1. Ted Williams – You’ll recall Mr. Williams from the start of January as the homeless man who appeared on a Youtube clip that went viral. Ted Williams, a homeless man…with an incredible gift…his voice.

After the video went viral Williams was offered a few positions in media, speaking for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, also NFL Films, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the feel good story to start the year off with. And from the start I was hoping all the best for this guy…but I was also a bit hesitant to join the bandwagon because from the first video footage of the man we learned he had a troubled past. I believe in the power of redemption and the Cinderella story, rooting for the underdog…but everyone just jumped, put the cart ahead of the horse in giving this guy jobs and a new chance on life. All fine…good, and I hope that he changes his life. But it came out just a week or two later that police had to be called a hotel room where Williams and his daughter got into a fight, a domestic disturbance, and turns out the guy has a mile long rap sheet. So on one hand…Ted Williams starts off 2011 as an AmeriCAN…and an AmeriCANT. We hope and pray that Mr. Ted Williams gets his life in order…because he’s been given a second chance here, and the road to recovery is long and hard. I hope he makes it.

2. Paul Krugman – New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman jumped at the chance to exploit the Arizona shooting tragedy involving Congressman Gabrielle Giffords and six civilians who were killed – Krugman choose the incident to use for political advantage. Within hours of the news…which we had little information to go on…we didn’t even know if Gabby was alive at this point. Krugman published an article basically saying, “We don’t know what has happened, but chances are the shooter is a right wing crazy influenced by the tea party movement”. Well…first of all it’s never wise to speculate, especially in a situation like this, and that soon! And then to clearly try to exploit it for political gain. And then come to find out the guy was just a loon! A complete nutcase, maybe insane, who was described by those around him as an intimidating crazy person who had a mixed bag of political belief – consumed with grammer, and currency…he had done drugs, had prior issues at his college, and had threatened Giffords before, also his favorite books included Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto. Hardly right wing material, especially tea party stuff! Krugman was completely wrong. He makes our January AmeriCANT list.

3. Keith Olbermann – Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann was also quick out of the gate with the Arizona Tragedy to point blame at Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. Olbermann to me is the perfect example of elitist progressive snobbery. Apparently MSNBC’s new ownership, Comcast agrees, as a week ago today Olbermann was fired from MSNBC. As you recall…Keith Olbermann and MSNBC received the first ever AmeriCANT of the Year Award in 2010. It’s nice to see that Keith is coming out of the gates swinging to defend his title. At this point…it might be his only real job.

4. Oprah Winfrey – She stated earlier this month that she does not like paying her taxes. Let’s put her on both lists – AmeriCAN and CANT. Because on one hand it pains her to give over her money to the government. However, she’s a complete hypocrite. I’m sure that Oprah is just hurting with all of her homes and cars, and giveaways to her audience. She’s one of the richest people in the country, and the world. Which is great! More power to her. But shame on Oprah for her hypocrisy in political beliefs, supporting politicians like Barack Obama who’s economic policies are hurting those on the lower end of the spectrum.

5. Dr. Kermit Gosnell – Now remember we’re going through this list basically in chronological order from the start of the month. This next person would have been hands down the AmeriCANT of the Year for 2010 had the story been out last month. Dr. Kermit Gosnell of Philadelphia is being prosecuted for disgusting practices at his clinic. What is Gosnell’s clinic? He’s an abortionist. Kermit, 69 years old has made millions over 30 years performing many illegal and late term abortions according to prosecutors. Gosnell has been the subject of many complaints over the years. He’d perform abortions late in development and done with scissors. Gosnell’s office has been described as a house of horrors with aborted body parts in jars. He has been named in 46 different malpractice suites including the death of a 22 year old would-be mother. Whatever your views on this subject…there are so many things wrong here. Unlawful, disgusting….evil. I’ll end it there.

6. South Carolina NAACP – Every January we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A great American. The South Carolina NAACP celebrated Dr. King’s life at the South Carolina state capitol I believe….but they apparently felt shamed over some of the other statues on the premises and they covered one up. Which one was it? No, not some confederate leader….they put a box around our first president, George Washington.

7. Joan Rivers – Late last week Rivers called Sarah Palin an NAZI and her daughter, Bristol Palin “stupid”. She made these statements on one of our favorites…the Joy Behar Show. Joan Rivers makes the January 2011 list of AmeriCANTS.

8. Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee – Representative Cohen appeared on an episode of Anderson Cooper 360 (AC 180 as Rush likes to call it) and Cohen joined the throng of leftists condemning statements from Republicans….and how did Cohen do it? Well…he used the rhetoric that he blames Republicans of using himself…he compared Republicans to NAZI propaganidsts. That they were lying about healthcare and other issues and that if they repeat the lie enough it was just like Joseph Gerbils – that the longer the lie is repeated it becomes true. This coming just days after President Obama and others on the left had called for such rhetoric to be backed away from. Now Anderson Cooper gets put on the AmeriCAN list because of this, because he confronted Cohen on his logic and didn’t back down.

9. Cathy Marrero – A woman in Pennsylvania joined the laugh reel this month after his accident in a local mall while walking, talking on a cell phone and falling into mall fountain. It became a Youtube hit. Marrero then became upset that the footage was leaked from the mall security and put online…which I understand. But then she threw a fit over it, basically saying that she was going to seek legal action because of the pain and distress that has hit her because of this. My answer…hey pay attention to where you’re going! A ridiculous argument. Also turns out that Cathy had been illegally using someone else’s credit card. The world we live in folks.

10. Teacher at Markham Elementary School in Oakland California – A teacher at this school was recently suspended after accusations of students in the second grade class performed sex acts on each other. It was said that in one incident the children took off their clothes in front of each other. The second incident was said that a boy and girl engaged in oral sex in front of their classmates. Even more shocking was that the teacher was said to be present during both incidents. Another sign of the times…the world we live in. The social decay that’s happening right in front of us.

11. MTV Show “Skins” – This story goes right along with the one before it. The sexualization of our children. This new show on MTV caused a backlash last week from parents and family policy groups as it features graphic depictions of minors engaging in drug use and sex acts. The show is about a group of young teenagers, around 13-15 years old and is very graphic.

12. Meghan McCain – McCain was on our year end list for 2010 for her blabbering self-importance non-sensical elitist ridicule of some GOPers and tea party candidates. This week she slammed Michelle Bachmann for her State of the Union response. Fine…but this came seconds after she has just criticized polarizing rhetoric. Hypocrisy strikes again! Meghan McCain went so far to say that Bachmann was a “poor mans Sarah Palin”. And on what network did she say it on…MSNBC…the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. Go figure.

13. Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri – Washington University rounds out our list of AmeriCANTS for January of 2011. Washington U had scheduled Bristol Palin to speak at its annual “Sex Week” but decided that her appearance had become too controversial. But…this same school had no problems bringing in self admitted communist and green jobs czar Van Jones to speak last November.

14. Dennis Kucinich – The Ohio Congressman reached a settlement of undisclosed amount after filing a suit for $150,000. Why? Because he bit down on a sandwich with a pitted olive that hurt his tooth. You’ve got to be kidding! Another example of political elitism run amuck, but more than that…another example of frivolous lawsuits. Fine, I suppose if his teeth were damaged he has that right…but $150,000? I think not. Mind you the amount wasn’t disclosed in the actual settlement so I suppose it was lower. But still ridiculous.

15. Captain America Movie – It was announced this week that the upcoming Captain America movie called Captain America: The First Avenger will simply be titled “The First Avenger” in many places outside the United States. Political correctness on a global scale is a qualification for an AmeriCANT.
16. Congressman Jim Moran – The Virginia Congressman this week was interviewed by an Arab news outlet and tried to explain the recent mid-term election by suggesting that the results were due to racism. How old is this tripe? Really, this is the only play Democrats seem to have. Time to update the playbook!

17. Marsha Lewis and Imani Collins – This duo of 20 year olds in Lincoln, Nebraska were involved in a vicious fight on board a Lincoln city bus earlier this month. It was a long fight, nasty and brutal. Caught on tape. Now we’ve seen a few of these fights on buses be captured on tape in recent years. This one however I think moves to the top as there’s a few bystanders that get caught in the middle of it…children. Just a horrible event. It’s a shame stuff like this happens today in this country.

And that’s the list of AmeriCANTS for January of 2011. Of course still a few more days to go in January…if any more people or groups are added to the list we will put them on the February edition at the end of next month.
Now…let’s move on to the positive side of the equation, the AmeriCANS. Here’s how they rank up for the month of January, starting from the 1^st of the month and working up to today.

CANS for January 2011

1. Ted Williams – As explained in the previous segment, our very first person to make the list on both sides the CAN and CANT side in the same edition. Williams is the homeless man with the golden pipes…you know the story, the video of him went viral and he received many job offers. He received the CANT because of his past, and it seems he’s not quite past those demons yet. Let’s hope and pray that he recovers and makes a good life for himself. Ted Williams our first AmeriCAN for January of 2011.

2. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords – No surprise here. What more can be said out of the tragic story that happened in Tucson, Arizona earlier this month when the Congresswoman was shot in the head at an event meeting with her constituents. Very sad day. But Gabby survived, amazingly and continues to improve.

Congresswoman Giffords with her husband and astronaut Mark Kelly.

3. Cristina Taylor Green – Not every survived that shocking event in Arizona. Among those that were murdered was the 9 year old girl Christina Taylor Green. Granddaughter of the great major league baseball manager Dallas Green, Christina was a good ball player herself with big dreams. Recently elected to the student council of her school. She was at the event to witness how our American democracy works. A very sad story…but inspiring story, and her life will be an inspiration to us all.

4. Daniel Hernandez – Daniel was the aid that first administered first aid to Giffords after the attack. He’s bravery puts him on the list.

5. Judge John M. Roll – Another live lost in Tucson. Judge John Roll, age 63 had been appointed by President H. W. Bush in 1991. He began his law career in Pima County prosecuting drug cases. Video footage of the tragic event shows that Roll acted courageously at the attack before losing his own life.

6. Dorwin Stoddard – Stoddard was 76 years old. He too lost his life due to the attack on Gabrielle Giffords. He had suffered many heart problems. Dorwin and his wife had grown up in Tucson, they had both moved away…and their spouses died. Both moved back and reunited and got married. Dorwin lost his life when he covered the body of his wife Mavy during the shooting.

7. The Rest of Victims of the Tuscon shooting – Gabe Zimmerman, a young aid to Giffords recently engaged. Phylis Schneck, George Morris, Bill Badger, Ron Barber, Pamela Simon, Eric Fuller, Susan Hileman, Mary Reed, Randy Gardner, Kenneth Dorushka, James Tucker, and Kenneth Veeder.

8. Nic Ramos – A student at the University of Colorado in Boulder felt hit hard by recent increases in tuition. So he did something about it. Sure he paid his tuition…all in $14,300 worth of $1 bills! Now I don’t know much about the tuition hikes, other than they continue to rise across the country. But what’s amazing here is that Nic went to great lengths to acquire the cash…dollar by dollar to make his entrance at the school to pay his bill and make the statement that he did. He’d often cash out his ATM, and get change in dollar bills wherever possible to make his effort…pay off. Nic Ramos, I put you on our AmeriCAN list for January 2011.

9. Oprah Winfrey – She along with Ted Williams make both lists this month. Oprah stated earlier this month that she didn’t like to pay her taxes. Maybe there’s hope yet…

Oprah has everything and achieved a lot in life and in career. Now she doesn’t like to pay taxes?! Welcome to the club!

10. Martin Gaskell – Gaskell is an Astronomer at the University of Kentucky…or once was. Gaskell became a new story when he claimed that he lost out on a job with the University of Kentucky due to his Christian beliefs. The University agreed to pay Gaskell $125,000 in exchange for him to drop the federal discrimination charges he filed in 2009. The trial had been slated for next month.

11. Anderson Cooper – The CNN host makes our list for his confrontation with Tennessee Representative Cohen. Cohen made our AmeriCANT list of the month. Cooper was fair and confronted Cohen on his ridiculous statements.

12. Steve Wienecke – Steve Wienecke of Fredericktown, Missouri makes our AmeriCAN list for his unique creation. A backyard game. The game is called Knockkers…that’s right Knockkers..(spell out). Once you get past the name it’s a pretty clever game! Steve took the games of pool and bowling and crossed them. The resulting hybrid is a giant sized pool table that takes up a backyard. The game is played basically like pool – but you roll balls into other balls (similar in size to bowling balls) into each other trying to get the balls into each pocket. Essentially the person becomes the pool cue. Some good old fashioned American creativity, ingenuity and backyard fun.

What guy doesn’t like a game of Knockkers?
13. Donald Trump – Trump…the rich real estate magnet and reality TV star came out swinging against President Obama for his over the top treatment of the Chinese President Hu. Trump saw the treatment as nothing less than kissing butt. Trump also criticized the Chinese for their economic policies and as being no real friends of the United States. Trump is currently exploring running for president in 2012.

Should Trump Run? I say why not?!

14. Miss America Teresa Scanlan – Teresa Scanlan was recently crowned the new Miss America. Scanlan is 17 years old, a native of Gering, Nebraska. She is the youngest candidate to win the crown. Scanlan has since been open about her faith. The pageant is in it’s 90^th year and this was the first time Miss Nebraska took home the crown. Scanlan won a $50,000 scholarship along with the crown and plans to enroll at Patrick Henry College in Virginia. Her plans are to complete law school and become a judge or politician.

15. Gil Meche – Major League Baseball pitcher Gil Meche announced this week that he was walking away from his contract with the Kansas City Royals…the reason…he felt he hadn’t earned it. Meche had a promising career but had struggled. In his mind he struggled enough that he felt he didn’t deserve his $12 million salary. Meche has chose to walk away…saying that the team had already given him $40 million for his efforts and he’s now ready to enjoy family life. In an era where so many athletes don’t understand integrity, Gil Meche proves that it’s not entirely lost. We wish him well.

And those are the AmeriCANS and AmeriCANTS for January of 2011! The next group will appear on the show and web site around Friday, February 25^th.

Well here it is. Our final 2010 list of AmeriCANS and AmeriCANTS. We start of the list with the “regular folks” division. Then move on to the high profile AmeriCANS, and last of all the shameful AmeriCANTS of 2010. The official AmeriCANS and CANTS 2010 show can be heard right here.

2010 AmeriCAN of The Year

1. Army Staff Sgt Salvatore Guinta – An Iowan and the first living Medal of Honor recipient in four decades. He served in Afghanistan. I announced Guinta was the official winner back in November when he was presented with the Medal of Honor.

Guinta’s Profile on the Army web site.

Guinta’s Medal of Honor citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While conducting a patrol as team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, Specialist Giunta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Giunta realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Specialist Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. Specialist Giunta’s unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American soldier from the enemy. Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, and the United States Army.

The Rest….
2. Daren Gardner –Mr. Gardner I’m proud to call a personal friend. Gardner is a small businessman from Virginia, he has quite the story about his own business going through hard times and even starting it all over. He’s a Christian, and a true patriot. Daren did the Constitution Ride Across America. He traveled across the continental 48 United States on his motorcycle. He stopped at each state capitol presenting copies of the Constitution to elected officials. He also presented a resolution to uphold the Constitution. This resolution was later presented in Washington, D.C. I met Daren during the stop in Lincoln, Nebraska. I helped organize that stop here, where Nebraska congressional candidate Dan Hill spoke as well as State Senator Tony Fulton, who was our signer for Nebraska on that resolution. Daren spent the evening with my wife and I here in Louisville. It was great to talk to him and learn about his life. But what an amazing thing he did…just one guy on a motorcycle protecting the Constitution. To this day I am still baffled as to why his story and his ride was not given more attention. Either way, he doesn’t complain because it wasn’t about him. And it’s because of that reason he makes the number two spot on the 2010 list of AmeriCANS.

Nebraska State Senator Tony Fulton with Daren Gardner in Lincoln, Nebraska. September 2^nd, 2010.

Daren’s bike in my garage.

Daren departing my home in Nebraska on his journey across America.

CRAA Web Site

3. American Flag/Bicycle Kid Cody Alicea – 13 year old Cody Alicea, a teen in California caught the news buzz back in November when his school told him that he could no longer ride his bike to school with an American flag on it. The story went viral. The school was bombed with complaints, and rightly so. The school then changed course allowing Cody to continue riding to school on his bike with Old Glory waving alongside him. His first trip back to the school on his bike after the mess he was followed by a line of motorcycles and cars following him on his ride to school…all those vehicles behind him with American flags flying high. It was a cool thing to see. I was even more impressed with the interviews that Cody gave. He seems 10 times more mature than most kids his age today. Therefore Cody makes the list of 2010 AmeriCANS.

Youtube footage of Cody’s ride to school.

4. Brent Morehouse – Brent is an average guy from California. A family man. He’s never really been involved with politics. But he got involved with the Tea Party movement and decided he wanted to tell the individual stories of the people in it. So he wrote a book – myself included in this book on page 168 where I actually talk about AmeriCANS vs. AmeriCANTS ironically. The book is titled Tea Party The Awakening – Written by The Grass Roots Leaders. The book contains a great introduction by Brent himself doing an historical comparison of the 1770’s to today. The rest of the 400 some pages are written by all the individuals that Brent contacted, all from the ground level. Truly an amazing work and I applaud Brent for his efforts…doing something that most of the media hasn’t – actually finding out who these people in the Tea Party movement are!

Order Brent’s book at New Patriot Publishing.
5. Outlaw Hot Dog Stand/Steve Pruner – Steve Pruner is a small businessman in the Durham, North Carolina area. Pruner got into a dispute over the bureaucratic process with the city of Durham over permits. But in the end Pruner was able to continue selling his hot dogs. It’s an interesting story, and I applaud his entrepreneurial spirit. The Outlaw Hot Dog Stand makes our list of AmeriCANS at number five. Steve’s Story.

6. Joseph Monto – There’s no better regular Joe than Joseph Monto. In November Mr. Monto discovered a backpack full of $23,000 in jewelry and cash while hiking in a state park. Monto found the owner of the bag, Rebecca Knox. Knox rewarded Monto with $1,000 for his honesty and doing the right thing. Knox was in the process of moving and had stopped to use her phone, she left the bag on the ground in the process. After tracking down Knox and receiving the reward Monto noted that it was nice to receive some money in return, but to be known for doing something good was more important to him. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/man-finds-18k-worth-of-gems-5k-in-cash-and-returns-it-all/

7. David Barton of Wallbuilders – David Barton is a frequent guest on the Glenn Beck TV Show. He’s an amazing historian and founder of Wallbuilders. Check that out at Wallbuilders.com. It’s a great organization and he’s a great person who knows everything there is to know about the American Revolution. He got me interested again in American Folklore. I think Barton is doing a good job at reviving our lost and revised history…bringing us back to the truths that started this country. David Barton is an AmeriCAN. http://www.wallbuilders.com/ABTbioDB.asp
8. Alveda King – She’s the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She’s a big advocate for the pro-life movement. She’s a wonderful person with a big heart. She’s a caring soul. She was one of the speakers at the Restoring Honor Rally. I don’t know about her politics, but she’s a good Christian lady and deserves a spot on this list.

Alveda’s King for America web site focuses on faith and social issues.

9. Matt Kibbe of Freedom Works – Freedom Works is a great organization working to assist Tea Party Groups in development. They are doing an amazing job and Matt Kibbe has been in the front of that.
Kibbe’s bio on the FW site.

10. Tea Party Patriots Leadership – Specifically Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler – Jenny Beth Martin is responsible for the founding of Tea Party Patriots – the largest and I think most effective national brand group that carries the “Tea Party” name. Meckler is a great spokesman for the organization and can debate and articulate the tea party message as well as anyone. Both of them have sacrificed much of their personal lives and they take a lot of heat. They are AmeriCANS!

Meckler and Jenny Beth continue their efforts with Tea Party Patriots.

11. CL Bryant – He’s a preacher from Louisiana. He’s been one of the prominent voices of the Tea Party movement. He’s energetic and gives speeches with substance and values that move the crowd. He’s got fortitude and spirit. A Christian and a true patriot. He’s also a former NAACP radical. He’s releasing the documentary “Runaway Slave” sometime in the coming months about the hypocrisy of politicians in their treatment of blacks and minorities.

12. Velma Hart – You likely don’t remember Velma. But you’ll recall the story. She was one of the few that dared asked President Obama directly about the economic uncertainty and the frustrations felt by the American people. Hart, who is an African American, which shouldn’t make any difference, other than she supported Obama and her question caught many, including Obama by surprise. His answer was complete gibberish. I considered the moment similar to the “Joe The Plumber” moment from 2008 campaign. For voicing her concerns and exercising her rights, she is an AmeriCAN.
Hart expresses her disgust with President Obama.

That’s the list of AmeriCANS for 2010 – the regular folks division. Now for the high profile-celebrity types…

High Profile/Celebrity AmeriCANS

1. Glenn Beck – I’ll be honest, I’m a huge fan of Beck. But I didn’t choose him solely because of that. This guy is a multi-media machine. It seems he releases a book every 3 or 4 months. He does radio, he does television, has a web site, a magazine, stage shows and more. His personal life and transformation is amazing. Every facet of his life, his words and his shows are torn to shreds every day by spiteful critics, and he still marches on….and continues to grow and get better. Few are doing more than what Beck is for a spiritual revival in this nation. He’s ridiculed by both sides of the aisle. His sometimes over-the-top antics cause a stir. His TV show with the assistance of a chalkboard is something completely different than what we’ve seen before. He’s exposing the socialist agenda and history of the progressive moment. He’s no fan of the elite and powerbrokers in this world. And yes…he makes money doing it. But I believe his heart is in the right place. Many question him on his faith of being a Mormon, which I have studied and Mormonism is very troubling. But Beck has never suggested the way to God is to become a Mormon and I think that talk of him being a part of some conspiracy to convert everyone to his brand of Christianity is silly. I think he’s a good guy, a caring man, a family man, patriot and defender of liberty. Remember he also organized the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally at the Lincoln Memorial. After the rally he launched TheBlaze.com – a political news and opinion site, and recently hired the former CEO of the Huffington Post to run the site. Next week S.E. Cupp joins his team with her own show on the Insider Extreme portion of his web site. That’s quite the resume for just one year! Glenn makes the number one spot on the celebrity edition of the AmeriCANS for 2010.


Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally on August 28^th, 2010 attracted hundreds of thousands of Americans to the nation’s capital for a spiritual revival.

2. Rush Limbaugh – Well you simply can’t have a list that has Glenn Beck without Rush Limbaugh ahead or right behind. Rush Limbaugh is probably the biggest defender of the idea of American Rugged Individualism. He’s probably the harshest critic of President Obama…and he usually ends up being right. What makes Rush stand out is how something happens, someone says something and he’s able to pick out audio and stories from 2 or 3 or even 10 years ago involving that same person where they said something that puts them at odds with their current stance. He’ll also play his own clips where he’s joking about something from years back…and boom suddenly that same thing is now happening. Rush also remarried this year, a lovely service to a lovely bride and Elton John played at the reception. He finally formed a Facebook page this year. And right now he’s part of a reality show on the Golf Channel. In addition to all of that, he’s also a humanitarian giving a large sum every year to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And that’s all we know publically of what he gives. I suspect he gives a whole lot more than what we know. He just has the class not brag about it or use it for PR purposes. A great fun loving American, he inspired me to get into radio and media – Rush Limbaugh is an AmeriCAN.

Rush and wife Kathryn on their wedding day in August 2010.

3. Ryan Miller – Miller was the goalie on the US hockey team. The team leader who led our US team on an amazing run before losing to Canada in a tough battle in the gold medal round. We need more athletes like him. Miller also does charitable work.

Miller’s exceptional play at the Olympics gave Team USA a Silver Medal.

4. Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona – She’s probably the most talked about governor of the past year. She was right in the middle of the immigration debate in Arizona – standing up for the law, and her state, and defending Arizona from all those who thought a solution was to boycott the state. She makes the list of AmeriCANS.
5. Kelsey Grammer – He was the star of Frasier and also was on Cheers. He’s been an outspoken conservative in Hollywood for years. Over the summer he helped start the Right Network. Some great stuff on that network, most of which can be found online. I hope it continues to grow. It’s fun, not too cliché or corny, it’s relevant and informative…and it’s right on. Dr. Frasier Crane…you are an AmeriCAN!

Grammer helped get the new Right Network off the ground in late summer of 2010.

6. Sarah Palin – Politician to citizen to Fox News analyst, and of course we can’t forget about her being a mom. She’s definitely an AmeriCAN. She continues to be a hot topic in the news whether she’s part of the story or not, and whether or not she wished to be. Her show on TLC about family life and the people, resources and business in Alaska was really good. Sarah is on the list.

7. Former President George W. Bush – Love him or hate him the former president is ridiculed by both left and right. He’s stayed out of the limelight for the most part since leaving office and being a great citizen, a model I think of what a president should act like after office. He continues to visit the soldiers and contributes to causes without being the center of attention. He was faced with hard decisions when in office and did what he considered needed done to protect the country – I believe that was his central focus, right or wrong. He was certainly treated with a level of contempt not seen before in modern media treatment towards a sitting president. I think he’s a good model of leadership and a standard for citizenship. His book Decisions Points came out a few months ago detailing those tough decisions he made. A great example of an AmeriCAN.

George W. Bush released his first book since leaving office. Decision Points is a candid look about his life and presidency told from his own eyes.

8. Josh Thompson – Country singer with some great songs, one called “Way Out Here” which is very fitting to this entire list. Way Out Here video.

9. Scott Baker – The Editor at The Blaze.com – the news web site funded by Glenn Beck.

Baker’s team at The Blaze are making it a fast growing source of news and information.

10. Pat Caddel – A liberal Fox News analyst. Although his politics lean left, he is one of the most fair-minded people in the media. He’s offered very fair criticisms of the Obama administration and the radical left.

11. Juan Williams – We all know the story of Juan’s departure from NPR; and his full hire at Fox News. Juan is a good guy and keeps people like Bill O’Reilly balanced and on their toes.

12. Dick Armey – An outspoken defender of the Tea Party movement, also part of Freedom Works team.

13. Jim DeMint – One of the few politicians that I put on the list. He’s been a fighter for conservative causes and the Tea Party movement.

The South Carolina Senator has been a speaker at many grass roots and conservative events in recent years.

14. Marco Rubio – The newly elected Rubio from Florida is a tea party favorite and has a bright future.

15. Michele Bachmann – The Representative from Minnesota who started the Tea Party Caucus.

16. Greta Van Sustern – She always brings a fair and balanced approach to Fox News, a great interviewer.

17. General Stanley McChrystal – His criticisms of the president, right or wrong is debatable. But his service to the country is not.

18. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey – Aside from Jan Brewer he’s probably the most talked about Governor in the United States. He provided us with some of the best audio and video clips of 2010. This is one of my favorites!

19. Conan O’Brien – The late night talk show host is likely a leftist, but he’s never really mean about it. His goofy off the wall humor is fun to watch. He recently moved his show to TBS after the mess at NBC.

Conan is now on TBS – and it’s very funny.

20. History Channel Shows – In an era when reality TV stinks and any smut makes the primetime lineup, the History Channel got something right with “American Pickers” and “Pawn Stars”. Two entertaining, fun and somewhat informative shows about Americana and American business.

The cast of Pawn Stars – Cory, The Old Man, Rick, and Chum-Lee

Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe along with their assistant Danielle Colby Cushman are uncovering lost treasures on the backroads of America on American Pickers.

21. Undercover Boss – Another great reality television show featuring high profile CEO’s going undercover to learn about the people that make their businesses run. In a time when the CEO, corporate America, economic uncertainty and lack of leadership plagues the country this CBS show attempts to find those who are doing things right.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/

That is the entire list – regular folks and high profile lists of AmeriCANS for 2010. Now it’s time for the negative side, the people we despise, the opposite of AmeriCANs…the AmeriCANTS.

The AmeriCANTS almost all were celebrities this year so there’s just one list of AmeriCANTS. The CANTS are petty people. Hateful, bitter, constantly tearing others down and belittling fellow Americans. Truth be damned…they have an unwavering defense of President Obama, and the progressive agenda and just look at anyone else thinking otherwise as being ignorant backwoods uneducated rubes and rednecks. I won’t spend as much time on them as I did the AmeriCANS because frankly they just don’t deserve the time.

So here we go…starting with the AmeriCANT of the Year!

AmeriCANTS for 2010
2010 AmeriCANT of The Year

1. Entire lineup at MSNBC – Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews and Lawerence O’Donnel – I don’t know of any person or group more hateful, spiteful, arrogant and condescending than this bunch. Every week it gets worse and worse. Their ratings are horrible. Their shows are downright nasty and they seemingly have only one objective – hate and destroy Fox News at any costs. Say what you will about Fox News – they also have opinion shows, but not as bombastic as this group of jerks at MSNBC. There’s also a big difference in Fox’s actual news coverage versus MSNBC. For their nastiness and contempt for differing viewpoints and distorting, twisting, taking words out of context and being completely agenda driven…and holier than thou at it – the 2010 AmeriCANT of the Year Award goes to MSNBC (Microsoft No Black Commentators Network – credit to Andrew Wilkow). Their MVP is Keith Olbermann. Congratulations Keith!

Post Script – In fact on the same day that this list was announced Keith Olbermann’s contract at MSNBC was ended – many suspect the new ownership at Comcast had some say in this. Will Ed be next? (Ed who?) Or perhaps Maddow? Then there’s Chris Matthews who I used to consider a fair minded stand up guy has lately gone off the rails with an almost creepy obsession with Michele Bachmann.

2. Nancy Pelosi – An easy choice. Thank goodness she’s no longer speaker of the house.

3. Harry Reid – See above. Too bad the voters of Nevada didn’t kick him out of office.

4. Lady Gaga – A trashy celbutard contributing little to our culture. Fine, there’s been pop stars like that forever. But her ignorant comments about immigration debate in Arizona earned her a top five spot on this list.

American pop culture at its finest in 2010.

5. Stephen Colbert – This guy is pathetic. His bumbling jackass antics at the Comedy Central Restoring Sanity rally earned him the number five spot. Don’t forget about his classic appearance at a congressional hearing.

Colbert aka Super CANT.

6. Joy Behar – Three words – rambling hateful idiot.

7. Former BP CEO Tony Hayward*- Tony Hayward is the only non-American citizen to make either list. But he affected the lives of Americans and American business. What a tragic mess that BP oil spill was and what a dismal display of leadership. Tony Hayward gets a spot on the AmeriCANT list for 2010.

Hayward’s failures as a business leader during a crisis affecting Americans is a rare exception to a non-citizen making either AmeriCAN/CANT list.

8. Meghan McCain – “Like shut up already. This is me speaking to you Meghan, me speaking as a 32 year old male…no one cares what you have to say! Unlike you, I don’t believe what I have to say is any more important than anyone else. But at least I attempt to put some rational thought into what I say. You need to just go away. You’re not bright, you’re not smart. And it’s too bad…because I think you have in you to be those things. But instead you want to be a media darling, some sort of self-righteous anti-Republican-Republican, that somehow because you’re born into politics you have a deeper understanding of the issues. All you want now is the attention of the media and to get it you trash everyone who supported your father’s campaign for president. You have zero class. “ – Badger Benson

Meghan McCain – Bud Light fan.

9. Charlie Rangel – Found guilty of ethics violations. He’s everything that’s wrong with politicians.

10. Brett Favre – From the world of sports. Favre you were once cool. And you were well liked and admired. But you threw it all away. The cell phone thing…creepy.

11. Tiger Woods – Same thing. A painful fall from grace. I hope you get your life on track, and your golf game.

12. Oprah Winfrey – You are no longer relevant. Stop indoctrinating people with your new age religious spiritual garbage. It looks and sounds nice, and innocent, and some of it probably is. But much of that stuff is dangerous and you don’t realize how wrong it is and how misleading it is.

13. Alan Grayson – You pathetic lying weasel. Thank God you’re no longer in congress.

14. Janet Napolitano – Big Sis has been controversial and a disaster in her role with Homeland Security.

Have you had a pat down lately?

15. Ben Nelson – You sell out! You’re a likable man with a good reputation. But you ruined it all and threw that legacy away by selling out.

16. Christiane Amanpour – She’s an incoherent leftist TV host.

17. Tina Fey – I think the shtick is old. You sound like Palin and do an amazing job of imitating her. That’s talent. But I think it’s just getting old and is mean spirited.

18. Christine O’Donnel – The failed tea party candidate in Delaware. She’s a nice lady, had some good ideas. The GOP was terrible for not offering more support. But Christine did herself no favors and is a lesson on how to do everything wrong in a campaign.

Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

19. Lisa Murkowski – The winner of the Alaska senate race over Joe Miller. You lost the primary. Then mounted a successful write-in campaign. The passion is admirable, your ambition is too. But you are selfish and self serving, and a sore loser…even when winning.

20. Rod Blagovich – Why is this guy still around?

21. Eric Massa – A shamed congressman who resigned last fall/winter.

22. Kanye West – One word – Punk.

23. Rham Emanuel – Complete jerk. Thankfully he’s now back to Chicago and they can deal with him.

24. Trent Lott – A former GOP politician. He said that the Tea Party members needed co-opted once in DC. I lost all respect for you.

25. Lyndsey Graham – Mr. RINO himself.

26. Bart Stupack – Good guy. But you made the wrong decision.

27. James Cameron – How big is your ego man? About the size of the Titanic I imagine…flashy, but really a bunch of drivel like that movie Avatar.

28. Entire cast of Jersey Shore – I’ve never really seen the show. But I’ve seen the cast on various shows. I don’t want to see the show. I wish these people would go away.

Really…who are these people?

29. Andy Griffith – Why? Old man…pay for your own medical care! You’re an actor, you surely have some money left! Don’t tell the rest of us what to do. It’s sad how you’re being used.

Sheriff Taylor for Obamacare.

30. Barney Frank’s boyfriend – This guy is a complete dope. His ambush video taping of the Republican candidate running against Frank was creepy.

And that’s the awards for 2010!

Part Two: Joy Behar (who has been in top form lately) will rant about the election results and be fired or resign from The View by the end of next week.

You heard it here first! Really, how much longer can she last? My gut says that she’s already on the line with Barbara Walters.

Which brings us to perception from the other side of the aisle. This is Joy Behar of The View discussing the event. She was outraged that Elton choose to perform at the wedding. It makes me wonder who the real bigot is? Rush Limbaugh or Joy Behar? Joy seems to believe that this an issue with no middle ground, and no room for anyone to dissent from her view. In fact she even tries to compare it to someone performing for the KKK or in South Africa during the apartheid. As heated at this topic is I think such comparisons are ridiculous and really an outrage.

Maybe Joy Behar is the one who needs to learn a little bit about tolerance. She could take a lesson from Rush and Elton on the matter.