Welcome to the Video Archives of
"NewsRap with Barry Gordon"
Lifelong entertainer, longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, and former candidate for Congress, Barry Gordon felt the need for a progressive voice on the air in Southern California when the local Air America Radio affiliate went off the air in 2004, so he started "NewsRap" -- a live, call-in talk show on Pasadena cable-access channel 56.
Since then, through the cablecast and webcast, on the PCAC Web site, "NewsRap" has grown -- two other terrific on-air talents, Andre Coleman and Stuart Johnson, host on alternate nights -- and Barry has attracted a large and loyal following, whom he encourages to call in and "talk back!"
Increasingly, as on his radio show, Barry Gordon From Left Field, Barry has also played host to some renowned authors and other great guests.
So that you can catch some of the shows you might have missed, or take another look at some of your favorites, we've put together this archive of some of the best one-hour shows of "NewsRap with Barry Gordon." Enjoy!
Index & Summary of Shows
July 16, 2008 -- Guest: Christopher Cerf, Co-Author of "Mission Accomplished! Or How We Won the War in Iraq: The Experts Speak"
Barry talks with renowned author, editor, and producer Christopher Cerf, perhaps best known as a creator of "Sesame Street" and "National Lampoon," about a wickedly satirical new book he has co-authored, "Mission Accomplished! Or How We Won the War in Iraq: The Experts Speak" -- hanging the Bush administration with their own words, time and time again.
July 9, 2008 -- Guest: Clifford Schecter, Author of "The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't"
Barry talks with political columnist, commentator, and consultant Cliff Schecter about his new book, revealing John McCain as a temperamental "political chameleon" -- anything but a "straight-shooting maverick" -- who will do or say anything to get elected president, including flip-flopping on such fundamental issues as the war in Iraq, torture, the evangelical right, abortion, gays, and even his signature issue of campaign finance reform.
July 2, 2008 -- Guest: Vincent Bugliosi, Author of "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder"
Barry talks with former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi -- most famous for prosecuting the Manson Clan, which he chronicled in his bestseller "Helter Skelter" -- about his powerful new book. In it, Bugliosi presents the evidence and legal arguments to hold Bush accountable for having led the nation to war under false pretenses, a premeditated act that resulted in the unlawful killings -- murder -- of over 4,000 Americans in uniform and over 100,000 Iraqi men, women, and children, in addition to costing Americans over a trillion tax dollars and our good name in the world. And monstrously, through it all, Mr. Bush said he was having "the time of my life."
June 18, 2008 -- Guest: Paul Waldman, Co-Author of "Free Ride: John McCain and the Media"
Barry talks with Paul Waldman, senior fellow at Media Matters for America, about the book he co-authored with David Brock, "Free Ride: John McCain and the Media" -- revealing how the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has charmed the mainstream media, allowing the "straight talker" to get away with misrepresentations that they skewer other politicians with.
June 4, 2008 -- Guest: Russ Warner, Democratic Candidate for California's 26th Congressional District
Barry talks with Russ Warner, Democratic candidate to unseat longtime Republican Rep. David Dreier, who as chair of the House Rules Committee when the GOP controlled the House kept a stranglehold on all Democratic legislation. The DCCC believes Dreier is vulnerable and this is one of the top congressional races in the nation to watch, in this historic, perhaps watershed year.
May 14, 2008 -- Guest: Byron DeLear, Democratic Candidate for Missouri's 2nd Congressional District
Barry talks with the "blue dog progressive Democrat" fighting for the only GOP-held district in the St. Louis area -- the bellwether area in the presidential bellwether state -- about national issues, from Iraq and healthcare to the economy and Obama.
May 7, 2008 -- Guest: Robert Creamer, Author of "Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight! How Progressives Can Win"
Barry again talks with veteran political organizer and strategist Robert Creamer, author of the "bible of progressive politics," about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, as Obama and Clinton head into the final month of primaries.
March 12, 2008 -- Guest: Ellen Snortland -- Author, Actor, Activist, and Filmmaker -- in Support of Hillary Clinton Debating Barry in Support of Barack Obama
Barry talks with his friend and "Left Field" colleague Ellen Snortland -- author, actor, activist, and filmmaker -- about their differing choices for president: Ellen supports Hillary Clinton; Barry supports Barack Obama.
March 5, 2008 -- Guest: Robert Creamer, Author of "Listen to Your Mother: Stand Up Straight! How Progressives Can Win"
Barry talks with veteran political organizer and strategist Robert Creamer about his new book, praised as the "bible of progressive politics," in which he lays out how progressives can realign the political center of the nation but only by recommitting themselves to progressive values.
February 20, 2008 -- Presidents' Day/Week Guest: "Thomas Jefferson" (Dale Reynolds)
Barry talks in studio with the third president of the United States, "Thomas Jefferson" (as portrayed by actor/historian Dale Reynolds), about the controversies of his time -- slavery, women's roles, the Bill of Rights, etc. -- and of our time -- the election, gay marriage, separation of church and state, etc.
January 30, 2008 -- Guest: Christine Pelosi, Top Democratic Party Activist and Author of "Campaign Boot Camp"
Barry talks with Democratic activist and author Christine Pelosi, in a return visit, about the hotly contested, historic Democratic presidential nomination, the week before Super Tuesday; John Edwards has just dropped out, leaving Obama vs. Clinton.
January 24, 2008 -- Election Special Guests: Rep. Linda Sánchez, Board of Equalization Vice Chair Judy Chu, & Assembly Member Anthony Portantino
Barry discusses the economy, health care, and other vital issues with surrogates for the three major Democratic candidates for president, as a run-up to the "Super Tuesday" primary election: Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, representing Sen. Barack Obama; Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization Judy Chu, representing Sen. Hillary Clinton; and Assembly Member Anthony Portantino, representing former Sen. John Edwards.
January 9, 2008 -- Open Phone Lines, After Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary
Barry talks with his audience at large and with numerous callers about the results and implications of the recent Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary on the dramatic race for the Democratic nomination for president.
January 2, 2008 -- Guest: Assembly Member Anthony Portantino, California's 44th Assembly District
Barry talks with the assembly member about education, job training, the economy, and other issues of importance to the district, state, and nation -- including umbilical cord blood banking, a life-and-death issue championed by the assembly member.
December 19, 2007 -- Guest: Christine Pelosi, Author of "Campaign Boot Camp: Basic Training for Future Leaders"
Barry talks with Democratic activist and author Christine Pelosi about her new book, which highlights the methods by which she and others have trained Democratic challengers for office; and they also discuss hot presidential politics.
November 28, 2007 -- Guest: Dahr Jamail, Author of "Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq"
Barry talks with internationally renowned journalist Dahr Jamail about his independent reports from on the ground in Iraq, revealing shocking information that the mainstream media fails to uncover and our government does not want us to know.
November 7, 2007 -- Guest: Jonathan Mooney, Author of "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal"
Barry talks with Jonathan Mooney, labeled dyslexic and profoundly learning disabled as a child but graduating with honors from Brown University and now author of two books, about society's concepts of "normalcy," especially applied to education.
October 31, 2007 -- Guest: Dr. Peter Dreier, Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College
Barry talks with his friend Dr. Dreier -- also a colleague of Richard Kahlenberg, a distinguished guest on "Left Field" -- about community-wide support for such initiatives as public education.
October 3, 2007 -- Guest: Chalmers Johnson, Author of "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic"
Barry talks with the iconic professor Chalmers Johnson about the final book in his "Blowback trilogy," exposing how imperialism and militarism are endangering the economy and republic of America, after Dr. Johnson's remarks to a meeting of the Pasadena chapter of the ACLU.