then, at least, we can bring the press back to a natural center where they’re bending over backwards perhaps for both sides but in the end we’re getting a better news product.

As it stand right now, everybody on the Right complains about the media. Every day. On every issue. That doesn’t happen on the left. And that’s why Joe Biden ends up being charicatured in the way that he’s charicatured but since the campaign nobody has said – I hesitate to say nobody – but, by and large, for all the gaffes Sarah Palin has had, since exiting the campaign trail, she’s certainly not held to the standard that other politicians would be if they were quite as dumb as Palin on the stump.”

Summary: Featuring guests Graham Perry Social Curator of Tennessee State Museum and Karl Frish of Media Matters for America.

Part 1: No Scrimmage: Healthcare on the One-Yard Line. President Obama’s latest weekly radio address, a recap of the most super of bowls, the year of the underdog continues…from 2008, the Tea Party seen through rose-colored glasses, our interview with Graham Perry, curator of the We Shall Not Be Moved: The 50th Anniversary of Tennessee’s Civil Rights Sit-ins at the Tennessee State Museum, and the work continues for affordable health care for all. [24.44MB download mp3]Download audio file (liberadio20100208part1.mp3)

Part 2: No Scrimmage: Healthcare on the One-Yard Line Guess what? Jobs bills are important for the states! A couple of callers try and scold us for using the term “tea bagger” to describe the racist funny-hat-wearing xenophobes personified by Tom Tancredo at this past weekend’s Tea Party Convention, and Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow for media watchdog organization, Media Matters for America brings it to the lapdog mainstream media…and Sarah Palin too. [23.7MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20100208part2.mp3)

Part 1 – High-Assin’ Values Conservatives News tidbits, to do list, the manipulation of the healthcare debate, and a Republican sex scandal right here in Tennessee! Plus, a note to our newspaper peeps like Andy Scher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press: you can stop referring to Republican legislators as “family-values conservatives” now. We all believe in family values until, you know, we don’t. [40.94MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090803part1.mp3)

Part 2- Interview with Molly Secours Molly Secours is a writer, speaker, and filmmaker based in Nashville. In 2007, her world changed when she was diagnosed with cancer. She had healthcare but she still found herself in quite a pickle. She joins us to talk about her experience, which recently led to her story being shared in a press conference with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. [48.34MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090803part2mollysecours.mp3)

Part 3 – Interview with Jim Squires Jim is a Nashville native who graduated from Peabody College in 1966, started his journalism career at the Tennessean and went on the become editor of the Chicago Tribune, the media advisor to 1992 presidential candidate, Ross Perot, an author, and a Thoroughbred Horse breeder. His 1996 book “Secrets of the Hopewell Box: Stolen Elections, Southern Politics, and a City’s Coming of Age” is a must-read for anyone learning about Tennessee politics. Also for anyone who wants to weigh in on the paper ballot debate. You won’t believe which side he’s on! His latest book, “Headless Horsemen: A Tale of Chemical Colts, Subprime Sales Agents, and the Last Kentucky Derby on Steroids,” is now on sale.[45MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090803part3jimsquires.mp3)

Part 4- The Media Matters for America Smackdown and The Remo Report.Media Matters research fellow Elbert Ventura discusses Lou Dobbs’s crusade to legitimize the birthers and surprises us all with news about Ann Coulter: “”You know it’s bad when Ann Coulter backs away from the birthers.” And Mary’s dad, Remo, calls in from his home in Nevada to give us an update on Senator John Ensign. He’s still in office and telling the press what they can and can’t write! [23.76MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090803part4mmfa.mp3)

Part 1 – Is it 9 O’Clock Yet? While Mary waits not so patiently for the end of the show, Freddie drops the news tidbits – Judge Sonya Sotomayor, Massachusetts’ big gay agenda, John Ensign’s extra-curricular Christian activities, and Vice President Dick Cheney’s own private CIA. [17.28MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090713part1.mp3)

Part 2- Interview with Stacy Rector Stacy is the excutive director of the Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing (TCASK.org). She tells us the story of the release of death row inmate, Paul House, one of the most underreported news items in Tennessee. [25.5MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090713part2stacyrector.mp3)

Part 3 – Interview with Chip Forrester of the TNDP and What, You Want a Medal from the Secretary of State for Disenfranchising Folks? Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Chip Forrester joins us to talk about his call for the General Assembly to fire Secretary of State Tre Hargett. After Chip leaves the studio, we continue to discuss Mr. Hargett and his decision to give one state legislator a medal for disenfranchising Tennesseans. No, really. [27MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090713part3chipforrester.mp3)

Part 4- The Media Matters for America Smackdown, The Remo Report, and It’s Finally 9 O’Clock!Media Matters research fellow Elbert Ventura talks to us about how the news that our President checked out some girl’s a** bumped the Republican sex scandals from the top story of the day and how even though the bogus story originated from the slimiest source of all – The Drudge Report – it made its way to them mainstream media without any verification. Then, if you think your phone is being tapped then it probably is. And Mary’s dad Remo calls in from his home in Nevada to give us an update on his Senator, John Ensign. Will he or won’t he resign? [23.76MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090713part4mmfa.mp3)

Part 1 – Om nom nom nom nom Intro, to do list (see below), and news items: the Fifth Summit of the Americas, the handshake heart ’round the right-wing echo chamber, and the torture memos.

• Monday, 4/20: Tennessee Alliance for Progress Community Meeting on GREEN JOBS & THE ECONOMY at 6 PM
• The Davidson County Young Democrats GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK wine tasting at the Terrazzo from 6pm to 8pm
• Tuesday, 4/21: the annual meeting of Nashville Chapter Americans United for Separation of Church and State
• Thursday, 4/23: Mayor Dean’s State of Metro address at 10 a.m. at Music City Central
• Tennessee Health Care Campaign is holding a meeting in Nashville on April 23, 11 AM to 1 PM, to discuss new potential Tenncare cuts;
• Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3: Tennessee Democratic Party’s “It’s Your Party!” Summit 2009 at Jim Oliver’s Smokehouse on Monteagle Mountain.
• The AFL-CIO has created the Unemployment LifeLine, a one-stop online guide that links workers to local resources, from unemployment offices to veterans’ services to child care.

[27.6MB 24:05 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090420part1.mp3)

Independence Day – Martina McBride
– The Breeders (Last Splash)

Part 2 – Interview with Paul Kuhn It’s 4/20, yo, so we decided to interview our local “connection” to NORML, the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (The Fightin’ Bogarts!). Paul Kuhn, partner with an investment management firm here in Nashville by day and NORML supporter, activist, and board member by night, discusses the mission of the organization, the state of legalization and decriminalization, and his deeply personal connection to the medical side of the argument. [25.1 MB 21:56 download MP3] Download audio file (liberadio20090420part2paulkuhn.mp3)

Part 3- Media Matters for America Smackdown Media Matters research fellow, Elbert Ventura, has a list and the tea party organizers are on it. [9.4MB 08:12 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090420part3mmfa.mp3)

Part 4 – Interview with Jeff Teague Jeff Teague is the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee. Planned Parenthood does such good work to educate men and women of all ages about their reproductive health through – outreach, support, and advocacy – that it simply boggles the mind that they have become a punching bag for the right wing. In this interview, Jeff tells us the real mission of the organization, dispels with quite a lot of misinformation, and shares with us the dangers inherent in SJR127 – the legislation that would amend the Tennessee constitution and get us one step closer to banning abortion. This Thursday, April 23, is the PPMET Spring Luncheon, a benefit to support all the good work they do. More information is at plannedparenthood.org or call 615-345-0952. [27.7MB 24:11 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090420part4jeffteague.mp3)

Part 5 – Interview with Chris Ford An environment legislative update from Chris Ford, Executive Director of Tennessee Conservation Voters and a quick update on some more legislation passing through the state legislature – HB 0335 by Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis) adds gender identity or expression as a sentencing enhancement factor to Tennessee’s hate crimes statute that currently includes sexual orientation. This bill will be heard on April 22 in the House Criminal Practice subcommittee. [11.1 MB 10:11 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090420part5chrisford.mp3)

More information about this Thursday’s special election can be found at Nashville.gov/vote. If you live in the Fightin’ 18th!, you go to your regular polling place between 7 am and 7 pm. Go to Nashville.gov/vote and click on the “Find Where I Vote” link to find your polling place.

Plus, Lee Poston of the World Wildlife Fund & Earth Hour, and Elbert Ventura of Media Matters.

Part 1 – Faux Spring Break, Part 1 – Intro and some news items – dumping slurry, buying debt, and gutting voter confidence. [5.6 MB 4:53 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part1.mp3)

Independence Day – Martina McBride
Cannonball – The Breeders
Better Already – Northern State

Part 2 – Interview with Kristine LaLonde – Joining us as the first of all four Metro Council District 18 candidates is Kristine LaLonde. Kristine is a Belmont-Hillsboro resident and director of the leadership studies program for Honors students at Belmont University. She tells us why she’s running, what District 18 means to her, and what would happen if she were elected and a zoning issue involving her employer – Belmont University – came before the council. Plus, what is the secret that her Mom threatened to tell the press? [14.8 MB 12:56 download MP3]

Download audio file (liberadio20090323part2kristinelalonde.mp3)
Drivin’ Me Wild – Common w/ Lily Allen (Album: Finding Forever)
See a Little Light – Bob Mould (Album: Workbook)

Part 3 – Interview with Stephenie Dodson Stephenie is a candidate for Metro Council District 18, the Director for Percy Priest Extended Day Program (PPEDP) at Percy Priest Elementary School, and a 25-year resident of the Hillsboro-West End neighborhood. She has also served on the board of the Hillsboro-West End Neighborhood Association for the past nine years. She tells us why she’s running, what the endorsement of the Nashville Neighborhood Defense Fund means, and why she didn’t fill out the survey from Nashville’s premier GLBT news source, Out & About Newspaper. And although she has “secrets,” she’s not spilling the beans. [15 MB 13:03 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part3stepheniedodson.mp3)

Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Original Radio Edit Remix) – Cornershop (Norman Cook Mix)
Philadelphia Freedon – Sir Elton John

Part 4 – Interview with John Ray Clemmons – Candidate for Metro Council District 18, John Ray is also a lawyer who, among other things, worked as a legislative aide for Congressman Bob Clement, a research assistant for George Stephanopoulos, and the Political Director for the Tennessee Democratic Party. He tells us why he’s running, if – after having worked for the campaign of the mayor’s runoff opponent – he’ll have any difficulty working with Mayor Dean, and what qualifies him – as the District’s most recent resident – to run. We also ask him to do some singin’ in the stormwater and weigh in on whether or not the version of the bill that passed the Council was fair and equitable. [15.3MB 13:19 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part4johnrayclemmons.mp3)

Oooo Chile – The Five Stairsteps (album: Best of)
People Get Ready – The Impressions (album: People Get Ready)

Part 5 – Interview with David Glasgow – David Glasgow, also a candidate for Metro Council District 18, is a lawyer who currently works as the communications director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development office in Nashville. We ask him why he wants to serve the Fightin’ 18th! and what makes him uniquely qualified to do so. Plus, we see if our “Repubdar” goes off when he tells us, in light of the recent revelation that he voted in a Republican primary or two, if partisanship is relevant to the way he’ll represent his constituents and when answers the question, “Who did you vote for in November of 2008?” [15.3MB 13:20 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part5davidglasgow.mp3)

Part 6 – Interview with Lee Poston – Lee is the Director of Conservation and Science Communications at World Wildlife Fund. He works on strategic communication plans for WWF’s priority places, threats and issues. He’s based in D.C. but came to Nashville to talk to us about Earth Hour. [15:16MB 17:50 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part6leeposton.mp3)

Part 7 – Media Matter for America with Elbert Ventura – Media Matters research fellow Elbert Ventura joins us to talk about the creepiness that is Glenn Beck. [19.7MB 17:14 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part7mmfa.mp3)

Pure – Lightening Seeds

Part 8 – The Vote You Save May Be Your Own – In what is perhaps the most disgustingly anti-American, anti-democratic, and politically cynical maneuver ever, the same Tennessee legislators – Republicans all – who voted for the Voter Confidence Act last year now want to gut it. [11.9MB 10:26 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090323part8.mp3)

Part 1 – Dodging a Bullet – News, to do list, and Lydia Lenker. [15.2 MB 13:14 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part1.mp3)

Independence Day – Martina McBride
Cannonball – The Breeders
After Hours – We Are Scientists

Part 2 – A Vas Right Wing Conspiracy – Rep. Karen Camper has the Thatchers to take the fight for control of our reproductive health to the mat. If Republicans truly want the government out of the lives of ordinary people then they will pay attention to HJR132. Snip, snip! And a Republican caller finishes the sentence, “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but…” [19.6 MB 17:07 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part2.mp3)

Lovely Day – Bill Withers

Part 3 – Interview with Francie Hunt Francie is the organizer for the Nashville chapter of Stand for Children, which is pushing for an innovative teacher quality program. She tells us what Stand does, what the program entails, and why its so important the our goal of turning public schools into palaces. [20.2 MB 17:37 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part3franciehunt.mp3)

Pure – Lightening Seeds

Part 4 – It’s the Empathy, Stupid – Wait. That didn’t come out right. A listener has an interesting take on empathy which leads to a interesting discussion on who is responsible for giving a hand up to the least among us. Plus, Mary experienced a severe lack of the big “E” when she went down to the TNGOP sponsored “Tea Party” rally at the State Capitol, and the rally itself may not have been as spontaneous as some would like us to believe. [10.7MB 09:22 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part4.mp3)

Ooh La La – The Wiseguys (album: The Antidote)

Part 5 – Interview with Timothy Karr – Tim is the campaign director of Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. He helps us take on the Fairness Doctrine (and identify who is really behind manipulating the issue) and tells us what we can expect from the FCC now that there’s a Democrat in charge. [17.2MB 14:59 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part5timothykarr.mp3)

Part 6 – Media Matters for America Smackdown – The one where Elbert Ventura, research fellow at Media Matters for America, quizzes us on CPAC, reviles the revisionist Republicans and their Right-washing of history, and giggles about Andrew Breitbart’s myopic take on talk radio, and dreams of a sitcom starring Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken. [14.7MB 12:51 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part6mmfa.mp3)
Drivin’ Me Wild – Common w/ Lily Allen (Album: Finding Forever)

Part 7 – The Tea Party Debriefing – Conversations about big, important issues – like the ones we’re having about the economic stimulus, empathy, and giving people a hand up – are hard. And, unfortunately, it’s the most cynical of us that prey on their fellow Americans in times of crisis and use these conversations to divide the country and shore up their base. Plus, keep an eye on those Photo ID bills flying through the General Assembly. [25.6MB 16:00 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090302part7.mp3)