American Microphone

In this week's episode of American Microphone, Rob sits down with Dr. James Forest, a counter-terrorism expert and professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Journalism professor and media critic Jay Rosen discusses the evolving role of online media and explains his latest project, NewAssignment.net.

In this excerpt, former senator Bob Kerrey discusses what it means to "cut and run" from our policy in Iraq.

Jeff Hall joins Robert Millis in the studio for a discussion of the veterans' health care crisis, including the VA backlog, Walter Reed scandal and the role of his organization in filling the gaps. As National Area Supervisor for Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Jeff Hall is in a unique position to discuss the backlog of disabled veterans' claims at the VA, and why it can take two years for disabled veterans to get the benefits they have earned.

This week Robert Millis sits down with Nathanael Greene, a senior energy policy specialist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Mr. Greene discusses the promises and challenges of ethanol as an alternative to oil and other fuels.

This week Andrew Baron and Joanne Colan visit our studio to discuss politics, statistics and the future of media. You can catch Rocketboom every weekday morning at http://www.rocketboom.com.

Back in October I talked with former senator and decorated veteran Bob Kerrey about the possibility of an increase in troop deployment. Sure enough, Bush is now calling for that escalation, despite massive political opposition and a lack of support among military leaders. Here is an excerpt of the conversation with Bob Kerrey. I especially appreciate his comments regarding the draft. Thanks for tuning in! www.AmericanMicrophone.com

This week Robert Millis sits down with Colette Vogele to discuss the legal issues surrounding new media. In particular, this interview features discussion of Josh Wolf, copyright and the evolution of creative control. Ms. Vogele is a former fellow at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society where she led litigation on copyright cases involving constitutional issues and the public domain. Today, as a non-resident fellow, she co-authored the first Podcasting Legal Guide with Creative Commons and Harvard's Berkman Center.

This week American Microphone features rapper and Iraq veteran Jeff Barillaro (aka Soldier Hard). He talks with Robert Millis about being a career soldier, recording his album "The Deployment" in Iraq, and the challenges of adjusting to life upon return. Check out Soldier Hard's music at http://www.myspace.com/soldierhard1.

[AM013] Chris Larsen, CEO of Prosper, discusses the company's approach to fraud prevention. One of the peer-to-peer lending site's borrowers just plead guilty to charges of extortion for blackmailing a Manhattan executive. Her loan on Prosper has now become part of the story. This interview was recorded shortly before this came out, but should shed some light on how Prosper handles fraud in such cases.

American Microphone visits the San Francisco offices of Prosper to talk with Chris Larsen about democratizing finance. Prosper is an innovative peer-to-peer financial network allowing people to borrow and lend money with many of the same tools banks use. If you have just $50, you can invest in this emerging credit market; if you have bills to consolidate or any other need for cash, you can likely beat bank rates at www.prosper.com.

American Microphone welcomes Jon Soltz to the studio. He is chairman of the Vote Vets PAC, which was formed to help elect veterans to public office. As the congressional races rapidly become more intense, we discuss some of the candidates and the politics of war in Iraq. An Iraq veteran who has worked closely with political leadership on both sides of the aisle, Jon Solz is uniquely positioned to assess both the political landscape and our foreign policy dillemas.

Marine Major Mike Zacchea explains the impact of Bush tax cuts.

A clip from the American Microphone interview with former senator and 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey.? Kerrey details the stunning lack of cooperation the 9/11 investigation received from the White House.

In this clip from the American Microphone interview with former senator and 9/11 commissioner Bob Kerrey, we get an expanation of what he really wants to cut and run from.

Owen West is a Major in the Marine Reserves currently working with Vets for Freedom. His unit was deployed to Iraq for five months as part of the 2003 invasion force. Slate.com sent him back to Iraq as a reporter, by which time the insurgency had completely changed the nature of this war. We discuss the future of Iraq, and why West believes we will be there for a decade, like it or not.

Mike Zacchea has served twelve years of active duty in the Marines, including deployments to Haiti, Somalia and Iraq. During a year in Iraq, he served as a senior battalion advisor and worked closely with the first leaders of the new Iraqi military. He is the recipient of two Bronze Stars for valor and a Purple Heart. We continue our discussion of his experiences in Iraq in Part Two of this interview.? This is when things become more politically focused.

Mike Zacchea has served twelve years of active duty in the Marines, including deployments to Haiti, Somalia and Iraq. During a year in Iraq, he served as a senior battalion advisor and worked closely with the first leaders of the new Iraqi military. He is the recipient of two Bronze Stars for valor and a Purple Heart.He has suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after particularly violent and disturbing incidents in Iraq. Among other things, we discuss the assassination attempt made on him, the kidnapping and torture of his Iraqi colleagues. Perhaps most importantly though, he talks about the close friendships he has made with Iraqis and the need to support them.

We take a field trip to the Air America studios to talk with morning news host Rachel Maddow. A Rhodes scholar, Maddow has quickly risen from radio obscurity to become a prominent media personality with a cult following. Focused on political news, she starts each program with news from Iraq.In this interview we discuss both her role at Air America and what the Democratic Party needs to do in order to win elections.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Catie Curtis co-wrote and released a song entitled "People Look Around", which plays over the introduction and closing credits to this segment. On the anniversary of that disaster, Catie came to the A.M. studio to discuss her visit to New Orleans and the role of musicians in troubled times. Catie Curtis has been called a "folk-rock goddess" by the New Yorker and has built an enviable career, having left her last major record label to succeed just as well on her own. Catie is now with Compass and has just released a new CD, Long Night Moon.

Popular singer-songwriter Catie Curtis calls American Microphone her "favorite new web site" and explains why.

Patrick Campbell is a combat medic who spent a year of service in Baghdad. He was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal, and has also gained popularity as a blogger (www.patrickmcampbell.com). Patrick is currently a full time law student at the Catholic University of America, and is also staffing the Washington, DC office of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). He has worked for 4 different U.S. Senators and former Vice President Al Gore.Among other things, we discuss the personal impressions and relationships developed while conducting raids on Iraqi homes, both good and bad. Perhaps most importantly, Patrick conveys the importance of winning the hearts and minds of people, one soccer ball at a time.

Richard Murphy served as a specialist in the Army Reserves and was in Iraq for fifteen months. Richard spent six months conducting security and helped start one of Iraq's first new police academies in Babylon. Later attached to the 800th Military Police Brigade, Richard's unit was assigned to run POW facilities at Abu Ghraib prison. Murphy was responsible for up to 320 prisoners in Tier 6 of Abu Ghraib's 'hard site.' Following six months at the prison, Richard's unit covered more than 100,000 miles handling security for Kellog, Brown & Root truck convoys. The company returned home in August 2004 after 15 months in Iraq and 18 months deployed total. Murphy was awarded two Army Commendation Medals for his service in Iraq

In this clip, American Microphone guests discuss their experiences in Iraq and the importance of informing the public.Featuring Paul Rieckhoff, Richard Murphy, Mike Zacchea, Patrick Campbell and Air America host Rachel Maddow.

Paul Rieckhoff launches the American Microphone program on July 4, 2006.? Paul is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.iava.org). Paul is a 1st Lieutenant who spent a year in Iraq, serving as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the 3rd Infantry and 1st Armored Divisions. Paul's Platoon conducted over 1,000 dismounted and mounted combat patrols, while based in the Adamiyah section of central Baghdad. Paul is the author of Chasing Ghosts, which chronicles his experiences as a platoon leader and explains his political perspectives on the war. He continues to serve as a 1st Lieutenant and Detachment Commander in the New York Army National Guard.

This week American Microphone features Bob Kerrey. With experience as a Navy SEAL, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator give him a unique perspective on liberal politics and Iraq. We also discuss the total lack of cooperation he experienced from the White House as a 9/11 commissioner.

American Microphone welcomes Brian Conley to the studio. He is the creator and coordinator of the Iraqi video news blog, 'Alive in Baghdad'.? We discuss his travel to Iraq and the challenges his Iraqi correspondents face.