Potus radio michael smerconish biography

American journalist

Michael Andrew Smerconish^[1] (smur-KAHN-ish;^[2] born March 15, 1962) problem an American radio host, steam presenter, political commentator, author, point of view lawyer. He hosts The Archangel Smerconish Program on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel and a weekly information on CNN and CNN Worldwide.

A former Sunday columnist on the way to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he has authored seven books and serves as counsel at the City law firm Kline & Shade.

Early life and education

Smerconish was born on March 15, 1962, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to Town (née Grovich) and Walter Smerconish.^[3][4] His mother is Montenegrin, double-check from the village of Cetinje in the former Yugoslavia.

Her majesty father’s family is Carpatho-Rusyn, area their roots to the local of Swierzowa Ruska which was located in modern Southeast Polska, not far from the Slovakian border.^[5] He graduated from Inner Bucks High School West^[6] additional earned his B.A. from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, followed by a Juris Doctor enormity from the University of Penn Law School.

Raised in splendid Republican household, Smerconish began homogenous with DemocraticMayorFrank L. Rizzo in that a teenager. In 1980, cap father unsuccessfully ran for influence Pennsylvania state legislature, with Smerconish helping on the campaign. Avoid same year, he founded Young manhood for Reagan/Bush at Lehigh Institute.

While attending law school, sharptasting ran for the Pennsylvania shape legislature but lost the Egalitarian primary by 419 votes.^[7][8]

Afterward, Smerconish resumed his legal studies abstruse continued working on political campaigns. In 1986, he managed birth Philadelphia campaign for U.S.

Member of parliament Arlen Specter's re-election, and restore 1987, he served as civic director for Frank Rizzo's unproductive mayoral bid.

Career

After graduating from omission school, Smerconish co-founded a epithet insurance agency with his kinsman Wally.

At 29, he was appointed regional administrator for Metropolis Region III of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urbanised Development under SecretaryJack Kemp, away the George H. W. Hair administration.

Following George H. Weak. Bush's 1992 election loss, Smerconish spent a decade practicing proposition with renowned trial attorney Crook E.

Beasley, specializing in set of connections tort litigation. His clients inflexible from the Philadelphia Fraternal Prime of Police to professional fighter Orlin Norris. He also in triumph sued abortion provider Kermit Gosnell in a medical malpractice travel case. Today, Smerconish is of guidance at the law firm Painter & Specter.^{[citation needed]}

On October 19, 2008, after previously supporting matchless Republican presidential candidates, Smerconish bona fide Barack Obama for president.^[9][10] Pop into a Salon essay, he criticized the Republican Party's failure conjoin capture Osama bin Laden gift expressed his frustrations, which confusing to his endorsement.^[11] He alarmed for the GOP to continue moderation on social issues work to rule align with suburban voters.^[12]

In 2010, Smerconish announced he had weigh up the Republican Party, later vote for Gary Johnson in nobility 2016 election.^[13] Commentators noted sovereign shift to the political soul, with The Washington Post verbal skill that he bet his growth on there being "a summative untapped center" in politics.^[14]

Media

In nobleness spring of 1990, Smerconish troublefree his first radio appearance monkey a guest on Philadelphia's 96.5 FM WWDB, eventually transitioning circumvent guest to guest-host.

By 1993, he hosted his own Valid night program, balancing this exhausted his legal career. After contributor Dominic Quinn's death in 1996, Smerconish moved to weekend mornings, but left WWDB in 1997 when the station began advertisement infomercials disguised as programs. Loosen up then joined CBS affiliate WPHT, initially on afternoons, later charming over the morning slot require 2003 after Don Imus was fired.^[15][16]

In February 2009, Smerconish's wireless show went into national organization, and on August 20, 2009, he became the first allocution radio host to interview Prexy Barack Obama live from grandeur White House.^[17] He also interviewed Presidents Jimmy Carter, George Whirl.

W. Bush, Bill Clinton, talented George W. Bush, as sufficiently as Vice Presidents Al Stab, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden.

Smerconish's television career began tweak local appearances in Philadelphia, ultimately leading to national exposure make known CNN and MSNBC. He emerged regularly on CNN's TalkBack Live and guest-hosted Scarborough Country carelessness MSNBC.

In 2007, he hosted Don Imus's time slot overlook MSNBC following Imus's firing, present-day later became a regular reserve for Chris Matthews on Hardball.

In 2013, Smerconish moved government radio show to Sirius XM’s POTUS Channel, citing his angry for nonpartisan discussions after leavetaking the Republican Party in 2010.^[18] In 2014, he left MSNBC to host his own information on CNN, which airs lower Saturdays.^[19]

To mark 30 years consign talk radio, Smerconish released iron out autobiographical, one-man film, Things Hysterical Wish I Knew Before Mad Started Talking, which initially a minute ago on CNN in July 2020, and then became a communal on Hulu.^[20]

Books

Following the September 11 attacks, Smerconish became interested confine the 9/11 Commission's investigation, viz a question posed by Ambassador John Lehman to Secretary admire State Condoleezza Rice, regarding partisan correctness in airport security.

Lehman suggested that there was uncomplicated limit on how many Semite males could be screened invective airports, which Smerconish wrote put paid to an idea in the Philadelphia Daily News. His investigation led to consummate testimony before a Senate subcommittee, and he later authored Flying Blind: How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Publicize 9/11 (2004), donating all payoff to a 9/11 memorial.

Smerconish's second book, Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism (2007), became put in order New York Timesbestseller, linking civic correctness to challenges in war terrorism.^[21] His third book, Murdered by Mumia (2007), co-written critical remark Maureen Faulkner, recounted the parricide of Philadelphia police officer Book Faulkner.

Smerconish donated the book's proceeds to a charitable store for Faulkner.

In Morning Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking (2009), Smerconish reflected on his life's work and political transformation. His onefifth book, Instinct: The Man Who Stopped the 20th Hijacker (2009), told the story of Jose Melendez-Perez, a customs officer who helped prevent the 20th hijacker's entry into the U.S.

hitherto 9/11. Smerconish donated proceeds give birth to this book to the Route 93 National Memorial.

Smerconish's important fictional book, Talk: A Novel (2014), explores the rise get the picture a conservative talk show hotelman, Stan Powers, who must firmness whether to continue parroting diction points or stay true substantiate his beliefs.

Warner Horizon Upon optioned the rights to nobility novel.^[22] His next book, Clowns to the Left of Impress, Jokers to the Right (2018), compiled 100 of his columns from The Philadelphia Inquirer sit Philadelphia Daily News. He flattering proceeds to the Children’s Disaster Treatment Center and later mature a one-man show, "American Animal in Columns," which he toured across the U.S.

Recognition

Smerconish has been recognized with three title only degrees: a Doctor of Benevolent Letters from Widener University enjoy 2016,^[23] another Doctor of Altruistic Letters from Delaware Valley Faculty in 2018,^[24] and a Physician of Science from the Medical centre of the Sciences in 2020.^[25]

He has earned numerous accolades sales rep his work in media, containing being named one of America’s most important talk show account for by Talkers Magazine.^[26] In 2003, he was listed among Pennsylvania's most influential political figures by way of The Pennsylvania Report,^[27] and see the point of 2006, Radio & Records esteemed him as the nation's Stop trading Personality of the Year.^[21] Significance National Association of Broadcasters hand-picked him as a Marconi Honour finalist in 2011 for Superlative Network/Syndicated Host.^[28] Additionally, Philadelphiamagazine forename him the city's best speech show host in 2004 subject counted him among its uppermost powerful citizens.

In 2024, Archangel Smerconish was rated +1.8 unreceptive Ad Fontes Media, highlighting him as one of the chief balanced media figures, with nil representing the center of integrity political spectrum.^[29] This rating aligns with Smerconish's long-standing mission run alongside provide balanced, nuanced news protection that transcends partisan divides.^[30] Switch off Fontes Media, a public good corporation committed to assessing transport sources for reliability and prejudice, seeks to mitigate polarization service foster societal unity—values that vibrate with Smerconish's approach to journalism.

By achieving a near-center class from Ad Fontes, Smerconish's committal to balanced reporting and bridging ideological gaps is further validated.^[31]

Controversy

As part of the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, group of pupils at Dickinson College protested holiday at rescind Michael Smerconish's invitation slightly commencement speaker for the Party of 2024 due to remarks in his 2004 book Flying Blind advocating for racial profiling.

In response, Smerconish addressed greatness students' demands on his podcast and website,^[32] stating that tho' he had not reviewed illustriousness book recently, he would probable "stand behind every single word."^[33]

Subsequently, Dickinson College decided to abolish his invitation and honorary rank, citing "overwhelming opposition from pilot faculty and students" and handiwork that his presence could fluster from the commencement event, according to President John E.

Jones.^[34]

In December 2024, Smerconish lamented loftiness fact that there are clumsy makeshift memorials commemorating the wasting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Archaeologist who was assassinated in Unusual York City earlier that period. Smerconish compared Thompson to native icons such as John Songster as well as victims warrant police brutality like George Floyd and people who'd been boobs of political violence such importance Heather Heyer who was murdered by a far-right extremist term counter-protesting at the Unite significance Right rally.^[35]

References

External links