Rachel Maddow

Rachel has a doctorate in political science (she was a Rhodes Scholar) and a background in HIV/AIDS activism, prison reform, and other lefty rabblerousing.

She shakes a mean cocktail, drives a bright red pickup, hates Coldplay, loves arguing with conservatives, spends a lot of money on AMTRAK tickets, and dresses like a first-grader.

Maddow makes irregular appearances on MSNBC, CNN, LOGO, and other TV outlets. She's been with Air America since its inception in Spring 2004 -- before AAR she worked for WRNX in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and WRSI in Northampton, Massachusetts. There was also a stint with a jungle-themed company called Expresso Bongo [sic], but she doesn't want to talk about it.

Rachel is 32 years old and lives in New York City and rural Western Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula.

Thom Hartmann

Thom Hartmann, who started in radio in 1968, is also is an internationally known speaker on culture and communications, an author, and an innovator in the fields of psychiatry, ecology, and democracy. Hartmann is the award-winning, best-selling author of fourteen books currently in print in over a dozen languages on four continents.

He is the former executive director of a residential treatment program for emotionally disturbed and abused children, and has helped set up hospitals, famine relief programs, schools, and communities for orphaned or blind children in India, Uganda, Australia, Colombia, and the United States.

In the radio field, Hartmann worked from 1968 to 1978 as a DJ, reporter, news anchor, and program director for a variety of radio stations. After starting several businesses, Hartmann returned to the radio in Spring 2003 as a nationally syndicated talk show host. The Thom Hartmann Program, which has been on the air on radio stations from coast to coast and on Sirius Satellite Radio for over two years, runs from noon to 3 pm Eastern Time, originating in Portland, Oregon. The father of three grown children, Hartmann lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Louise.

Lionel

Lionel's nationally syndicated talk radio program is an eclectic mixture of current events and off-the-wall topics infused with Lionel's special brand of humor.

Lionel has been performing talk radio for 18 years. He implores and entreats his listeners to critically think and analyze, to parse topics and peel the layers of the issue onion. Lionel started as a mere caller whilst in law school in his home town of Tampa and was given his own show in 1988 on 970 WFLA - a weekend show, and eventually morning and afternoon drive at WABC in New York City.

Lionel was a prosecutor and criminal defense trial lawyer, so when a legal issue needs dissecting, whom better to consult? Lionel hosted his own show on Court TV and has appeared as a guest on virtually every news commentary show. Lionel's wit and biting humor are nonpareil. He has often said that he'd rather be the editorial cartoon than the editorial. He emphasizes the absurd and recondite and there's a lot to emphasize.

Mark Green

David Bender

Bender became an aide to the legendary liberal activist Allard K. Lowenstein, the former New York congressman who was also a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement and later in the anti-Vietnam War movement.

David Bender has also been deeply involved in both the television and music industries, serving first as a senior executive in the production company of musician Stephen Stills and later, as vice president of Tom and Roseanne Arnold's television production unit. After Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, Bender was asked to become the Democratic National Committee's liaison to the entertainment industry. When the late John Kennedy launched George magazine in 1995, he chose David Bender as its first West Coast contributing editor.

In 2003, David Bender returned to politics as a senior advisor in the presidential campaign of Vermont Governor Howard Dean before joining Air America Radio as its political director during the 2004 election.

David Bender is also the author or co-author of four books, including "Stand and Be Counted," a chronicle of artist activism in the music industry written with musician David Crosby.

Robert M. "Bob" Shrum

Shrum began his political career as a speechwriter, first for New York City Mayor John Lindsay, and then for Edmund Muskie. He later worked for George McGovern, and spent nine days on Jimmy Carter's 1976 campaign. Shrum later worked for Ted Kennedy and wrote the famous speech Kennedy gave at the 1980 Democratic National Convention.

As a journalist, Shrum’s work appeared in New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The New Republic, among other publications.

He was a columnist for the Microsoft on-line magazine Slate.

Shrum is currently a Senior Fellow at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he teaches a class on domestic policy formation and analysis. He also teaches an undergraduate seminar to freshmen on Presidential debates and speeches since the 1960s.

Shrum has written a political memoir entitled No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner.

Ron Reagan

Ron Reagan is an insider on the outside, and an outsider who is on the inside. He has successfully taken his unique perspective to television and radio audiences and made people think out of the box. Most recently he brought the Seattle KIRO AM radio audience to attention. This political season he has been busy as a frequent guest on "Larry King Live" on CNN and for Air America Radio. For MSNBC Ron co-hosted a daily show called "Connected: Coast to Coast" where they debated the issues of the day along with nationally known guests.

Also for MSNBC, Ron was a regular on "Hardball with Chris Matthews and a guest on other shows at the network. Again for MSNBC, during the last political season, Ron co-hosted "After Hours" with Joe Scarborough, and spent time as the fill-in host for Bill Press on "Buchanan and Press" prior to that. Since his father's death from Alzheimer's in 2004, Reagan has been speaking out on the subject of stem cell research, and advocates increased research and federal funding. He spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention on the issue. He has made a number of appearances on the lecture circuit.

Reagan is an active member of the Creative Coalition a first rights amendment group. He wrote the forward and edited a book for them entitled, "If You Had Five Minutes With The President." He has moderated panels and participated in a campaign finance reform symposium.

For three years, Reagan brought his inquisitive news mind to C/Net Television's TV.Com. There he served as host and senior correspondent. Reagan traveled the globe in search of the most intriguing news stories and celebrity interviews for the new age of the Internet. It was his skepticism about the Internet that attracted Reagan to TV.Com, and it was his insight which made the show work so well.

Reagan also has been a contributor to Newsweek, The New Yorker, Playboy, The Los Angeles Times, Esquire and Interview to name a few. He is currently working on a book.