Organizers of the “Occupy San Diego” protest have extended an invitation for Yours Truly to speak at their rally. They did so after after taking exception to an article I wrote which featured a video interview with a protester who identified himself as a socialist.  Organizers objected to my depiction of them and stated that “socialists only represent the fringe element” and I would better understand if I accepted their offer to speak.

I have accepted their offer to speak at the “Occupy” protest in San Diego.

DATE: Wednesday, October, 19

TIME:  Approximately 5pm

LOCATION:  Civic Center plaza at the intersection of 3rd & B Streets in downtown San Diego (subject to change).

Patriots!  Will You Come Join Me?
It would be an amazing experience to look out into the crowd while speaking and see proud TEA Party members and Patriots among the “Occupy” protesters.  Those of you in Southern California please mark you calendars and join me on Wednesday, October 19 at 5pm!

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Do you believe in American exceptionalism? I do and while President Barack Obama may not I believe a great many of you also do.  In fact some of you who are reading this article at this very moment might yourselves be shining examples of American exceptionalism.

If so then your story has the opportunity to possibly be included in my upcoming new book on the lives and stories of ten people who are shining examples for the rest of us of American exceptionalism. Those chosen will also be offered to appear as guests on my radio show.

To submit your story for consideration simply email me your name, contact information and a brief (less than 3-4 paragraphs) description of  your story of American exceptionalism.

In his farewell speech President Reagan urged us not to allow our values to slip away and to once again make them a part of our pop culture.

So whether you were born elsewhere and immigrated to America or if your family’s roots date back to the Mayflower landing I want to hear your stories of American exceptionalism!

The first known person to write about the United States as being exceptional was a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville around 1831. Tocqueville believed America’s exceptionalism was a result of the American Revolution and a uniquely American ideology based on liberty, self reliance, the common person free from a ruling class and private business free from over-regulation.  He marveled at how our democracy infused into every nature of our society and culture at a time when it was not popular elsewhere in the world.

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Former UN Ambassador John Bolton has the look and sound of someone about to announce his candidacy for U.S. President, dogging Barack Obama at every possible media opportunity.  Or perhaps- given it is this late in the process and there is no apparent infrastructure or exploratory committee in place- does he have the look and sound of someone strategically positioning himself to become a Vice Presidential running mate for one of the leading candidates?

I asked him that question and others recently on my radio show and Ambassador Bolton used some of his harshest language yet in calling Obama a ‘radical’,  saying “that he (Obama) cannot walk and chew gum at the same time” .

Below are excerpts from my interview John Bolton:

Does John Bolton’s national security experience make him an attractive running mate for one of the GOP candidates? Click image above to hear my full interview with the former UN Ambassador.

Bolton To Make Decision By Labor Day

As I point out above Bolton has been giving interviews for months in which he says he is considering running for President but it is getting awfully late in the process for someone without an infrastructure or exploratory committee in place.  A point made on the national airwaves by Bolton’s friend radio host Mark Levin. I asked the Ambassador to address this,

“I hadn’t heard that Mark had said that I’ve known him for years and I have a great deal of respect for him but that is more subtle than my thinking at the moment. “

“I have been concerned for quite some time as you and I have discussed before that under the Obama Presidency we as a nation haven’t focused on national security to the extent that we should”…

…“I fully understand that people are concentrating on the economic recovery…but Presidents and countries have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time”…

…“I will make a decision by Labor Day in deciding whether or not to go.”

When asked if the nation is not ready- as some have suggested- for another Texan as President (Rick Perry), does that mean also mean that perhaps the nation is not yet ready for someone who served in the Bush Administration?

“I think Rick Perry would make an outstanding President. I have a lot of respect for him and he has a great record in Texas and I’m glad he is in the race.”

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With the unemployment rate at 9.2%, a contentious budget battle underway in Washington and small businesses- the very backbone of the U.S. economy- burdened by an ever growing list of government regulation, many might wonder what would Ronald Reagan would do today.

Well Arthur Laffer the famed economist who served as economic adviser under Reagan, tells me the Gipper would go after burdensome regulations to stimulate the economy, starting with President Barack Obama’s health care plan.

Laffer also says Americans should applaud Obama’s life story but reject his policies.

“He would repeal Obamacare. Obamacare makes no sense at all frankly.  Remove Dodd-Frank, bring spending down and minimize government regulation”, Laffer told me in an interview.

“Obama is an example of an American success story but he is wrong on every issue.  He is a terrific person but a very poor President”, he told me.

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An historic first-ever Presidential debate on twitter will take place on Wednesday July 20th 3pm-4:30pm EDT (noon-1:30PDT) with all major candidates expected to participate except one.  The debate is being organized by a group called TheTEAParty.net and will be moderated by FOX News contributor SE Cupp along with popular fellow talk show host Rusty Humphries.  Amato For Liberty will be supporting the event as a participating contributor.

“This is the essence of true democracy”, spokesman Dustin Stockton told me.  “With the tools of social media available today citizens across America will be able to ask their questions directly to the candidates… Instead of the old debate format which is basically a joint press conference…We are going to ask one question of all the candidates and see their answers side by side so that we can really distinguish between what one candidate’s position is and and what another candidate’s position is.  Right there in one form.”

TheTEAParty.net is not an actual TEA Party organization but instead a website which provides helpful resources for all TEA Party members.

“We provide the tools to help TEA Party groups be more effective at what they do.  We can help them build a website, provide phone numbers and voting records of elected officials, help them organize a telephone campaign on a particular issue just to name a few examples”, Stockton said. “We connect TEA Party groups across the country with each other and help provide support from a menu of items as needed.”

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Last Thursday an impressive $507,000- was raised during an eight hour period at the annual event known as Troopathon.  Troopathon- which was webcast here on ‘The BIG’s’- brings together celebrities from Hollywood, radio, TV and the media for the purpose of creating the single largest care package drive in America in support of our deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Raising a half million dollars in eight hours is a tall feat anytime but in this economic climate it is quite remarkable.

Yours truly had the opportunity to participate as a speaker and also by broadcasting my radio show during the TV webcast seen by many of you right here.

While raising money in support of our troops is a serious subject it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.  I thought you might enjoy this behind the scenes look at patriots Andrew Breitbart, SNL’s Victoria Jackson, Jon Kahn (‘My Weekly Date With a Liberal’), BreitbartTV’s Larry O’Conner and others in what I call:  Breitbart Unplugged, Jon Kahn Exposed, Victoria Jackson Unhinged. There is a lot of fun and very entertaining good natured needling going on.

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On Thursday June 23rd celebrities from Hollywood, radio, and TV will gather at the Nixon Library for a one of a kind event with a special purpose: to support our troops on the front lines in the war on terror and honor their service and sacrifice for our nation.

Troopathon 2011, as it is called, has the focused goal of sending as many care packages as it can get sponsored during an eight hour event. It its first year (2008) Troopathon brought in over $1.5 million for care packages for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. A $25 donation buys and delivers one care package.

One of the scheduled speakers is war hero and marine Nick Popaditch. Nick (a frequent guest on FOX’s “Red Eye”) was the tank commander and platoon sergeant in Baghdad during the historic fall of the statue of Saddam.

Recently Nick and his wife April joined me to talk about Troopathon and the significance it has for our troops serving in the Middle East. The YouTube video of the interview is below:

Troopathon Facts:

What: Troopathon 2011, the largest care package drive in America in support of our troops.

When: Thursday June 23rd, 4pm-midnight EDT / 1pm-9pm PDT

How You Can Watch: Right here at the Bigs!

How To Donate: Donation page.

Hosts: Andrew Breitbart and Melanie Morgan

Who Will Be Participating?: Several famous celebrities including actors Jon Voight, Gary Sinise and Robert Davi, media personalities Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, SE Cupp, and many others including yours truly. (more…)

No two people are more responsible for creating the genre of Citizen Journalism than of course Andrew Breitbart and James O’Keefe.

As is well known by now Andrew took center stage at the dramatic press conference in New York recently where Rep. Anthony Weiner admitted to sending lewd photo’s via twitter after spending days claiming Breitbart had hacked his account.

Prior to that press conference I spoke with Andrew for the behind the scenes story of how it is he broke Weinergate.

Our conversation ranged from where he was and what he was doing when he first learned of the now infamous tweet; to how he says left-of- center news sites such as Salon, The Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo “have been in a lie escapade of epic proportion.”

Andrew says it all began around 7:30pm on a Saturday evening when he and his wife were just about to open a bottle of wine and enjoy the weekend.  Here’s the interview with the behind the scenes story:

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A federal judge has reversed course and will now not restrict James O’Keefe from traveling to attend a conservative conference in California he told me on the radio recently in a story that has garnered national attention.

“Rick I will give you the breaking news story”, he said.  “I will be joining you in California on June 10th for the Eagle Forum Conference.  I have a very good lawyer named Michael Maddigan.  The judge has granted my request for work purposes.  My mission is a good mission (referring to his non-profit called Project Veritas).  There’s a lot of people we’re training now, so even if they stop me, they’re not going to stop us.”

O’Keefe said his presence at the conference falls under the category of ‘charity work’ since he will be teaching attendees ‘How To Be An Effective Citizen Journalist’ on behalf of his non profit Project Veritas.  To this he said of the mainstream media,

“They don’t do journalism, they just write down what the politicians say… they just do stenography.”…”We are redefining the genre.  We’re changing the game.”

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Young investigative filmmaker James O’Keefe has become a celebrity of sorts in conservative circles for his work exposing operations inside the group ACORN.  But a federal judge’s order is keeping O’Keefe from joining prominent conservatives like Andrew Breitbart and myself at an upcoming conference in California.

Judge's order restricting James O'Keefe from attending conservative conference.

Federal judge Daniel E. Knowles III has denied a request by O’Keefe to travel outside the state of New Jersey.  Breitbart, O’Keefe and Michigan Congressman Thad McCotter are scheduled keynote speakers for the Eagle Forum Conference in San Diego, June 10th and 11th.

Conference organizers have said that Breitbart and O’Keefe are slated to teach conference attendees “How To Be An Effective Citizen Journalist.”  McCotter meanwhile, a favorite among grassroots conservatives, has been rumored to be considering a run for President.  It wouldn’t surprise me if he chooses the conference setting to announce his candidacy plans.  Yours truly, by the way, will be acting as emcee for the weekend event.

The judge does not detail his reasons for denying O’Keefe’s request and interestingly has routinely approved previous requests by O’Keefe to travel outside New Jersey.

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If you were stuck reading just the mainstream media, you would probably have no idea that there is a growing movement among doctors to oppose President Barack Obama’s health care plan.  Dr. Adam Dorin, who practices medicine in southern California, has helped co-found an offshoot of the Tea Party known as The Doctors National TEA Party.

The group is helping make the case to patients across the country about why Obamacare might be bad for their health.  Rather than spin, these doctors are offering facts born from their decades of practicing medicine on America’s frontlines.  They know the consequences for the quality of care when the government gets involved and the folly of many of the reckless assumptions the Obama plan makes.

Dr. Dorin recently appeared on my show and has been kind enough to share some of his personal insights.  As the townhalls of two summers ago showed us, the best way to fight Obamacare is at the grassroots level with cold-hard facts.

Here is what Dr. Dorin and his colleagues wanted to share with us.

An Open Letter Debate Challenge On Obamacare

It is my duty as an American to question any orders or directives from a superior ‘officer’, even the President of the United States, if those orders conflict with my responsibility to uphold the principles and Constitution of the United States, and if they impede my work to preserve the sanctity, safety, and security of its citizens.  Further, I am concerned that there has not been an honest, open and transparent discussion on the true merits of ObamaCare, which the public fully understands.

To this end, I hereby challenge any top leading expert in America who is a supporter of the President’s vision for our national medical system to a fair and open public debate.

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In my previous column I wrote that Congressman Darrell Issa said the Mexican government has called Projects ‘Gun Runner’ and ‘Fast and Furious’ an “act of war”.  After being flooded with numerous media inquiries the Congressman’s office contacted me and said the actual words he used were  “an active war” -not “an act of war”- and he was referring to the Mexican war on drugs not, not Projects Gun Runner and Fast And Furious.

After listening to the audio from our interview several times I must say I find it indistinguishable.  You can listen to the You Tube below and decide for yourself.

You Tube: Darrell Issa interview

The Washington Post is reporting that the words ‘act of war’ were used in a previous interview conducted with California talk show host Rick Roberts a few weeks ago.  Either way over 2500 weapons were inexcusably allowed to walk, two Border Agents are dead, the DOJ is stonewalling Issa’s subpoena requests, and the Congressman should be applauded for his efforts to find out who made the decision behind Projects ‘Gun Runner’ and ‘Fast and Furious’.

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Recently immediately after Congressman Darrell Issa finished giving a speech from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I caught up with him for his most recent comments on the investigation into the ATF gunwalking scandal known as Projects “Fast and Furious” and “Gun Runner.”

The California Congressman, as many of you know, is Chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the DOJ’s role in the selling of assault weapons to known drug cartel members.  Below is an excerpt from the interview.

You Tube: Issa with the latest from his investigation into the ATF gunmwalking scandal.

“The good news is the dedicated men and women of the ATF and DOJ are breaking ranks and coming in as whistleblowers.  We’ve had numerous voluoluntary interviews that have given us an understanding of what went wrong and an understanding that a decision was made far above their level…”

“Two Border Patrol Agents are dead…this (1,800 weapons sold to drug traffickers) has resulted in an accumulation of hurt and killing that will go on for years…”

“…One of our objectives in the investigation is we have to put confidence back in the system on both sides of the border that U.S. law enforcement does not allow weapons to walk…President Calderone of Mexico is the most cooperative partner on the war on drugs that we have had in years and the Mexican government has called this ‘an active war’.”

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Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton has given several interviews over the past year where he has casually discussed the possibility of running for President in 2012.

The tone and clarity of that possibility changed the other night when in a rare one-on-one twenty-five minute interview, Ambassador Bolton used his strongest language to date in telling me where he stands on a possible run for the White House. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

I AM VERY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RUNNING because President Obama’s leadership on national security has been woefully inadequate. We are grateful that he made one difficult, very courageous decision on Osama bin laden that turned out to be right but that is not reflective of the arc of his overall work

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I understand that a one issue candidate gets marginalized and I will not be a one issue candidate.

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A tremendously important story has gone virtually untold by the media, ignored by our political leaders, and unknown to the American public. Despite the extraordinarily high price they have paid, America’s severely wounded veterans are enduring humiliating financial hardships of epic proportions. Home evictions, utility shutoffs, car repossessions, and foreclosures are commonplace.

“The Armed Forces Family Aid Concert” seeks to benefit those families suffering severe financial hardship.

The concert is scheduled to take place April 29th through May 1st on a 40 acre farm outside of Dayton, Ohio. Bands from across America and of all music backgrounds (rock, country, rap, blues, etc) will be performing, including Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI) and his band, The Flying Squirrels!

Yours Truly will act as one of the Emcee’s.

Rep. McCotter

A Congress that thinks nothing of spending trillions on bailouts and stimulus packages has mostly turned a deaf ear on our severely disabled vets. Often times spouses of returning veterans have to give up their jobs to become caregivers, cutting family incomes in half. Most disabled vets receive much less in compensation and benefits than they did while on active duty, reducing family incomes even further. Many are too dysfunctional to hold a meaningful job, if any, because of the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Some time ago I interviewed one such vet and his spouse, Mr. and Mrs. Kim Tanner. Mr. Tanner worked as a truck driver while serving with the Army, often driving 12 to 14 hours a day delivering weapons and supplies throughout Iraq. The effects of numerous blasts from exploding roadside bombs has left him suffering from severe PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Today he lives with memory loss, speech impairment, and hearing loss. He is unable to work long periods of time at his part-time post office job. (more…)

At this very moment an historic press conference is taking place in Topeka, Kansas, to announce The National Tea Party Nominating Convention, also known as Freedom Fest 2011.

If you are a Tea Party activist or someone who is sick and tired of being forced to choose the “best available Republican candidate from among the worst,” then this is the event you have been waiting for.

The nominating convention will take place in America’s heartland, Kansas City, October 5^th-9^th, 2011.  Over 1 million people are expected to attend, including several of the U.S. Presidential hopefuls.

I am humbled to write that Yours Truly has been selected to act as emcee.

The purpose of the convention is not to be a third party challenge but instead, to vet U.S. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates so that the RNC understands which candidates the grassroots Tea Party nation supports.  Should the Republican party choose to ignore the message, they will do so at their own risk.

As political pollster and author of the book Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two Party System Scott Rasmussen recently told me on my radio show, “I can’t imagine any Republican party Presidential candidate winning his party’s nomination without the support of the Tea party movement.” (more…)