Pundit Review Radio

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye, via the amazing Soldiers Angels Germany blog, "Ambushed near Aranas, Afghanistan, on Nov. 9, 2007, the soldiers were caught in a well-planned crossfire and needed to find cover. Though he had been shot in the arm, Begaye took a minute to consider his options. "It was almost like time stood still," he said Tuesday after receiving the Silver Star for his efforts that day. "The only real option I had was over the cliff." So he started down into a steep ravine, telling his men to follow. "We were sliding down and the whole time we were still taking accurate fire," he said. Several soldiers were wounded on the way down and one was killed. But the rest survived to fight on. Once

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Cpl. Richard S. Weinmaster, "According to his platoon commander, 1st Lt. George Fenton, Weinmaster, a Cozad, Neb., native, was in front of a squad-sized patrol making its way through an eight-foot wide alley bordered on each side by 10-foot tall mud-brick walls, dubbed "ambush alley," when their patrol was attacked by enemy small-arms fire and grenades. In the midst of the firefight, Weinmaster provided accurate suppressive fire with his SAW until he noticed an incoming grenade land near his team leader, Lance Cpl. Tyler Wilkerson. Fenton, a Fredericksburg, Va., native, explained how Weinmaster shoved Wilkerson out of the way then jumped toward the grenade to try and smother the blast. As he jumped, the

I want to say thank you to the guys from Blue Mass Group, and all the local bloggers who put politics aside to raise money for the Jared C. Monti Scholarship Fund. As most of you know by now, Raynham, MA native Jared Monti KIA in Afghanistan in 2006 and he was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for his immensely selfless service to this country. It has been a great two weeks, focusing on something that we can all agree on and support without reservation. Our collective efforts helped generate 35 donations totaling nearly $3000 for the scholarship fund. On behalf of all participating bloggers, THANK YOU! Last night I was joined in studio by Blue Mass Group co-founder David Kravitz. We were honored and humbled that Jared's father Paul, along with two of Jared's best friends, Darin Souza and Janell Holmes were able to join us as well. Paul wants Jared remembered for the man he was, not for the soldier he was, and it's easy to see why. As we learned last night, through some highly entertaining stories, J

What a pleasure to welcome filmmaker Harris Done to Pundit Review Radio. He has made a tremendous documentary, which is on the Military channel all month, about the vital and life saving role dogs played in the brutal war in the Pacific. I'm a history buff and have spent counless hours watching the black and white WWII documentaries. I never knew about the war dogs. Thank you Harris for making this movie. Ironic that we interviewed Harris on the very night Michael Vick was on 60 Minutes. The tale of two dogs. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Sgt. 1st Class Jarion Halbisengibbs. From the WaPost, " So the three Americans, led by Halbisengibbs, assaulted the house. They stacked up outside the doorway, Halbisengibbs threw in a fragmentation grenade, killing two fighters inside as the soldier rushed in. "You could see faceless shapes scurrying around the room grabbing weapons, and less than three seconds we received AK-47 fire," said Lindsay, who was hit in the throat. Chaney was shot through the pelvis and hip. Moments later, the insurgents threw a grenade, blasting both of them out the door and into the courtyard. "I was hyperventilating and throwing up," on the verge of passing out, said Lindsay. Without the strength to lift his rifle, he

Steve Forbes and historian John Prevas have collaborated on a terrific new book, Power Ambition Glory: The Stunning Parallels between Great Leaders of the Ancient World and Today . . . and the Lessons You Can Learn. The book is really a 3-for-1 in that it is part history, part politics and part business management. A terrific read. After subscribing to his magazine for years, it was a real treat to get the chance to talk with Steve Forbes. He could not have been nicer. We talked about the leadership lessons to be learned from these great historical figures, how our President could benefit from them, and how we are being let down in terms of leadership by the entire political class. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best o

So this weekend was the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Who better to have on than Jonathan Leaf, the author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the 1960s? From Amazon, "The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Sixties proves the anti-Vietnam War sentiment and free love slogans that supposedly "defined" the decade were just a small part of the leftist counter culture. The mainstream culture was more politically incorrect--but you'll never hear that from a liberal pundit or read it in a politically correct textbook." What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

It is always an honor to welcome men like Bill Roggio to Pundit Review Radio. Bill is a former Army man who has embedded with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has helped to build The Long War Journal into an indespensible resource for those interested in Obama era Overseas Contingency Operations. Like Michael Yon, The Long War Journal is supported by its readers. If you value this type of citizen journalism, please consideer making a donation. Bruce McQuain joined me in this interview. I always want to include his great experience and perspective when talking to people like Bill Roggio. Bruce is an Army vet himself, having spent 28 years in the service, including a tour in Vietnam. This segment flew by and we need to have Bill back on soon to get his perspective of the wars in Iraq and increasingly, Afghanistan. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Staff Sgt. Lincoln V. Dockery, "Staff Sgt. Lincoln V. Dockery said he didn't even see the grenade that sent shrapnel into his right forearm while charging insurgent fighters in Afghanistan's Korengal valley, Nov. 16, 2007. "Someone yelled out,” he said. “My hand went up and a hot, sharp feeling went through." Dockery, a combat engineer then assigned to a route clearance patrol with Company A of the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Special Troops Battalion, said he decided the injury wasn't major, and continued his charge up a hill into enemy fire. "I don't want to think about what would have happened had he not been there," said Capt. William Cromie, Dockery's platoon leader that day in Afghanistan. "It would

Bruce McQuain joined us once again for our weekly tribute to the troops. Before we got to SYSK, we talked briefly about politics first. It was last call for GatesGate on Pundit Review Radio, so we started there. We also talked about social networks and some of the amazing things you can learn by following interesting people. One of those interesting people that I follow is Boston Maggie, a great blogger who is focused on Navy issues. This week at Boston Maggie, I learned that John Quincy Adams is tweeting about his 1809 trip to Russia, via his personal diaries and the Massachusetts Historical Society. I also learned that the remains of Captain Scott Speicher, who has been missing since the first Iraq war, have been found and returned home. Finally, Maggie had tons of great coverage of the christening of the USS Jason Dunham in Bath Maine. Dunham, a former SYSK subject, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his amazing service and sacrifice for our nation. BostonMaggie was listening and called in and

GatesGate is a clear victory for equality in America. It proves that anyone, even rich, powerful elite’s, are treated the same when they are argumentative and uncooperative with police responding to a felony call. As our President likes to say, let me be clear. Henry Louis Gates acted abysmally and is the sole reason this incident took place. He judged Sgt. Crowley by the color of his skin before he ever had a chance to demonstrate the content of his character. Gates doubled down on his mendacity by saying he was “Crowleyed”, by saying he was dealing with a “rogue cop” and by demanding not just an apology, but that Sgt. Crowley should “beg my forgiveness”. How arrogant. How irresponsible. Rogue cops are a serious problem that destroy faith and respect for the law. How irresponsible for a Harvard man to be throwing that charge around recklessly. By the time the sun set on day one of this story, it was clear that it was more about speaking fees than racism. Henry Louis Gates should be “begging forgiveness”

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Staff SGT. Scott Kenyon, "Under cover of darkness, Staff Sergeant Kenyon and his squad moved up approximately 200 yards undetected, closing in on two Iraqi insurgents planting a roadside bomb. As Staff Sgt. Kenyon was going around a corner with a row of roadside shops, he was spotted and engaged by one insurgent with a silenced 9mm submachine gun. Unaware that he was spotted and unable to hear the muffled rounds whizzing through the air, Staff Sgt. Kenyon’s head was suddenly turned to the side by a bullet that struck his Kevlar helmet, and struck a second time in his chest plate. Upon the impact of the rounds and uninjured, Staff Sgt. Kenyon quickly returned fire hitting both insurgents while continuing t

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Major Todd Desgrosseilliers, "Desgrosseilliers risked life many times during the nine-hour battle. While the smoke cleared, he walked out while pulling an injured Marine to safety. All the while, his men finished off the last of the terrorists and destroyed a large cache of weapons. In today’s military, leaders lead from the front and assume the same sorts of risks their troops do. Having that sort of situational awareness and an intimate understanding of the risks involved for friendly troops helps them fashion tactics on the fly that save American lives while being deadly to the enemy. That’s precisely what happened in this instance. And that’s why Maj Todd Desgrosseilliers, Commander, Task Force

It is always a true pleasure to welcome back Michael Yon back to Pundit Review Radio. Michael is a former Green Beret who is currently one of the world’s leading independent citizen journalists covering the war in Afghanistan from the front lines. Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined me as we talked to Michael about the challenges facing the U.S. in Afghanistan. It was nearly three years ago, August 2006, when Michael was on the show and delivered a very grim assessment of what was happening. Unfortunately, not much has changed. Michael is a truly independent journalist, fully supported by his readers. If you appreciate this kind of independent, trustworthy reporting from the world’s hot spots, you can support Michael via Pay Pal at his website or by sending a check to, Michael Yon PO Box 5553 Winter Haven, FL 33880 What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. This week Bruce told us about Airman 1st Class Charity Cook, via IBD, Suddenly, terrorists opened up with machine-gun fire. Cook knew the trucks had to get out of that kill zone fast. She hit the gas. By the end of that day, a civilian contractor would owe his life to the actions of Cook and fellow airmen. And she would earn the Bronze Star for her valor. "I know a lot of people would probably freeze up in the same situation," she told IBD. "But you just don't have the time." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radi

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. Tonight he told us the incredible story of Army Maj. John Detro, via IBD, "Of the 50 men on the mission, 22 were wounded, five seriously. Thanks in great part to Detro and his team of medics, all of the Rangers survived and many of them are still on active duty. And the military reported the mission successful, with 50 terrorists killed. For his sound judgment and exceptional performance, Detro was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart. He also earned the admiration of his medics, who upon returning home nominated Detro for the Army Physician's Assistant of the Year Award." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with

Jay Fitzgerald of the Boston Herald and Hub Blog joined me in studio last night for a fun hour of Salin Palin speculation. We had hoped to talk about Deval, the legislature, etc, but people were certainly ready with their Palin theories about the move and her political future. The callers were surprisingly rational. It seems the topic of Sarrah Palin drives people from both sides over the edge. What is Pundit Review Radio? Since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Threats Watch's Managing Editor Steve Schippert joined me tonight to discuss what is happening in Iran and Iraq. At ThreatsWatch.org, "Steve focuses on the strategic and operational impact of policy decisions and events, particularly with regard to emerging threats, such as Iran and Syria or the democratization efforts in Lebanon. Steve also contributes significantly on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Pakistan, North African conflicts and the War on Terror's progress." A Marine, Steve served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait. He also has a background in information technology and we discussed the role of social media in Iran. He provided great insight into what is going on between the security services and the protesters. We also talked about Iraq, the upcoming elections, the timetable for withdrawal and the escalating violence. I had the pleasure of meeting Steve a while back at the Milblog Conference. Great guy, great analyst and a great guest. I hope to have him back o

Weekly Standard executive editor Bill Kristol returned to Pundit Review Radio tonight for an extended discussion about Gov. Sanford, Cap & Trade, Healthcare, Iran and Obama. What is Pundit Review Radio? Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 8-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined me once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. Tonight he told us the incredible story of First Lt. Walter Bryan Jackson, "A second lieutenant at the time of his heroic action on Sept. 27, 2006, Lt. Jackson was cited for selfless courage under extreme enemy fire while serving as a company fire support officer with company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lt. Jackson was engaged in combat operations with his unit against insurgents and while he attempted to recover a disabled vehicle, his unit came under heavy machine gun fire, which resulted in several Soldiers being wounded. As he applied first aid to a severely wounded comrade, he too was shot in the thigh. Lt. Jackson’s citation in part reads: “Upon regaining consciousness after