OK, did ANYBODY here buy the Alan Colmes book?

[Blue-Jay]

We talk a lot about the plethora of politically-themed books that have been released. I've bought a bunch of them myself and thought they were (mostly) filled with important commentary & facts.

Yeah, Alan's persona and attitude were summed up nicely in the Franken book, and he's making a career out of being a mincing namby-pamby poor excuse for a liberal voice on Faux. Alan seems like a nice guy, and he's probably someone I'd like if I met him in person. That said:

Did anyone buy his book?

Why?

Was it any good?

Did it only reinforce his wussified TV/radio persona?

I'm just curious...

[Fenris]

1. Ah, Alan. The Washington Generals to Hannity's Harlem Globetrotters.

He's a tool of the right. He can play, but he always ends up 20 points behind Hannity.

[Blue-Jay]

7. Nicely put.

That fits him to a T in my view.

Hmmm. "Washington General Colmes".... That's how I'll refer to him from now on. Thanks!

[Fenris]

9. Oddly enough, Al Franken and Tweety came up with that one.

It's amazing how Tweety can tell the truth when he wants to.

[rfranklin]

2. Okay Blue-Jay, we know you're really Alan Colmes...

tr5ying to pump up sales, but it ain't gonna work.

[Blue-Jay]

6. Hahaha! You caught me!

Actually, I'm much more angry than Little Alan. If I were on that show, I'd punch Sean every time he sighed and wiggled his bushy caterpiller eyebrows at a guest.

[Fenris]

8. Dude, I would have called him the "c" word so many times by now

It would be like every other word. Of all the nuts, Hannity pisses me off the most.

[MisterP]

18. hahahaha!

ahahahahaha!

[ElaineinIN]

3. He had a book? n/t

[smirkymonkey]

35. Well, more like a pamphlet, actually.

in very large print.

[Scairp]

4. No

I emailed him once, and much to my surprise, he answered me right away. This was several months ago, and I think I said something like he was squandering a great opportunity to speak up for liberals, yada, yada, yada, and he took great umbrage at my accusations. After that, I felt like I didn't really need to read his book.

[Blue-Jay]

11. That's sad.

He could have at least told the truth. That being:

A) I'm not allowed to call RWers on their bullshit. Roger will fire me.
B) I'm too timid to call RWers on their bullshit.
C) Can't talk now. Rupert's limo needs a good detailing.
D) All of the above.

[freetobegay]

5. Sorry I don't help enablers.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

10. I didn't (although I should)

As a disillusioned ex-Republican and a former Faux news junkie, I think Alan has the right positions most of the time. Whoever said he's a tool of the right is correct though. He's definately being used, as are all of the moderates/liberals of Faux News. They basically provide good strawmen punching bags for the vapid neocons.

[DoctorMyEyes]

15. Welcome to DU, Rusty!

We're glad to have you.

I didn't buy Colmes book. There are too many other books that I'd rather have and I don't have the time or money for all of the ones that would be higher on my list.

Rusty, as a disillusioned ex-Republican you might enjoy the Suskind/O'Neill book, or Richard Clarke's or even Kevin Phillip's book.

[Blue-Jay]

16. RUSTY, you just gave me an idea!

Sadly, my lunch hour is over and I need to get back to the office. If I get the time, I'll post it later.

Welcome to DU and congrats on being an (ex)Republican who is beginning a wonderful journey. We (liberals and old-school republicans) probably have more in common than we have differences. Don't let the likes of Boortz, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc fool you.

[Fenris]

19. "There's no hostage. Rusty Shackleford is the name he orders pizza with."

Welcome to DU.

:toast:

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

22. Thanks for the welcome

I appreciate it, and I appreciate the reading recommendations. I must admit though, even as an ex-Republican, I still have a bit of conscientious responsible conservatism in me. But the rightwing has become so eaten up by the neocons and believe me, they are bitter and angry these days as they see the chimps chances at re-election slipping away. Personnally, I hope he gets thrashed. I was one of the ones the Bushite junta duped into supporting this invasion of Iraq, and now I feel like a fool. It's been one lie after another with these guys, and I can't take anymore. I'll be voting for Kerry in November, even though he wasn't my first choice (ABB). I got a campaign donation letter from the RNC the other day and I basically sent it back to them with a note telling them to stuff it, I'm now officially an independent. Starting to think more and more like a liberal every day though. I seriously used to like Fox News too. Now I can't imagine why. Makes me angry every time I turn it on. Bill O'Reilly's been spinning out of control and Hannity looks like he's gonna burst into tears. Anyway, thanks for the welcome.

[Delano]

12. No. I'm a liberal.

There are plenty of books out there by libs and progressives. Why read Colmes' quasi-republican pablum?

[Jabbery]

13. Only fundies, and probably not even them

Colmes is a laughable charade of a human being. His job is to make Hannity look like some kind of angelic perfect human.

Think about it - FOX produces a right/left talk show. They hire cutie-boy made-for-TV Hannity for the right, and then they purposefully hire this deformed alien Colmes for the left.

They stacked the deck all the way down to the faces.

How pathetic.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

14. Not to mention...

everytime you turn on Faux News you're watching Olie North Henry Kissenger, Pat Buchanan, ad nauseam. Makes me wanna puke...

[Demonaut]

17. I've noticed that too, any liberal with a speech impediment get

a booking, articulate liberal speakers get second billing. Always makes me think of that Don Henley lyric "Another bubble headed bleach blonde comes on at five"

[LTR]

20. For what it's worth...

Alan is too mild and nice for his TV show. He takes this approach, which is likely what he is, but it gets drowned out by Insannity's screaming and bullying.

I think his biggest crime on H&C is being too much of a nice guy. It shows him as being a wimp and an enabler.

His radio show, on the other hand, is pretty good. He is entertaining without being shrill. And he lets loose a bit more.

I was listening to an interview he did on the show of another Sirius Left host, Alex Bennett, who is almost the polar opposite of Colmes in personality (re: crankier and more outspoken). They are longtime friends, and Colmes explained his frustration with the left bashing him constantly, explaining that the H&C show's purpose is not to be like "Crossfire".

Take it for what it's worth, but here's a sound file of the interview:

http://www.radiofreejack.com/sirius/alan.ram

As far as I'm concerned, there is a place for different types of hosts. Randi Rhodes is more in-your-face, while Colmes takes a milder approach. Again, take it for what it's worth.

[Blue-Jay]

23. That's about what I thought concerning Alan.

Again, he seems like a nice smart guy, but he knows on which side his bread is buttered. Sadly, I can't get his show on any of the local radio stations.

He's probably afraid of getting fired, but can you imagine the buzz he'd get if he "went off" on Hannity a couple of times? He'd be a hero. Sadly, he'd rather shill for the middle-of-the-roaders. A whipping boy, if you will.

[LTR]

24. He streams online

Here's his site:

http://www.alan.com/

And one of his streams:

http://www.710kcmo.com/homepage.asp

He's on 10PM-1AM.

If those links don't work, try this site:

http://zip-script.com/radio4tv/weekday.html

[TexasSissy]

21. HA! When Hell freezes over. Hannity's cohort in lies?

Never! Colmes sometimes even repeats what Hannity says. He's not really a Democrat. And I'M a centrist saying this!

[I thought so.]

25. I'll bet nobody did.

I am curious too. Why would you even care?

[underpants]

26. I've checked not at the Dollar Store

I did see a O'Reilly book there a few years ago.

[Blue-Jay]

31. Actually, I saw one of Weiner's books at the dollar store.

I was going to but it for when I ran out of toilet paper, but they cheaped out on the paper that it was printed on. No measure of protest is worth a scratchy wipe that might give me the 'roids.

[Commendatori]

27. I bought it because I (ugh) read Hannity's first one.

I read both sides, as painful as it canbe. As bad as Hannity writes, Colmes is worse. Colmes is on the payroll of the RNC, just as Savage is probably on the DNC payroll (both hired to make their sides look bad).

Colmes would spew forth a Dem talking point that is impossible for sane people to argue with, then he'd do little to defend it, and then he'd show you an e-mail he got in response to it. The freaking book is full of e-mails he got. At least Hannity wrote his own pile of reeking garbage, regardless of syntax or lack thereof. Colmes probably put his shitty volume together in twelve minutes.

His defense of health care for all (which I support)? "We can afford it." The conservatives in my office had a field day with that, and rightly so: "we can afford orange bell bottom jeans for everyone, too, but that's not a reason to do it."

He's a nice guy and I would love to have a beer with him, but the guy is not much of an asset for our cause.

[erpowers]

28. I Didn't Buy it but I Did Read Some of It

I thought it was an interesting book. He did stand up to bush in the book, but he was pretty nice to people like Hannity and Coulter. Near the end of the book he stated the issues he thought the Republican view was right. Overall, from what I read it seemed to be a good book.

[Blue-Jay]

29. Not a glowing endorsement, but about what I expected.

Maybe I'll pick it up at the library some day soon if it's not on back-order (hahahahahahahah.....<deep breath>....hahahahaha!). It's probably a barely OK read, but not enough to waste my money on it. There are a few others on the list ahead of it.

Can't wait to get the Big Dog's book in a few more days. I'm sure that he won't blast anybody who deserves it, but it'll be interesting, insightful, and will piss off the RWers because of the massive sales numbers.

[wyldwolf]

30. Yes. It was practically free at a Barnes & Noble... enjoyed it

..the e-mails he published from republicans were hysterical.

[Athletic Grrl]

32. nope

I'll read your responses in a sec...

[AlCzervik]

33. I made this for bartcop when his book hit the shelves

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

34. When he can grab his balls and be a real liberal

maybe then I'd listen to him.

But then if he did that, he'd be fired.

He's WORSE than the right-wingers, in my opinion, because he pretends to be one of us, then just rolls over and dies everytime he's on TV.

Ridiculous and pathetic.

[LuminousX]

37. Sad thing is

he probably thinks he is at least providing some counter balance to Hannity's insanity.

I remember seeing both Colmes and Hannity on The Daily Show and was amazed that Hannity wouldn't let Colmes answer questions that were directed AT Colmes.

[smirkymonkey]

36. Yes, and I nearly slipped into a coma

after reading the first page.

Actually, I didn't buy the book. Alan Colmes has nothing to say worth saying.