he very first time I ever had the opportunity to speak with the Rev. Billy Graham was forty years ago during my earlier tenure at radio station KNX. The broadcast was a four hour talk-show on Christmas Eve. He was the overture, the opening act and as it turned out, not unexpectedly, the star. My first question to the very distinguished man of religion was, "Reverend, do you believe in Santa Claus." His answer? Short, sweet and to the point. "Michael, of course I do and if you don't, we don't have much to talk about." I've just learned that in all likelihood he'll be making an appearance with me on the self-same station within the next couple of weeks. I can think of very few people who have lived in the public eye, ministering to the high and mighty as well as the masses ,who has managed to retain such a fine reputation. First question to him? How about, is it wrong to believe that God is always on our side in a war?
The guest roster is becoming more and more what I had hoped it would be. In the next several days we'll be speaking economics with two men of entirely different political stripes; Professor Arthur Laffer, first famed during the Reagan administrations with his so-called "Laffer Curve" and the "trickle down theory." And Professor Robert Reich, the secretary of Labor during the Clinton administrations. He and the former president were friends from their college days. I'm very much looking forward to a conversation, again, with the former Gov. of Texas, tart-tongued and always outspoken, Ann Richards. There are very few sterner critics of the Bush presidency than the Princeton economics professor and syndicated columnist of the New York Times, Paul Krugman. He'll have much to say, as will Jack Germond the rotund (or as he would say "fat man") of Washington journalism. There are so many to irk, educate, entertain, inform and keep us company and I'd like, from time to time, to take the pithiest comments and post them on the website.
Funny thing, yesterday afternoon Alana and I were out taking a walk...she in her wheelchair...when we stopped in at a jewelers to look at some pretty things. Suddenly the door flew open and a most colorful man with the widest smile bounced in, with a daughter in each hand. His name, Joey Pantoliano. What a great actor and a colorful character. He was most flattering...so much so that I forgot to get around to congratulating him on his Emmy. But, I did manage to ask him if he'd join us on KNX. Answer, "yes, with pleasure." So now I'll call him and set that up.
We've only been on the air for ten days and the response and reception has been most encouraging. The question that has produced the most mail was taken from the interview with Disney chief Michael Eisner.
I made a statement and turned it into a question...
"Mr. Eisner, if the main reason that you turned down Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 was because it was too one-sided, too political and you didn't want to get politically involved...then, how come you don't show the same concern or have conscience about the fact that on your ABC radio network you employ many of the most outspoken, one-sided, hard-edged, in-your-face, conservative, pro-Bush hosts. They are always one-sided." His reply was fumbling and frankly, I thought, stupid. He said something about counterbalancing that with ABC news which he said many claimed was liberal. He did, however, add that they try to "play it down the center." I'd loved to have heard what Peter Jennings had to say in response to that.
I leave you with this thought...if you have any thoughts about whether or not this is going to be a dirty campaign ...watch for a new book just about to make its debut. The title is, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry." I did not know this until I read David Remnick in The New Yorker, who pointed out that the publisher is Regnery, which had a best-seller not long ago with a volume alleging that the Clintons hung prophylactics from the branches of the White House Christmas tree.