Show name	The Young Turks
Format	Political talk show
Runtime	2 hours (plus 30-minute extra for paid members)
Country	United States
Starring	Cenk UygurAna KasparianBen Mankiewicz
Creator	Cenk Uygur
Director	Jesus GodoyAndrew Napier
Producer	Jayar JacksonTom HancAna KasparianAndrew NapierAaron WysockiJesus Godoy
Exec producer	David KollerCenk Uygur
First aired	February 14, 2002
Last aired	November 19, 2010 (radio) since December 21, 2005 (YouTube)
Website	TheYoungTurks.com
Podcast	First Half Hour of Each Show }}

''The Young Turks'' is a liberal-progressive Internet talk show via live web stream and YouTube. It was Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk programming. ''The Young Turks'' claims to be the first Internet TV news show and now the Largest Online News Show in the World. Video of the show is streamed daily on their website and available as a podcast. The show offers Internet only video content via their YouTube channel, which averages 1 million views daily (30 million views per month), and has had over 500 million views overall. ''The Young Turks'' offers a paid members-only ''Postgame Show'', an Internet only wrap-up show. ''The Young Turks'' has won the 2009 Podcast Award in the ''Political'' category, as well as the 2009 Mashable Open Web Award for the ''Best Political News Site''. In March 2011, the show won a Shorty award.

History

Cenk Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the age of 8 his family moved to New Jersey, in the United States. He began a talk show in the mold of a public-access television cable TV show he had done previously called ''The Young Turk''. With the help of friend Ben Mankiewicz, with whom he had previously worked, his childhood friend Dave Koller, and Jill Pike they began The Young Turks.

The show's name is a reference to the early-20th century Turkish nationalist-secularist movement of the same name. However, the reference is mostly humorous, and does not imply an ideological connection.

In 2005, the show received attention for its 99 hour "Live On Air Filibuster" conducted during the Samuel Alito Supreme Court nomination. Hosts including Thom Hartmann and John Amato filled in so that the show's regulars could rest or have breaks.

It was announced on August 20, 2007, that Mankiewicz would leave the show and move to a new television show for TMZ. In September 2008, Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons replaced Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper as hosts of ''At the Movies''. At roughly the same time, Pike left to pursue a job in Washington, D.C., at which point then-intern Ana Kasparian was hired to do pop-culture segments.

During the 2008 elections, the show developed close ties to Brave New Films, often airing their ads and featuring personalities such as Robert Greenwald and Jonathan Kim.

Satellite radio

Prior to signing with Air America, the show was broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio, on Sirius Left 143 and later 146, weekdays from 6-9PM ET, and re-aired on Sirius Talk Central 148 from 12-2PM ET. ''The Young Turks'' was the first show exclusively for Sirius Left to air not part of a syndication network. The show was exclusive to Sirius for several years. ''The Young Turks'' was also carried by KFH (1330 AM/98.7 FM) in Wichita, Kansas from 7-9PM CT and webcast by RadioPower.org.

On February 2, 2009, ''The Young Turks'' was removed from the broadcast schedule on XM/Sirius Channel 167, America Left, and their program was filled by an extra hour of Bill Press. The show returned to XM/Sirius on March 16, 2009.

The Young Turks announced that they have made their decision to leave XM/Sirius radio through their Facebook page, their last show on XM/Sirius was on November 19, 2010.

Co-hosts

The show is primarily hosted by Cenk Uygur and often includes a co-host. Ana Kasparian serves as co-host during the second hour which focuses on pop culture instead of politics. Some other co-hosts are Ben Mankiewicz, Wes Clark Jr, Michael Shure, Teresa Strasser, RJ Eskow, and Gina Grad. Cenk has regular bits and on-air interaction with those who help run the show: Jesús Godoy, Ana Kasparian, Cliff Schecter, Dave Koller, Jayar Jackson, Tom Hanc, and Andrew Napier.

Spin-off series

In February 2010, ''What the Flick?!'' began airing on the show's website, featuring movie reviews by Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, and regular guests Matt Atchity of Rotten Tomatoes and Christy Lemire of the Associated Press. ''What The Flick?!'' is produced by Andrew Napier, Ana Kasparian, and Cenk Uygur, and directed by Andrew Napier.

In June 2010, TYT helped launch thetopvlog on YouTube, a vlog channel featuring a variety of liberal political vloggers posted irregularly online.

In September 2010, TYTSports was launched.

In March 2011, TYTUniversity, a weekly segment featuring Ana Kasparian and Jayar Jackson, was launched. This segment is based on user-submitted videos relating to college.

References

External links

Website

Main YouTube channel

TYT Interviews YouTube channel

Category:The Young Turks (talk show)

de:The Young Turks fr:The Young Turks (émission de radio) tr:The Young Turks

name	James David Manning
birth date	February 20, 1947
birth place	Red Springs, North Carolina, United States
occupation	Protestant Christian Pastor
website	}}

James David Manning (born February 20, 1947) is chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church on 123rd Street in New York City. Manning grew up in Red Springs, North Carolina, born to an African American family, and has been at ATLAH since 1981. ATLAH stands for All The Land Anointed Holy, which is Manning's name for Harlem. His congregation, "ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church" is the former Bethelite Missionary Baptist Church. The church is also the site of the ATLAH Theological Seminary, which offers classes on preaching and prophecy.

Manning is fiercely opposed to the gentrification of Harlem and calls for its residents to boycott its shops, restaurants, doctors, banks and churches. That action, combined with a general rent strike, would force all property owners out of Harlem, he said, leaving the neighborhood to its rightful inheritors: black people. Manning calls his plan "No Dew, Nor Rain," after Elijah's warning to Ahab, king of Israel, of a coming drought. "When there's no dew, no rain, there's a drought – there's all kinds of suffering," said Manning. The whole of Harlem, he said, is to be a "drought zone."

Biography

Manning graduated from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York where he was awarded a Master of Divinity. Manning also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from his own ATLAH Theological Seminary, an unaccredited educational institution.

As a younger man, Manning burgled homes, mostly on Long Island. He spent about three and a half years in prison in New York and Florida for burglary, robbery, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and other charges before his release in 1978. While in prison, he became a devout Christian.

According to Manning, he attended the Oxford Round Table in 2004.

2008 presidential election

Manning came to public attention in the 2008 presidential election after ATLAH posted several sermons of his that were harshly critical of Democratic candidate Barack Obama on the website YouTube. Among other accusations, he called Obama's mother "white trash" for becoming pregnant by a black man out of wedlock, an issue he discussed during a press conference at the National Press Club on December 8, 2008. Manning revisited this latter issue during a press conference at the National Press Club on December 8, 2008:

"It is common knowledge that African men, coming from the continent of Africa—especially for the first time—do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it's usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they're going to have sex."

Manning defended his sermons in an interview on Fox News, saying that "we also have to talk about his character."

The sermons drew the attention of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service objecting to alleged violations of laws granting tax-free status to churches on condition that they refrain from certain forms of political activity.

Views on Barack Obama as President

Manning has continued his criticisms of Obama after the election, comparing him to Hitler and frequently calling him a criminal and "long-legged mack daddy." He produced a video in summer 2009 in which he predicts that there will be a white backlash against Obama, complete with riots, and attending one of the first "birther" events. In an interview with Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva, Manning asserted that Obama had chosen to befriend Muslims instead of Jews; he also offered praise of Meir Kahane. Manning has said that Africa is cursed and also that African-Americans should not support Kwanzaa, the NBA or any major Black-owned business.

In responding to a comment by Bill O'Reilly, a commentator on Fox News Channel, calling birther lawyer Orly Taitz a "nut", he and Taitz organized a protest outside Fox News headquarters in New York City in November 2009, which drew an estimated 15 to 20 attendees.

References

External links

Website of ATLAH World Missionary Church

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:People from Red Springs, North Carolina Category:Baptist ministers from the United States Category:African American religious leaders Category:Christianity conspiracy theorists Category:American evangelists Category:American Internet personalities Category:Kahanists Category:American burglars Category:Politics and race in the United States

name	Wil Wheaton
birth name	Richard William Wheaton III
birth date	July 29, 1972
birth place	Burbank, California,United States
occupation	Actor/Writer
years active	1982–present
spouse	Anne Prince (1999–present)
children	Two step-sons, one adopted
website	http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/ }}

Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me'' and Joey Trotta in ''Toy Soldiers''. As a writer, he is best known for his blog, Wil Wheaton Dot Net.

Early life

Wheaton was born in Burbank, California, to Debbie (née O’Connor), an actress, and Richard William Wheaton, Jr., a medical specialist. He has a brother, Jeremy, and a sister, Amy. Both appeared uncredited in the episode "When the Bough Breaks" of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''.

Career

''Star Trek'' and early career

Wheaton made his acting debut in the 1981 TV film ''A Long Way Home'', and his first cinema role was as Martin Brisby in the 1982 animated film ''The Secret of NIMH'', the movie adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's ''Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH''. He had a minor role in the 1984 movie The Last Starfighter. He first gained widespread attention in 1986 as Gordie Lachance in ''Stand by Me'', the film adaptation of Stephen King's ''The Body''. In 1991, he played Joey Trotta in the film ''Toy Soldiers''.

From 1987 to 1990, he appeared in the role of Wesley Crusher on ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' throughout its first four seasons.

Although his ''Star Trek'' character, and by extension Wheaton himself, was disliked by a vocal group of Trekkies during ''TNG'''s first run, he commented about his critics in an interview for WebTalk Radio:

Later, I determined that the people who were really, really cruel – like the Usenet weenies – really are a statistically insignificant number of people. And I know, just over the years from people who've e-mailed me at my web site and people who I've talked to since I started going to ''Star Trek'' conventions again in the last five years, that there are so many more people who really enjoyed everything about the show, including my performance, including the character.

After leaving ''Star Trek'', Wheaton moved to Topeka, Kansas, to work for NewTek, where he helped to develop the Video Toaster 4000, doing product testing and quality control. He later used his public profile to serve as a technology evangelist for the product. Wheaton said this was a period of growth in his life, and living out of Los Angeles helped him deal with anger issues. He came back to Los Angeles, attended acting school for five years, then re-entered the acting world.

Wheaton's popularity among ''Star Trek'' fandom is covered in a number of web comics. ''ArcaneTimes'' of March 25, 2005 offers a sympathetic position. ''Something Positive'' presents a range of opinions as part of the storyline ''Mike's Kid''. ''Abstruse Goose'' tries to distinguish between the character and the actor.

He was a contestant on a 2001 episode of ''The Weakest Link'' featuring Star Trek actors as contestants to win money for a charity each had chosen.

Post-''Star Trek''

In the late 1990s, Wheaton appeared in several independent films, including the award-winning ''The Good Things'', in which he portrays a frustrated Kansas tollbooth worker; it was selected Best Short Film at the 2002 Deauville Film Festival. He received the Best Actor award at the 2002 Melbourne Underground Film Festival for his performance in ''Jane White is Sick and Twisted''.

From September 2006 to September 2007, he hosted a Revision3 syndicated video podcast called ''InDigital'' along with Jessica Corbin and veteran host Hahn Choi.

Wheaton's more recent acting work includes guest appearances on the November 23, 2007 episode of the TV series ''Numb3rs'', and the October 22, 2008 episode of the series ''Criminal Minds''. He has also appeared in Internet presentations, including a cameo in a comedy sketch ("Lock Out") for LoadingReadyRun (and a reprise of the same the following year in CommodoreHustle 4), and the May 30, 2008 episode of the Internet series ''Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show''.

He has worked as a voice actor in many original series, video games and anime, which started as young Martin Brisby in The Secret of NIMH when he was 10 years old. His most noteworthy credits include the roles of Aqualad in the cartoon ''Teen Titans'', the voice of radio journalist Richard Burns in ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', Kyle in the Nickelodeon cartoon, ''Kyle + Rosemary'', Himself and various other characters on both ''Family Guy'' and ''Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy'', the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, on ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' in the episode "Fall of the Blue Beetle!", Yakumo in ''Kurokami: The Animation'', Menma in ''Naruto'', Hans in ''Slayers Evolution-R'' and Aaron Terzieff in ''Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn''.

Wheaton has performed improvisational and sketch comedy at the ACME Comedy Theater in Hollywood. He has a traveling sketch comedy/improv troupe called "EarnestBorg9" that performs science fiction-related comedy at conventions.

He appeared as himself in a skit on nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot's album ''Final Boss'' attempting to be a rapper, whose rhymes only involved shellfish. He collaborated with Frontalot on the track "Your Friend Wil", from his newest album, ''Zero Day''. Wheaton and Frontalot have both appeared at the Penny Arcade Expo.

Wheaton appears in seasons three and four of the web series "The Guild" as Fawkes, the leader for a rival guild known as Axis of Anarchy.

He appeared in "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (2009), the fifth episode of the third season of the situation comedy ''The Big Bang Theory'', playing a fictional version of himself, as the focus of Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) ire for not having attended a ''Star Trek'' convention at which his appearance was scheduled. He later appeared on the show in episodes "The Wheaton Recurrence", which involves a bout at a bowling alley, and "The 21-Second Excitation" at re-screening of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.

Wheaton has done the reading for the audio CD of ''Peter and Max: A Fables Novel'' by Bill Willingham, which was released on December 8, 2009.

Wil is one of the three headline acts of the w00tstock shows, appearing in nearly all of them when his filming schedule has allowed.

Wheaton guest-starred in the July 23, 2010 episode of ''Eureka'', playing Dr. Isaac Parrish, the head of the Non-Lethal Weapons Lab at Global Dynamics and a thorn in Fargo's side.

Writing

Wheaton runs his own weblog, Wil Wheaton Dot Net which has resulted in books.

Between 2001 and fall 2004, he operated a message board, known as "The Soapbox" or "Paracosm", as part of the blog site. Two collections of writings taken from postings to the message board have been published, titled ''Boxer Shorts'' (ISBN 1-932461-00-0) and ''Boxer Shorts Redux'' (ISBN 1-932461-03-5).

He contributes regularly to the Los Angeles-based Metroblogging site. In June 2005, he became that month's featured Tech writer for the SuicideGirls Newswire. He had a monthly column, entitled "Wil Save," in the Dungeons & Dragons-based magazine ''Dungeon''; in May 2005, he ceased writing it. From January 2005 to October 2006, he wrote a column for ''The Onion AV Club'' about early video games, called "Games of Our Lives." On December 12, 2008, he returned to his role as Geek in Review editor, with his editorials being published every second Wednesday of the month.

In spring 2003, he founded the independent publishing company Monolith Press and released a memoir entitled ''Dancing Barefoot''. Monolith Press was "founded on the idea that publication should not be limited by opportunity." Most of the entries are extended versions of his blog entries. ''Dancing Barefoot'' sold out three printings in four months.

In winter 2003 Wheaton signed to publisher Tim O'Reilly with a three-book contract. O'Reilly acquired ''Dancing Barefoot'', and published his extended memoirs, ''Just a Geek'', in summer of 2004. He has since written about his bitterness regarding how the book was marketed, believing it was pitched as a ''Star Trek'' book when he intended it as more of a personal memoir.

In February 2009, Wheaton released ''Sunken Treasure: Wil Wheaton's Hot Cocoa Box Sampler''. As a 'chap book', it contains several small extracts of various different projects, including two short stories from Ficlets, an ACME comedy sketch, and a Criminal Minds production diary. Instead of using traditional publishing, Wheaton decided to self-publish using Lulu Publishing (allowing books to be available as both paperbacks, and digital downloadable files), something he has continued to do with all his publications since.

Later that same year, Wheaton released ''Memories of the Future: Volume 1''. A humorous critique of the first thirteen episodes of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', this book features a review of each episode, as well as an account Wheaton's own experience and memories.

Closing up 2009, Wheaton published "Happiest Days of Our Lives", and his, now adopted, son, Ryan, contributed by writing the afterword.

Wheaton has also recorded several of his published books as downloadable audiobooks. These include ''Just a Geek'', ''The Happiest Days of Our Lives'', and his Criminal minds diary from ''Sunken Treasure''. He also released excerpts of ''Memories of The Future: Vol 1'' as free podcasts.

Politics

Wheaton described himself as a liberal in 2005. In September 2006 he criticised George W. Bush's plan to permit torture of unlawful combatants: "Shame on President Bush. Shame on his Republican allies in Congress."

A column that he wrote for Salon.com in 2005, ''The Real War on Christmas'', attacked commentators like Bill O'Reilly and detailed his arguments with his conservative parents over current political matters. Wheaton's parents were very offended by the article, and he posted a lengthy apology on his site and an interview in which his parents clarified their political views.

On August 24, 2007, he gave the keynote for the yearly Penny Arcade Expo, which was subsequently made available online. He stepped in following a public battle between the formerly-scheduled keynote debate participants, noted anti-games activist Jack Thompson and Hal Halpin, the president of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA). Much of Wheaton’s address focused on the debate over violence in video games. He also gave the keynote at PAX East 2010 in Boston, MA.

He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election and opposed Proposition 8, calling it "nothing but hate and discrimination".

Games

In 2003, Wheaton mentioned his love for the game of poker on his blog. The following year, he began writing more extensively about his poker-playing experiences, including stories about playing Texas hold 'em tournaments locally and in Las Vegas. Eventually, he worked up to regular play, including a run at the 2005 World Poker Tour Championships. On June 23, 2005, Wheaton accepted an invitation to join Team PokerStars. He went on to play in that year's World Series of Poker and was the guest speaker for the 2005 B.A.R.G.E Banquet. In June 2007, he announced he would no longer be on Team Pokerstars due to changes in the U.S. legal system that would cause poker sites to have to focus on European and Asian markets and held a farewell Pokerstars tournament on June 5, 2007, which he titled ''So Long and Thanks for All the Chips''.

Wheaton is a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' player, and played during the PAX 2010 event using the 4th edition essentials rules. Wil Wheaton along with Jerry Holkins, Scott Kurtz and Mike Krahulik played in front of a live audience. The game was hosted and recorded by Wizards of the Coast with Chris Perkins as the dungeon master.

Comic book

Wil Wheaton made a guest appearance in the comic book ''PS 238''. He appears as himself, but with the power of telekinesis. A PS 238 teacher, Alloy, is his adoring fan.

Wheaton's Law

During his keynote speech at the 2007 PAX (Penny Arcade Expo), Wheaton made a note about sportsmanship when playing games online. It has since become known as Wheaton's Law, which states: ''"Don't Be a Dick!"'' This was intended to apply to life in general, not just online gaming.

Wheaton's Law Revised is an expansion by comics artist and writer Bill Willingham, which states: "Don't be a dick, but it's okay to play one on TV."

Personal life

Wheaton was roommates with Chris Hardwick for some time. They met at a showing of ''Arachnophobia'' in Burbank, California.

Wheaton married Anne Prince in 1999. He lives with his wife and stepsons, Nolan and Ryan, in Arcadia, California.

Filmography

Television

''Meat Puppet'' (1980)

''A Long Way Home'' (1981)

''The Shooting'' (1982)

''Highway to Heaven'' (1985)

''St. Elsewhere'' (1986)

''The Defiant Ones'' (1986)

''Long Time Gone'' (1986)

''Family Ties'' (1987)

''Young Harry Houdini'' (1987) (ABC)

''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1987)

''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994)

''My Dad Can't Be Crazy... Can He?'' (1989)

''Family Double Dare'' (1990)

''Monsters'' (1990)

''The Arsenio Hall Show'' (1991)

''The Last Prostitute'' (1991)

''Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special'' (1991)

''Tales from the Crypt'' (1993)

''It Was Him or Us'' (1995)

''Mr. Stitch'' (1995)

''The Outer Limits'': "The Light Brigade" (1996)

''The Love Boat: The Next Wave'' (1998)

''Diagnosis: Murder'' (1998)

''The Day Lincoln Was Shot'' (1998)

''The Flintstones: On the Rocks'' (2001)

''The Invisible Man: Perchance to Dream (2001)

''Twice in a Lifetime'' Episode 22 "The Choice" (2001)

''Weakest Link'' (2001) (''Star Trek''-themed edition)

''Beat the Geeks'' (2002)

''A&E; Biography'': "Eclipsed by Death – The Life of River Phoenix" (2002 - narrator)

''Walking the Tracks: The Summer of "Stand by Me"'' (2002) (''Stand by Me'' documentary)

''Arena'' (2002) (also as writer)

''Favorite Stars: Then & Now'' (2003)

''Book of Days'' (2003)

''The Screen Savers'' (2003, 2002)

''Call for Help'' (2004)

''Teen Titans'' (2004–2005) (voice of Aqualad)

''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'' (2005) (voice)

''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2005)

''I Love the '80s 3-D'' (2005)

''I Love Toys'' (2006)

''Legion of Super Heroes'' (2006) (voice of Cosmic Boy)

''Ben 10'' (2007) (voice)

''Ben 10: Alien Force'' (voice of Mike Morningstar/Darkstar)

''Numb3rs'': "Graphic" (2007) (as Miles Sklar, 1 episode)

''What I Learned From the Movies'' (2007)

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) (as Blue Beetle/Ted Kord)

''I Love the New Millennium'' (2008)

''Criminal Minds'' (2008) (Episode "Paradise" as Floyd Hansen/Wayne Dryden)

''Kyle + Rosemary'' (2008) (voice)

''Family Guy'' (2009 & 2010) (voice) (Episodes "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" and "Partial Terms of Endearment", as himself and a protester)

''Naruto'' (2009) (voice of Menma)

''Kurokami: The Animation'' (2009) (voice of Yakumo)

''Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy'' (2009) (voice)

''Slayers Evolution-R'' (2010) (voice of Hans)

''Naruto Shippuden: The Movie'' (2010) (voice of Taruho and Shizuku)

''Leverage'' (2009 & 2010) (Episodes "The Two Live Crew Job" (2009) & "The Ho Ho Ho Job" (2010) as Chaos)

''The Big Bang Theory'' (2009 & 2010) ("The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary", "The Wheaton Recurrence" and "The 21-Second Excitation" as himself)

''Eureka'' (2010) (Season 4) (as Dr. Parrish)

''Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn'' (2011) (Episode 3: "Ghost of Laplace") (voice of Aaron Terzieff, Additional Voices)

Movies

''The Secret of NIMH'' (1982) (voice)

''Hambone and Hillie'' (1983)

''The Last Starfighter'' (1984) (scenes deleted from film but included as DVD extra)

''The Buddy System'' (1984)

''Stand by Me'' (1986)

''The Curse'' (1987)

''She's Having a Baby'' (1988) (uncredited cameo)

''Toy Soldiers'' (1991)

''December'' (1991)

''The Liars' Club'' (1993)

''Pie in the Sky'' (1996)

''Boys' Night Out'' (1996)

''Mr Stitch'' (1996)

''Trekkies'' (1997)

''Flubber'' (1997)

''Tales of Glamour and Excess'' (1997)

''Fag Hag'' (1998)

''Foreign Correspondents'' (1999)

''The Girls' Room'' (2000)

''Deep Core'' (2000)

''Python'' (2000)

''Speechless...'' (2001)

''The Good Things'' (2001)

''Jane White is Sick and Twisted'' (2002)

''Fish Don't Blink'' (2002)

''Star Trek Nemesis'' (2002) (briefly; extended scene deleted but appears as DVD extra in some regions)

''Book of Days'' (2003)

''Four Fingers of the Dragon'' (2003)

''Neverland'' (2003)

''Americanizing Shelley'' (2007)

''Star Trek'' (2009) (voices various Romulans)

Internet video

''The Guild'' (2009 & 2010) (Fawkes, Axis of Anarchy leader)

''LoadingReadyRun

''InDigital

''Retarded Policeman #5

Video games

''Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge'' (2003) (voice)

''EverQuest II'' (2004) (voice)

''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' (2004) (voice)

''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2'' (2004) (voice)

''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown'' (2005) (voice)

''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter'' (2005) (voice)

''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2'' (2006) (voice)

''Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'' (2005) (voice)

''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'' (2006) (voice)

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' (2008) (voice)

''Fallout New Vegas'' (2010) (voice of Robobrain)

''DC Universe Online'' (voice of Robin)

Bibliography

''Dancing Barefoot'' (ISBN 0-596-00674-8) (2003)

''Just a Geek'' (ISBN 0-596-00768-X) (2004)

''Stories of Strength'' (ISBN 1-4116-5503-6) (2005; contributor)

''The Happiest Days of Our Lives'' (ISBN 0-9741160-2-5) (2007)

''Sunken Treasure'' (2009)

''Memories of the Future Vol. 1'' (2009)

References

External links

Wil's Typepad weblog - aka WWdN: In Exile

Wil's Reddit weblog - Posts about various topics he chooses to join discussions in.

Wil's website - Wil Wheaton Dot Net

Category:1972 births Category:Actors from California Category:American agnostics Category:American bloggers Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American Internet personalities Category:American memoirists Category:American poker players Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Dungeons & Dragons writers Category:Living people Category:People from Burbank, California Category:People from the San Fernando Valley

arz:ويل ويتون cs:Wil Wheaton da:Wil Wheaton de:Wil Wheaton es:Wil Wheaton fr:Wil Wheaton id:Wil Wheaton it:Wil Wheaton he:ויל ויטון nl:Wil Wheaton ja:ウィル・ウィトン no:Wil Wheaton pl:Wil Wheaton pt:Wil Wheaton ru:Уитон, Уил fi:Wil Wheaton sv:Wil Wheaton

name	Bill Maher
birth name	William Maher, Jr.
birth date	January 20, 1956
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
alma mater	Cornell University
medium	Stand-Up, Television, Film, Books
nationality	American
active	1979–present
genre	Satire, Political satire, News Satire, Observational comedy
subject	American politics, current events, American culture, pop culture, freedom of speech, environmentalism, religion, human sexuality, recreational drug use, libertarianism, American liberalism, American conservatism
influences	Steve Allen, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Robert Klein, Don Rickles, Gore Vidal, Lenny Bruce
notable work	Elliot on Charlie HooverHost of Politically Incorrect Host of Real Time with Bill Maher
website	www.BillMaher.com
footnotes	}}

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. (; born January 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called ''Politically Incorrect'' originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC.

Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary, which targets a wide swath of topics: religion, politics, bureaucracies of many kinds, political correctness, the mass media, greed among people and persons in positions of high political and social power, the lack of intellectual curiosity of the electorate, among many topics. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of Project Reason, a foundation to promote scientific knowledge and secular values within society. Maher currently ranks number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Bill Maher got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010. His is the 2,417th star dedicated on the famous sidewalk.

Early life and education

Maher was born in New York City, the son of Julie (née Berman), a nurse, and William Maher, Sr., a network news editor and radio announcer. He was raised in his Irish American father's Catholic religion, remaining unaware that his mother was Jewish until his early teenage years. Maher's family stopped attending church services when Maher was thirteen, due to his father's disagreement with the Catholic Church's position on birth control.

Maher was raised in River Vale, New Jersey, and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. He received a B.A. in English and history from Cornell University in 1978.

Early career

Since beginning his career as a stand-up comedian and actor, he occasionally acts and tours. He was host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Thanks to Steve Allen, he began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances, including two separate appearances on ''Murder, She Wrote''. He has also appeared in several films, usually in a comic role. His feature film debut was in ''D.C. Cab'' (1983), and he also appeared in ''Ratboy'' (1986), ''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death'' (1988), and ''Pizza Man'' (1991), among others.

Television career

''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher''

Maher assumed the host role ''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'', a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993–1997 and on ABC from 1997–2002. The show regularly began with a topical monologue by Maher preceding the introduction of four guests, usually a diverse group of individuals from show business, popular culture, political pundits, political consultants, authors, and occasionally news figures. The group would discuss topical issues selected by Maher, who also participated in the discussions. Jerry Seinfeld, a regular guest on the show, stated that ''Politically Incorrect'' reminded him of talk shows from the 1950s and 60s "when guests interacted with each other as much as with the host."

''Politically Incorrect'' won an array of awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, two CableACE awards for Best Talk Show Series, and a Genesis Award for Best Television Talk Show. Maher earned numerous award nominations for his producing, writing and hosting of ''Politically Incorrect'', including ten Emmy nominations, two TV Guide nominations, and two Writers Guild nominations. ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for ''Politically Incorrect'' in 2002, after he made a controversial on-air remark shortly after the September 11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner (in rebuttal to President Bush's statement calling 9/11 hijackers cowards). Maher said, "We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly. You're right." Maher later clarified that his comment was not anti-military in any way whatsoever, referencing his well-documented longstanding support for the American military.

In the context of the attacks, some corporate advertisers found the comment too insensitive and controversial. Several companies, including FedEx and Sears Roebuck, pulled their advertisements from the show, costing the show more than it returned.

The show was cancelled on June 16, 2002, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations months prior. On June 22, 2002, just six days after the cancellation of ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher received the Los Angeles Press Club president's award (for "championing free speech"). Maher was on the board of judges one year for the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award.

Maher's remarks after 9/11 were not the first time he had sparked controversy on ''Politically Incorrect''. In the same year, Maher was widely criticized for comparing dogs to retarded children. He apologized for his comments.

''Real Time with Bill Maher''

In 2003, Maher became the host, co-producer and co-writer of ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', a weekly hour-long political comedy talk show on the cable television network HBO. During an interview, Maher told Terry Gross (on NPR's ''Fresh Air'') that he much prefers having serious and well-informed guests on his program, as opposed to the random celebrities that fleshed out his roundtable discussions on ''Politically Incorrect''.

As with his previous show, ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher begins ''Real Time'' with a comic opening monologue based upon current events and other topical issues. He proceeds to a one-on-one interview with a guest, either in-studio or via satellite. Following the interview, Maher sits with three panelists, usually consisting of pundits, authors, activists and journalists, for a discussion of the week's events. In the segment "New Rules" at the end of each show, Maher delivers a humorous editorial on popular culture and American politics.

In late May 2005, Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus sent a letter to Time Warner's board of directors requesting ''Real Time'' be cancelled after remarks Maher made after noting the military had missed its recruiting goals by 42 percent. Bachus said he felt the comments were demeaning to the military and treasonous. Maher stated his highest regard and support for the troops and asked why the congressman criticized him instead of doing something about the recruitment problem.

''Real Time'' has earned widespread praise. It has been nominated for more than ten Primetime Emmy Awards and six Writer's Guild awards. In 2007, Maher and his co-producers were awarded the Television Producer of the Year Award in Variety Television.

In early 2006, ''Real Time'' was released as an audio CD, along with another CD entitled ''Bill Maher's New Rules'' which features clips, segments and teasers from Real Time. Starting with Episode 67 (2-23-06), ''Real Time'' became available in the USA on iTunes as a free weekly audio podcast.

Maher holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, having been nominated on 22 occasions and not winning once. Eleven of the nominations were for ''Politically Incorrect'', while nine were for ''Real Time.'' The other two were nominations for two of his HBO comedy specials: ''Bill Maher: I'm Swiss'' and ''Bill Maher: The Decider.''

HBO announced in July 2011 the show was renewed for a tenth season.

Christine O'Donnell

On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show ''Politically Incorrect'' on his current show ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', where she discussed that she had "dabbled in witchcraft." This was one of the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O'Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.

Political commentator

Maher is a frequent commentator on various cable news networks, namely CNN, MSNBC, and HLN. Maher regularly appears on CNN's ''The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer'' and is also a frequent guest on MSNBC's ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' and ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''. Maher has also appeared as a guest on HLN's ''The Joy Behar Show''.

Maher hosted the January 13, 2006 edition of ''Larry King Live'', on which he is a frequent guest. Maher appeared as a special guest on the June 29, 2010 edition of the show, on which CNN anchor Larry King announced his retirement. Maher co-emceed the final show of ''Larry King Live'' on December 16, 2010 with Ryan Seacrest.

Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blogger at ''The Huffington Post''.

Views and beliefs

Politics

Maher eschews political labels, referring to himself as "practical". In the past, he has described himself as a libertarian and has also referred to himself "as a progressive, as a sane person".

Maher favors a partial privatization of Social Security, ending corporate welfare and federal funding of non-profits, and legalization of gambling, prostitution, and marijuana. Maher is a member of NORML's Advisory Board, an organization which supports regulated legalization of marijuana. He describes himself as an environmentalist, and he has spoken in favor of the Kyoto treaty on global warming on his show ''Real Time''. Moreover, he often criticizes industry figures involved in environmental pollution.

Maher is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has expressed his distaste for the pharmaceutical and health care industries in general, on the grounds that they make their money out of curing people who are made sick by consuming unhealthy food that corporations urge upon the public. He maintains that mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is a contributor to the rise in frequency of obesity in the United States.

Before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Maher became candid in his stated opposition to the re-election of George W. Bush and in his support for John Kerry.

Known for protesting against the demonization of the word "liberal", during the campaign Maher criticized Kerry for being ashamed of the word. On his show, the comedian has noted the paradox of people claiming they distrusted "elite" politicians while at the same time wanting elite doctors to treat them and elite lawyers to represent them in court. Maher supports the death penalty, the legality of abortion and euthanasia. Since the 9/11 attacks, he has endorsed the use of racial profiling at airports.

He was originally against the Iraq War, and has summarized his opinion by saying that the United States and the world have had to pay too high a price for the war. He is skeptical of Iraq surviving without civil war.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Maher announced his support for Barack Obama. Although Maher welcomed Obama's electoral victory, he has subjected him to criticism once in office for not acting boldly on health care reform and other progressive issues.

Religion

Maher is highly critical of religion, and views it as not worth the bother. He has referred to himself as an apatheist, instead of an agnostic or atheist, on ''Scarborough Country'' on April 24, 2007, and again in July of 2011. He has reiterated this stance in subsequent interviews, rejecting both the certitude of the existence, as well as the certitude of nonexistence of deities, concluding, "I'm saying that doubt is the only appropriate response for human beings." He is an advisory board member of author Sam Harris's The Reason Project, a foundation that promotes scientific knowledge and secular values within society.

Maher and director Larry Charles teamed up to make the feature film ''Religulous'' (2008), described by trade publication ''Variety'' as a documentary "that spoofs religious extremism across the world." It was released on October 3, 2008.

Maher has been an outspoken critic of religion in general, including Islam. On October 29, 2010, during a Real Time segment, Maher commented on a news story saying that the name Mohammed had become the most popular baby name in the United Kingdom. He asked, "Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years? Sharia law is being institutionalized in England? Well, then I am right, I should be alarmed." He later defended his comments on CNN, saying, "And when I say Westerner, I mean someone who believes in the values that Western people believe in that a lot of the Muslim world does not. Like separation of church and state. Like equality of the sexes. Like respect for minorities, free elections, free speech, freedom to gather. These things are not just different from cultures that don’t have them. … It’s better. … I would like to keep those values here."

Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award for 2009 from Atheist Alliance International "for his efforts to further the values science and reason in the world."

Health care

Maher has stated that the AMA is a powerful lobbying group and one of the primary reasons why the United States had failed to enact health care reform.

On August 24, 2009, Maher was a guest on ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' and on the topic of getting universal health care legislation passed, Maher stated that Obama should forget about trying to get 60 votes for it, "he only needs 51." "Forget getting the sixty votes or sixty percent — sixty percent of people don't believe in evolution in this country — he just needs to drag them to it, like I said, they're stupid; get health care done, with or without them."

Maher has expressed the view that most illness is generally the result of poor diet and that medicine is often not the best way of addressing illness. In an episode of the show about the 2008 presidential candidates' health plans, Maher stated that poor nutrition is the primary cause of illness, and that "the answer isn't another pill."

In a discussion with Michael Moore about the film ''Sicko'', Maher asks, "The human body is pretty amazing; it doesn't get sick, usually, for no reason. I mean, there's some genetic stuff that can get to you, but, basically, people are sick in this country because they're poisoned. The environment is a poisoning factor, but also, we gotta say, they poison themselves. They eat shit. People eat shit, and that's, to my way of thinking, about 90 percent of why people are sick, is because they eat shit. Would you agree?"

On October 9, 2009, on his HBO show, Maher debated the effectiveness of flu vaccinations with Bill Frist and stated, "Why would you let them be the ones to stick a disease into your arm? I would never get a swine flu vaccine or any vaccine. I don’t trust the government, especially with my health." Maher also expressed skepticism about the seriousness of the swine flu and whether completely healthy people could die from it. His comments have generated criticism, and his remarks have been called unscientific and even harmful.

Maher responded to the criticism, noting, "What I've read about what they think I'm saying is not what I've said. I'm not a germ theory denier. I believe vaccinations can work. Polio is a good example. Do I think in certain situations that inoculating Third World children against malaria or diphtheria, or whatever, is right? Of course. In a situation like that, the benefits outweigh costs. But to me living in Los Angeles? To get a flu shot? No." (see Vaccine controversy)

Criticism of 9/11 conspiracy theories

Maher has been a critic of 9/11 conspiracy theories. On October 19, 2007, Maher confronted several 9/11 truthers and had them ejected from his show audience after they interrupted the live show numerous times by calling out from the audience. The incident drew significant media attention and praise from Fox News talk show host and frequent critic John Gibson.

Personal life

Maher has never married. In 2003, he began dating former Playboy Cyber Girl Coco Johnsen. In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, she sued him for USD $9 million for "pain and suffering" for alleged "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments." Her suit stated that Maher promised to marry her and father her children, support her financially, and purchase a Beverly Hills home. Her suit also alleged that she quit her job as a flight attendant and occasional model to be with him. Maher's lawyers in their response filed on November 23, 2004, in Los Angeles Superior Court said Maher is a "confirmed bachelor, and a very public one at that" who "never promised to marry [Johnsen] or to have children with her."

Maher's filing stated that "When the dating ended, [Johnson] (sic) launched a campaign to embarrass, humiliate, and extort ridiculous sums of money from Bill Maher." Johnsen accused another former boyfriend of rape and kidnapping in 1997, and the charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. Her lawsuit against Maher was dismissed on May 2, 2005.

Maher enjoys his bachelor status and states that he does not want to get married. On his website, he is quoted as saying, "I'm the last of my guy friends to have never gotten married, and their wives — they don't want them playing with me. I'm like the escaped slave — I bring news of freedom."

In 2005, he began dating Karrine Steffans, best-selling author and former hip hop model. When commentators suggested there was a pattern to his dating because both his girlfriend and former girlfriend were black, Maher said, "People say I'm into black women. Robert De Niro is into black women. I'm just into women who are real, and they happen to be black."

Maher has been associated with the Playboy Mansion and, when asked what he liked about it, responded, "The food is out of this world! I get the Playboy thing a lot. People assume I go out with bimbos. I couldn't go out with bimbos if I tried! I scare them off! The women that like me are smart. So I go to the Playboy Mansion four or five times a year, but people think I go all the time."

Maher lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Credits

Bibliography

''True Story : A Novel'', 1994 (ISBN 0-7432-4251-3)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits'', 1996 (ISBN 0-679-45627-9)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect'', 1997 (ISBN 0-345-41281-8)

''When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism'', 2003 (ISBN 1-893224-90-2)

''Keep the Statue of Liberty Closed: The New Rules'', 2004 (ISBN 1-932407-47-2)

''New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer'', 2005 (ISBN 1-59486-295-8)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Title	! Role
1983	''D.C. Cab''	Bob
	''Rags to Riches''	Freddie
''Club Med''	Rick
''Ratboy''	Party Guest
1987	''House II: The Second Story''	John
1988	''Out of Time''	Maxwell Taylor
1989	''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death''	Jim
1991	''Pizza Man''	Elmo Bunn
1996	''Don't Quit Your Day Job!''	Comic's Table
1997	''Bimbo Movie Bash''	Unknown
1998	''EDtv''	Himself
2001	''Tomcats''	Carlos
2005		Himself
		Himself
''Religulous''	Himself
2009	''New Rules: Best of''	Himself
2010	''Sex, Drugs & Religion (2010)''	Himself
HBO Specials
! Year	! Title	! Role
1989	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1992	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1995	''Stuff that Struck Me Funny''	Himself
1997	''The Golden Goose Special''	Himself
2000		Himself
2003	''Victory Begins at Home''	Himself
2005	''I'm Swiss''	Himself
2007		Himself
2010		Himself
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role
1985		Marty Lang
		Unknown
	Haskel
1989–90	''Murder, She Wrote''	(2 episodes)
1990	''The Midnight Hour''	Host
1991	''Charlie Hoover''	Elliot
1992	''Say What?''	Host
	''Married... with Children''	Adam Gold
''Roseanne''	Photographer
1997	''Dharma & Greg''	Himself
1993–2002	''Politically Incorrect''	Host
2002	''Just for Laughs''	Himself
2003–present	''Real Time with Bill Maher''	Host
2008	''True Blood''	Himself
2010		Himself
2010	''Family Guy''	Himself

References

External links

in 2004 in 2007

HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" site

2006 Maher Interview with ''The A.V. Club''

2009 Maher Interview with writers at the ''Religulous'' DVD release

Category:1956 births Category:Writers from New York Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Writers from New Jersey Category:American agnostics Category:American cannabis activists Category:American film actors Category:American libertarians Category:American satirists Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Cornell University alumni Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Bergen County, New Jersey Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from New York City Category:Religious skeptics Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Actors from New York City Category:Drug policy reform activists Category:Animal rights advocates

ar:بيل مار bg:Бил Мар ca:Bill Maher cs:Bill Maher cy:Bill Maher da:Bill Maher de:Bill Maher et:Bill Maher es:Bill Maher fa:بیل مار fr:Bill Maher id:Bill Maher it:Bill Maher he:ביל מאהר nl:Bill Maher ja:ビル・マー no:Bill Maher pl:Bill Maher pt:Bill Maher ro:Bill Maher ru:Мар, Билл simple:Bill Maher fi:Bill Maher sv:Bill Maher ta:பில் மேகர் uk:Білл Мар zh:標·馬艾

Name	Herman Cain
Office	Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Term start	1995
Term end	1996
Predecessor	Burton A. Dole, Jr
Successor	A. Drue Jennings
Office2	Deputy Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Term start2	1992
Term end2	1994
Predecessor2	Burton A. Dole, Jr
Successor2	A. Drue Jennings
Birth date	December 13, 1945
Birth place	Memphis, Tennessee, US
Residence	Sandy Springs, Georgia, US
Occupation	BusinessmanRadio hostColumnist
Party	Republican
Spouse	Gloria Cain
Children	Melanie Cain and Vincent Cain
Religion	National Baptist
Alma mater	Morehouse College (B.A.)Purdue University (M.S.)
Website	hermancain.com }}

Herman Cain (born December 13, 1945) is an American businessman, politician, columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He is the former chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza and a former deputy chairman (1992–94) and chairman (1995–96) of the board of directors to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Before his business and economics career he worked as a mathematician in ballistics for the United States Navy. Cain's newspaper column is distributed by North Star Writers Group. He lives in the Atlanta suburbs, where he also serves as a minister at Antioch Baptist Church North.

In January 2011, Cain announced he had formed an exploratory committee for a potential presidential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, and on May 21, 2011, Cain officially announced his candidacy.

Background

Cain was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 13, 1945, the son of Lenora (née Davis) and Luther Cain, Jr. His mother was a cleaner and his father was a chauffeur. He was raised in Georgia. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and received a Master of Science degree in computer science from Purdue University in 1971, while he was also working full-time in ballistics for the U.S. Department of the Navy. Cain has authored four books: ''Leadership is Common Sense'' (1997), ''Speak as a Leader'' (1999), ''CEO of SELF'' (October 2001), and ''They Think You're Stupid'' (May 2005). He also authored an article titled "The Intangibles of Implementation" in the technical journal ''Interfaces'' (Vol. 9, No. 5, 1979, pp. 144-147), published by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).

Business career

After completing his master's degree from Purdue, Cain left the Department of the Navy and began working for The Coca-Cola Company as a business analyst. In 1977, he joined Pillsbury where he rose to the position of Vice President by the early 1980s. He left his executive post to work for Burger King – a Pillsbury subsidiary at the time – managing 400 stores in the Philadelphia area. Under Cain's leadership, his region went from the least profitable for Burger King to the most profitable in three years. This prompted Pillsbury to appoint him President and CEO of Godfather's Pizza, another of their then-subsidiaries. Within 14 months, Cain had returned Godfather's to profitability. In 1988, Cain and a group of investors bought Godfather's from Pillsbury. Cain continued as CEO until 1996, when he resigned to become CEO of the National Restaurant Association – a trade group and lobby organization for the restaurant industry – where he had previously been chairman concurrently with his role at Godfather's.

Cain became a member of the board of directors to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in 1992 and served as its chairman from January 1995 to August 1996, when he resigned to become active in national politics. Cain was a 1996 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award.

Cain was on the board of directors of Aquila, Inc. from 1992 to 2008, and also served as a board member for Nabisco, Whirlpool, Reader's Digest, and AGCO, Inc.

Media work

Cain serves as a commentator for Fox Business; he is also a syndicated columnist distributed by the North Star Writers Group. Until February 2011, Cain hosted ''The Herman Cain Show'' on Atlanta talk radio station News Talk 750 WSB, a Cox Radio affiliate. In 2009, Cain founded "Hermanator's Intelligent Thinkers Movement" (HITM), aimed at organizing 100,000 activists in every congressional district in the United States in support of a strong national defense, the FairTax, tax cuts, energy independence, capping government spending, and restructuring Social Security.

Political activities

Role in the defeat of the Clinton health care plan

Cain publicly opposed the 1993/1994 health care plan of President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. As president-elect of the National Restaurant Association, he challenged Bill Clinton on the costs of the employer mandate contained within the bill and criticizing its effect on small businesses. Cain has been described as one of the primary "saboteurs" of the plan: :The Clintons would later blame "Harry and Louise," the fictional couple in the ads aired by the insurance industry, for undermining health reform. But the real saboteurs are named Herman and John. Herman Cain is the president of Godfather's Pizza and president-elect of the National Restaurant Association. An articulate black entrepreneur, Cain transformed the debate when he challenged Clinton at a town meeting in Kansas City, Mo., last April. Cain asked the president what he was supposed to say to the workers he would have to lay off because of the cost of the "employer mandate." Clinton responded that there would be plenty of subsidies for small businessmen, but Cain persisted. "Quite honestly, your calculation is inaccurate," he told the president. "In the competitive marketplace it simply doesn't work that way." Joshua Green of ''The Atlantic'' has called Cain's exchange with Clinton his "auspicious debut on the national political stage."

1996 Senior Advisor of Dole/Kemp Campaign

Cain was a senior economic advisor to the Dole/Kemp presidential campaign in 1996.

2000 presidential campaign

Cain briefly ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000; he says it was more about making political statements than winning the nomination. "George W. Bush was the chosen one, he had the campaign DNA that followers look for." However, Cain went on to state, "I believe that I had a better message and I believe that I was the better messenger."

2004 U.S. Senate candidacy

In 2004, Cain ran for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, pursuing the seat that came open with the retirement of Democrat Zell Miller. Cain sought the Republican nomination, facing congressmen Johnny Isakson and Mac Collins in the primary. Cain and Collins both hoped to deny Isakson a majority on primary day in order to force him into a runoff. Collins tried to paint Cain as a moderate, citing Cain's support for affirmative action programs, while Cain argued that he was a conservative, noting that he opposed the legality of abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Cain finished second in the primary with 26.2% of the vote, ahead of Collins, who won 20.6%, but because Isakson won 53.2% of the vote, Isakson was able to avoid a runoff.

2012 presidential candidacy

In 2010, "Cain addressed more than 40 Tea Party rallies, hit all the early presidential states, and became a YouTube sensation." In April, he teased the audience at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference about his being a possible 2012 presidential candidate by saying that there may be a "dark horse candidate." On September 24, 2010, Cain announced that he was considering a run for president in 2012 on the Republican Party ticket. "In December, he was the surprise choice for 2012 GOP nominee in a reader poll on the conservative Web site RedState.com, narrowly edging out [Sarah] Palin."

Cain announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on January 12, 2011 on the Fox News Channel program ''Your World with Neil Cavuto''.

Cain supports a non-federally subsidized efficient economic stimulus, saying: "We could grow this economy faster if we had bolder, more direct stimulus policies," criticizing President Barack Obama's stimulus plan as simply a "spending bill" instead of meaningful stimulus through permanent tax cuts.

In February 2011, Cain addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Ed Morrisey of the conservative website Hot Air said he "stole the show" and that some attendees were moved to tears by the speech. In contrast, liberal website AlterNet accused Cain of pandering to white conservatives and referred to him and other black conservatives as "garbage pail kids". Cain called the news website's attacks racist and condemned its "shameful behavior".

A number of comments made by Cain regarding his attitudes towards Muslim people have caused controversy. He has stated that he was "uncomfortable" when he found that the surgeon operating on his liver and colon cancer was Muslim, later explaining "based upon the little knowledge that I have of the Muslim religion, you know, they have an objective to convert all infidels or kill them". Following a number of such comments, he was asked in March 2011 if he would feel comfortable appointing a Muslim to his administration or as a Judge. Cain said "No, I will not ... There's this creeping attempt, there's this attempt, to gradually ease Shariah Law, and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government" and he went on to cite court cases in Oklahoma and New Jersey as evidence. He was criticized for this remark by conservatives at Grover Norquist's weekly Wednesday Gatherings, one of whom called the remark "frightening." Cain's statement was also criticized as "bigotry" and "muslim bashing" from CAIR, whose spokesperson stated "It would be laughable if it weren't having such a negative impact on the lives of Muslim Americans". Cain opposed the building of an Islamic Center for a Muslim community at a site in Tennessee, claiming that it was "an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion" and "just another way to try to gradually sneak Shariah law into our laws". Defending himself against the suggestion that this would be bigotry or discrimination during an interview with Chris Wallace, he defended his position, saying "I'm willing to take a harder look at people who might be terrorists, that's what I'm saying".

In an interview with Bloomberg view, Cain argued that he is a 'black American' rather than an 'African American' on account of being able to trace his ancestors within the US, describing Barack Obama as "more of an international...look, he was raised in Kenya, his mother was white from Kansas and her family had an influence on him, it’s true, but his dad was Kenyan". Interviewer Jeffrey Goldberg pointed out that Obama had spent 4 years of his childhood abroad, and that it was in Indonesia – not Kenya, at which point Cain revised his claim.

On May 5, 2011 Fox News presented a presidential campaign debate. Cain was one of five potential candidates who participated. (The others were Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Gary Johnson and Rick Santorum as the higher-profile candidates declined Fox's invitation.) Cain was declared the winner by pollster Frank Luntz after a show of hands among 29 debate witnesses who were chosen by Fox to act as a post-performance focus group.

On June 3, 2011, an Insider-Advantage poll showed Cain leading the field of Republican primary candidates among Georgia Republicans. A July 2011 Zogby poll showed Cain in second place nationally, with 18% of the vote, behind Michele Bachmann and ahead of Romney.

Political positions

Personal life

Religious involvement

Cain is an associate minister at Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta, which he joined at the age of 10. The church is part of the National Baptist Convention, USA.

Cancer

In 2006, Cain was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer in both his colon and his liver. Cain underwent surgery and chemotherapy following the diagnosis, and has since reported that he is cancer-free.

Race

Cain has shared first-hand accounts of racial discrimination. In a YouTube video uploaded by his campaign, he describes the experience of sitting behind the white/black demarcation on buses. He also talks about the experience of taking turns with his brother, standing watch as each took a drink from the "white" side of a segregated water fountain in a department store.

Honorary degrees

Cain is the recipient of eight honorary degrees from Creighton, Johnson & Wales, Morehouse College, Nebraska, New York City Technical College, Purdue, Suffolk University, and Tougaloo College.

References

External links

Herman Cain, President 2012 official campaign website

Column archives at the North Star Writers Group

Profile at ''Forbes''

Watch Herman Cain Battle Bill Clinton on Health Care, Joshua Green, ''The Atlantic'', January 2011, with Profile

Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:African American United States presidential candidates Category:African American radio personalities Category:American businesspeople Category:American chief executives Category:American columnists Category:American political writers Category:American talk radio hosts Category:Colorectal cancer survivors Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Republicans Category:Morehouse College alumni Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Purdue University alumni Category:Radio personalities from Atlanta, Georgia Category:United States presidential candidates, 2012 Category:Businesspeople from Tennessee

cs:Herman Cain de:Herman Cain fa:هرمان کاین fo:Herman Cain hsb:Herman Cain ja:ハーマン・ケイン no:Herman Cain simple:Herman Cain sv:Herman Cain