Kevin James (broadcaster)
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Kevin James (b. 1963), an American radio host and conservative political commentator, hosts The Kevin James Show. The program focuses on local and national politics. It airs live on KRLA AM 870 in Los Angeles between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Monday through Friday. Previously he was an assistant federal prosecutor and an entertainment lawyer. He has drawn criticism for his May 15, 2008, appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews.
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[edit] Biography
James earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma and attended the University of Houston for law.[1] He was a member of the California State Bar.[citation needed]
James worked for three years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting federal crimes.[1] He also worked for more than 10 years in a private legal practice, representing minor entertainment industry clients.[1]
After several years as a guest and substitute host for talk radio programs in Los Angeles, James worked as a morning drive radio host on KTOK AM 1000 in Oklahoma City in 2004.[1]
In 2005, James became the host of Red Eye Radio, an overnight (1 a.m. to 5 a.m.) call-in program on KABC (AM) 790 in Los Angeles [2].
During Memorial Day Weekend 2007, James began hosting The Kevin James Show on KRLA AM 870 in Los Angeles.[3].
James also appears as a panelist on television news programs. Previously, he was a regular guest on Court TV’s Catherine Crier Live, which was cancelled in 2007. In recent years, he has appeared on CNN[4] and MSNBC.
[edit] Hardball appearance
On May 15, 2008, James appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews, debating with Mark Green of Air America Radio on remarks made by George W. Bush's speech to the Israeli Knesset. Although Bush did not mention Barack Obama by name, he drew what many observers interpreted as a comparison between Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler before World War II with Obama's expressed willingness to meet with leaders of U.S. adversaries such as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[5]
Speaking on Hardball, James supported the comparison and insinuated that Bush "should have been speaking in reference to Obama" even if he wasn't.[6] Matthews then challenged James with a "history check": "What exactly did Chamberlain do wrong?" During the three minutes that followed, Matthews repeated variations of the question "over two dozen times" (according to Matthews), often interrupting James' attempt to reply "Appeasement"[7], and later specifically referenced the Munich Agreement. When pressed for historical specifics, James stated that "Neville Chamberlain was an appeaser" and "the things that Neville Chamberlain supported energized, legitimized, and made it easier for Hitler to advance in the ways that he advanced." After several minutes of Matthews repeatedly asking James for a specific answer about what Chamberlain actually did to appease Hitler, Matthews clarified the question by asking to what Bush was referring. James conceded that he did not know. Matthews then accused James and others on the right of being a "blank slate" who didn't know anything about history, adding "When you are going to make a direct historic reference, get it straight." Green interjected, "Kevin, when you are in a hole, stop digging." Matthews concluded the interview by stating "You don’t understand there’s a difference between talking to the enemy and appeasing. What Chamberlain did wrong, most people would say, is not talking to Hitler, but giving him half of Czechoslovakia in 1938. That’s what he did wrong. Not talking to somebody. Appeasement is giving things away to the enemy." [8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Kevin James Biography", KRLA, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Kevin James Named New Host of Talkradio 790 KABC's Red Eye Radio", KABC March 3, 2005 press release
- ^ "KRLA Website"
- ^ CNN transcript, June 2, 2005
- ^ [http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/05/15/president-bush-compares-obamas-iran-diplomacy-statement-to-appeasement-of-nazis/
- ^ Video Clip Appearance from MSNBC
- ^ Chris Matthews interview by Rachel Maddow on Countdown 3:05 mark
- ^ Video Clip Appearance from MSNBC
[edit] External links
- Kevin James on KRLA