"The Mick Rich Show" Coming In January

Above, Mick Rich during the campaign in Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mick Rich's campaign for the New Mexico U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Martin Heinrich didn't pan out the way we hoped, but it did open up a great opportunity for Mick. It is one that will benefit the citizens of New Mexico.

According to an email I received from Jim Rich of Mick Rich Contractors:

During Mick's 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate, he got to know a number of New Mexico's radio talk show hosts. But he struck a friendship with Eddy Aragon, "The Rock of Talk" and owner of KIVA radio in Albuquerque (95.9 FM / 1600 AM / online: ABQ.FM).

Beginning in early 2019, Mick will host a weekly half-hour talk radio show of his own on KIVA. "The Mick Rich Show" will discuss current issues of importance to New Mexico. Mick will offer his views, interview community leaders, and take questions from callers. 

"I've always cared deeply about our state and its people, and I've always thought a lot about how to solve our problems," Mick said.  

Tune in to Mick's show beginning in January at 1:30pm on Saturdays.

Following Ronald Reagan's losing primary campaign of 1976, Reagan went back on the radio with a program discussing the day's issues. It seems that Mick Rich is following in Ronald Reagan's footsteps.

I am not certain if the KIVA signal reaches Jamestown or Gallup, but I will try to listen in if it does. 

Art Bell Dies At 72

Back in the 1990s while working the "graveyard shift", the time would pass very quickly whenever Coast-To-Coast AM with Art Bell would have an interesting topic or guest. My mom had told me about Bell's show and I listened regularly to it during that time.

It has been reported this morning that Art Bell passed away at age 72 (ironically, on Friday the 13th).

According to Radio NK:

One of radio’s most successful syndicated hosts has died. Both the Las Vegas Review Journal and NBC TV in Las Vegas are reporting that Art Bell died at his home in Las Vegas on Friday, April 13. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office announced that an autopsy will be done later this week to determine the cause of death. 

Bell’s paranormal-themed overnight show, “Coast to Coast AM,” was syndicated on hundreds of stations by Premiere back in the 90’s. He left the show in 2002. He also had a show on SiriusXM in 2013. Bell was 72 years old. Most recently Premiere was syndicating Bell’s show Somewhere In Time which was the best in classic Art Bell shows from 6pm – 10pm on Saturdays.

The article is incorrect as Bell died at his home in Pahrump, Nevada, in Nye County, not in Las Vegas (Nye County was referred to as the "Kingdom of Nye" on Bell's show).

Coast to Coast AM continues today with George Noory, but it has never been the same without Bell.

The Tim Burton movie, Mars Attacks!, gave Bell a "tip of the hat" by having the initial meet-up between the Martians and earthlings take place in Pahrump.

To read more, go here.

National Review: "Thought Police Control Convention's Radio Row"

The so-called "open and transparent" political party froze out conservative talk shows who set up booths at the Democratic National Convention's "Radio Row" for interviews.

According to National Review Online:

Conservative talk-show hosts who came to Charlotte to interview political figures are furious. For the first time in anyone’s memory, Radio Row — the designated set of booths available to visiting talk-show hosts — has seen restrictions placed on its use by Team Obama. DNC staffers at Radio Row will book leading Democrats for slots on conservative stations but then cancel the appearances an hour or so before broadcast “because you’re not our audience.” 

Larry O’Connor of Breitbart Radio told me, “It was the most bizarre act of censorship. These shows paid large fees and spent thousands on equipment setup and they couldn’t do their programs because of interference.”

This sounds like something right out of Soviet Russia.

To read the full article, go here. 

Rush Is Okay

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been released from the hospital after doctors found no signs of heart disease.

Rush's website posted this headline banner:

Rush Released from Hospital; Tests Show Nothing Wrong

Rush Limbaugh Hospitalized

Word is out that the "King of Talk Radio" Rush Limbaugh has been hospitalized for chest pains.

From his website:

Rush was admitted to a Honolulu hospital yesterday and is resting comfortably after suffering chest pains. Rush appreciates your prayers and well wishes. He will keep you updated via RushLimbaugh.com and on Thursday's radio program.

UPDATE: Substitute host Walter Williams said that it has not been confirmed that Rush had symptoms of a heart attack and that he is in "good condition."

Scozzfava Drops Out

Politico.com is reporting that liberal GOP candidate Dede Scozzfava is dropping out of the race in New York's 23 District special election:

Republican Dede Scozzafava has suspended her bid in next Tuesday’s NY 23 special election, a huge development that dramatically shakes up the race. She did not endorse either of her two opponents -- Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman or Democrat Bill Owens.

The decision to suspend her campaign is a boost for Hoffman, who already had the support of 50 percent of GOP voters, according to a newly-released Siena poll, and is now well-positioned to wn over the 25 percent of Republicans who had been sticking with Scozzafava.

Scozzfava was endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Hoffman was endorsed by former Senator Fred Thompson, former Gov. Sarah Palin and others. Conservative talk radio has been a big booster for Hoffman with Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Sean Hannity leading the charge.

Scozzafava was chosen by some GOP party hacks to be the GOP nominee in the special election despite having a voting record that supported the Democrat radical agenda.

UPDATE (11/2/09): Scozzfava endorsed her Democrat opponent Bill Owens. This proves once and for all that RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) have no principles and cannot be trusted to be party loyalists.

Can Obama Shut Down The Internet?

Oh-oh, it looks like something may be brewing in Washington concerning the Internet.

Hot Air is reporting on a Mother Jones story about the The Cybersecurity Act of 2009.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any “critical” information network “in the interest of national security.” The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce “access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.” This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.

The section causing concern is this one:

SEC. 14. PUBLIC–PRIVATE CLEARINGHOUSE.

(a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Commerce shall serve as the clearinghouse of cybersecurity threat and vulnerability information to Federal government and private sector owned critical infrastructure information systems and networks.
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary of Commerce—
(1) shall have access to all relevant data concerning such networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access; …

SEC. 18. CYBERSECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY.
The President— …

(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network; …

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009, S.773 is sponsored by Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). (Snowe was one of three RINO Republicans who supported the stimulous bill. A conservative she is not!)

This may be all about nothing, but Democrats have already made noises about muzzling conservative talk-radio with a return of the Fairness Doctrine or through the back door with instituting "local content" rules. Besides talk-radio, the Internet is the other channel of information and comment that the Democrats have no control over. Yet.

To read the full article and a link to a PDF of the proposed law, go here.