A political discussion cannot be complete without mentioning the personalities of talk radio and the new cable news media and their collective impact on the common discourse. I will admit that I am a regular listener and watcher of both Rush and Bill. The reason is very simple. I have some spare time and I learn from both programs. I don't always agree with their opinions but I like the fact that they have an opinion and they defend their opinion and they allow for civil discourse among different factions. "We report and you decide".

Another reason I find it interesting is that they will bring stories that are often not covered by the main stream media. This is one aspect of how "bias" gets into our news. By selectively covering certain stories, we the public are getting a distorted view of the world. The fact that both of them are successful in their field attracts a certain among of criticism from their idealogical opponents. They are often attacked and mocked for their views and their positions have been distorted to try and marginalize them. This has not worked. A recent incident on the Letterman show proves my point. Bill O'Reilly was an invited guest on this show. The discussion quickly turned negative when Dave accuses Bill that 60% of what he says on the air is garbage. When O'Reilly challenges Dave to give a specific example, he readily admits that he does not watch the O'Reilly factor show and he only gets his information from reading other people's comment about O'Reilly. This was not one of Dave's better moments. Here is a hint for Dave - don't make statements about a show that you haven't watched and never rely on second sources that may not be accurate. The only saving grace for Dave is that he is not a serious political figure. He makes his living as a comic and entertainer. No one really takes what he say or his opinion seriously. If we did, our country would be in trouble. Bill on the other hand is a political/social commentator. The success of his show is the fact that he has strong opinions and he defends them with fact and clear thought. He has guests on to debate but he does not allow people to dodge questions or "spin". At times, he does come off as arrogant and rude and that turns some people off and it is used to denigrade him. In defense of Bill, he gets results. Again and again, he has exposed corruption and bad judges, and defended the rights of children. You may not agree with his ideas or his tactics but one must admire him for his passion and for getting the job done. Very few people in the media or in politics can claim that title.

Rush Limbaugh is another miss-understood celebrity. Most people get their impressions of Rush from people that disagree with him. If you actually listen to his show, you will learn that he is no where like the person he is portrayed by the media. He is intelligent, entertaining, and he can cut through the fog on most issues. I also read his books and they contain many truths and I learned a lot from Rush. The other thing about Rush is that he is a Conservative and proud of it. He does not hide his core beliefs. He is a political junky but he is not an insider of the Beltway. He can criticize both parties when they are doing the wrong thing. He is not "politically correct" by choice. You may not agree with him but you will respect him for standing by his beliefs. He is often proven right months or years after the fact.

Both O'Reilly and Rush have made an impact on our way of life and our public discourse. Very few people in politics or in the media can make that claim. People on the left who despise Bill and Rush are doing themselves no favors when they attack them personally. They should learn from the successes of Rush and Bill and try to imitate their techniques. If you want to influence the public, you must present clear ideas and propose realistic solutions backed up by facts. The "pie in the sky" attitudes of many people in public just don't cut it anymore.

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