The Weekly Filibuster
Encyclopedia
The Weekly Filibuster is an American
talk radio show
moderated by politico Ben Goodman of the University of Maine
that is broadcast on Sunday evenings. The show features a panel of student commentators including Matt Cavedon of Harvard University
, Thomas Dec of The University of Connecticut-Stamford, Robert Burack of the University of Michigan–Flint, Bob Bowen of The University of Michigan, and Abigail Walls of Albion College
. The show is best known for its involvement in the July 2008 Sonny Landham
scandal.
The show first gained attention when presidential candidate Alan Keyes
announced on the January 26, 2008 program that he was considering leaving the Republican Party. As the Democratic National Committee's struggle with Michigan and Florida's delegates garnered significant media in March, Robert Burack and Bob Bowen of Michigan, and Rebekah Hammond of Florida joined the broadcast to comment on the scandal, and would become permanent panelists. Hammond would leave the show in early summer 2008, but return as a guest panelist during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
. The show additionally aired on Wednesday nights during summer 2008 and 2009 as "The Weekly Filibuster: Wednesday Edition" and, alternatively, "The Wednesday Filibuster." Abigail Walls served as a conservative panelist during August 2008, and returned a year later to be named as a permanent contributor to the panel.
The show earned national attention in summer 2008 for its series of interviews with the Kentucky
Libertarian Party
nominee for United States Senate
, Sonny Landham
.. The show was also featured on Politico.com's
KoteckiTV
(and subsequently, MSNBC) for hosting a debate between MSNBC-TV's
David Shuster
and Politico's James Kotecki
. The show was among the first in the media to speculate that Sen. John McCain
might pick Alaska
Governor Sarah Palin
as his vice presidential running mate
.
The show aired coverage from the floor of the 2008 Democratic National Covention and has featured interviews with many guests including Katrina vanden Heuvel
, Chris Cillizza, Gov. Paul Cellucci
, Jack Cafferty
, Gov. Pete du Pont, Autistic Self Advocacy Network
President Ari Ne'eman
, James Kotecki
, Gov. Jane Swift, David Shuster
, Kerry Healey
, John Frary, Rabbi Dennis Shulman, Matthew Yglesias, Cyrus Krohn, Rick Noreiga, Joe Lauria, Former Senator Bob Smith, Thurston Clarke
, Alan Keyes
, Wayne Root, and Rick Davis
. Sonny Landham
, Mike Gravel
, Brian Moore
, and Gene Amondson
have appeared on the program on multiple occasions.
. Following media coverage in newspapers and on WLEX, Landham] returned to the program on July 25 and July 28 to further address comments. Landham would later be stripped of his nomination.
While Robert Burack, Tom Dec, Bob Bowen, and Matt Cavedon appear regularly, several panelists joined the show for extended stints, including Republican Sage Koontz at The University of Virginia, Jay Gobeil of the University of Maryland, College Park
. Several guest panelists have made repeated appearances including Jonathan Padilla at Harvard University
and Sam Free at The George Washington University. Ian Engdahl of Rhodes College
made one guest appearance and would go on to serve a stint as the show's main announcer and semi-regular newsreader.
Bostonian
Peter Christopher
of the University of Maine
is a frequent substitute and guest panelist. He co-hosts "Drive Time," a popular morning show on the University of Maine
's WMEB
with Goodman during the school year.
Radio in the United States
Radio is one of the major mass media of the United States.-History:The beginning of regular commercially licensed sound broadcasting in the United States in 1920 ended the print monopoly over the media and opened the doors to the more immediate and pervasive electronic media...
talk radio show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
moderated by politico Ben Goodman of the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
that is broadcast on Sunday evenings. The show features a panel of student commentators including Matt Cavedon of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Thomas Dec of The University of Connecticut-Stamford, Robert Burack of the University of Michigan–Flint, Bob Bowen of The University of Michigan, and Abigail Walls of Albion College
Albion College
Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are...
. The show is best known for its involvement in the July 2008 Sonny Landham
Sonny Landham
William M. "Sonny" Landham is an American movie actor and political candidate.-Acting career:At the beginning of his acting career, Landham was an actor in pornographic films...
scandal.
History
The Weekly Filibuster was founded by Ben Goodman and Tom Dec and launched with special panelist Matt Cavedon on January 12, 2008. Cavedon immediately joined the program as a permanent panelist to represent the political right against the liberal Dec.The show first gained attention when presidential candidate Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
announced on the January 26, 2008 program that he was considering leaving the Republican Party. As the Democratic National Committee's struggle with Michigan and Florida's delegates garnered significant media in March, Robert Burack and Bob Bowen of Michigan, and Rebekah Hammond of Florida joined the broadcast to comment on the scandal, and would become permanent panelists. Hammond would leave the show in early summer 2008, but return as a guest panelist during the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
. The show additionally aired on Wednesday nights during summer 2008 and 2009 as "The Weekly Filibuster: Wednesday Edition" and, alternatively, "The Wednesday Filibuster." Abigail Walls served as a conservative panelist during August 2008, and returned a year later to be named as a permanent contributor to the panel.
The show earned national attention in summer 2008 for its series of interviews with the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
nominee for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, Sonny Landham
Sonny Landham
William M. "Sonny" Landham is an American movie actor and political candidate.-Acting career:At the beginning of his acting career, Landham was an actor in pornographic films...
.. The show was also featured on Politico.com's
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
KoteckiTV
James Kotecki
James Kotecki is an American video blogger, online commentator, and self-described "political geek" who turned into a YouTube celebrity during the United States presidential election in 2008....
(and subsequently, MSNBC) for hosting a debate between MSNBC-TV's
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
David Shuster
David Shuster
David Martin Shuster is an American television journalist who has been an anchor for MSNBC and who has also worked for Fox News and CNN. He anchored MSNBC Live weekdays from 10-11am and 3-4pm ET and filled in for Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow on their respective shows...
and Politico's James Kotecki
James Kotecki
James Kotecki is an American video blogger, online commentator, and self-described "political geek" who turned into a YouTube celebrity during the United States presidential election in 2008....
. The show was among the first in the media to speculate that Sen. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
might pick Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
as his vice presidential running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
.
The show aired coverage from the floor of the 2008 Democratic National Covention and has featured interviews with many guests including Katrina vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel is the editor, publisher, and part-owner of the magazine The Nation. She has been the magazine's editor since 1995. She is a frequent guest on numerous television programs...
, Chris Cillizza, Gov. Paul Cellucci
Paul Cellucci
Argeo Paul Cellucci is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts and US Ambassador to Canada.-Early life and career:...
, Jack Cafferty
Jack Cafferty
Jack Cafferty is a CNN commentator and occasional host of specials. In the summer of 2005, Cafferty joined The Situation Room.-Career:...
, Gov. Pete du Pont, Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network or ASAN is a 501 nonprofit advocacy organization for individuals on the Autism spectrum, and is run by Autistic people. ASAN believes that the goal of Autism advocacy should be a world in which Autistic people enjoy the same access, rights, and opportunities as...
President Ari Ne'eman
Ari Ne'eman
Ari Ne'eman is an American autism rights activist who cofounded the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in 2006. On December 16, 2009 President Barack Obama announced that Ari Ne'eman would be appointed to the National Council on Disability. Ne'eman has a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, which would make...
, James Kotecki
James Kotecki
James Kotecki is an American video blogger, online commentator, and self-described "political geek" who turned into a YouTube celebrity during the United States presidential election in 2008....
, Gov. Jane Swift, David Shuster
David Shuster
David Martin Shuster is an American television journalist who has been an anchor for MSNBC and who has also worked for Fox News and CNN. He anchored MSNBC Live weekdays from 10-11am and 3-4pm ET and filled in for Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow on their respective shows...
, Kerry Healey
Kerry Healey
Kerry Murphy Healey was the 70th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. She served from 2003 to 2007 with Governor Mitt Romney. She was the 2006 Republican nominee for Governor of Massachusetts, losing to Democrat Deval Patrick in November 2006...
, John Frary, Rabbi Dennis Shulman, Matthew Yglesias, Cyrus Krohn, Rick Noreiga, Joe Lauria, Former Senator Bob Smith, Thurston Clarke
Thurston Clarke
Thurston Clarke is an American historian, author and journalist.-Education and career:Clarke was educated at Yale University, Columbia University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London....
, Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
, Wayne Root, and Rick Davis
Rick Davis
Richard Dean Davis is a retired American soccer midfielder, and former captain of the U.S. National Team for much of the 1980s...
. Sonny Landham
Sonny Landham
William M. "Sonny" Landham is an American movie actor and political candidate.-Acting career:At the beginning of his acting career, Landham was an actor in pornographic films...
, Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
, Brian Moore
Brian Moore
Brian Moore may refer to:*Brian Moore *Brian Moore *Brian Moore , Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, England...
, and Gene Amondson
Gene Amondson
Gene Amondson, was a landscape painter, woodcarver, Christian minister and prohibition activist who was the 2004 US presidential candidate for one faction of the Prohibition Party and the nominee of the unified party in 2008.Amondson was known for his anti-Alcohol activism and reenactments of...
have appeared on the program on multiple occasions.
Sonny Landham saga
Sonny Landham first appeared on The Weekly Filibuster on July 23, 2008 to address controversial comments in the Kentucky Courier Journal, referring to Arabs as "camel-dung shovelers." Landham said on the show that he would stop Arabs from entering the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Following media coverage in newspapers and on WLEX, Landham] returned to the program on July 25 and July 28 to further address comments. Landham would later be stripped of his nomination.
Guest hosts and panelists
On several occasions, Tom Dec and Matt Cavedon have guest moderated the program, though Burack typically substitutes when Ben Goodman is unavailable.While Robert Burack, Tom Dec, Bob Bowen, and Matt Cavedon appear regularly, several panelists joined the show for extended stints, including Republican Sage Koontz at The University of Virginia, Jay Gobeil of the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. Several guest panelists have made repeated appearances including Jonathan Padilla at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and Sam Free at The George Washington University. Ian Engdahl of Rhodes College
Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...
made one guest appearance and would go on to serve a stint as the show's main announcer and semi-regular newsreader.
Bostonian
Bostonian
A Bostonian is a resident of Boston or Greater Boston, Massachusetts, United States.Bostononian may also refer to:* Bostonian , an American Thoroughbred racehorse* The Bostonians, a novel by Henry James...
Peter Christopher
Peter Christopher
Peter Christopher was an Associate Professor at Georgia Southern University. Christopher was a highly acclaimed author, and had written numerous books....
of the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
is a frequent substitute and guest panelist. He co-hosts "Drive Time," a popular morning show on the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
's WMEB
WMEB-FM
WMEB-FM is a non-commercial American radio station owned and operated by the University of Maine.WMEB became an official radio station in January 1964 when the Federal Communications Commission licensed the station to operate on the frequency of 91.9 mHz FM, and its callsign became...
with Goodman during the school year.