Mark Levin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the conservative author, lawyer, and radio talk show host. For the Nim's Island director, see Mark Levin (director). For the filmmaker, see Marc Levin. For the liberal journalist, lawyer, radio, and television talk show host, see Mark Levine (journalist).

Mark Reed Levin (b. September 21, 1957) is a conservative radio talk show host on WABC in New York City, syndicated on both terrestrial radio and satellite radio.

1 Professional career
2 Books and Beliefs
3 Contributions to other radio shows
4 Radio show
- 4.1 Political stance in 2008 primaries
5 References
6 External links
- 6.1 Other websites

[edit] Professional career

Commencing in 1981, Levin served as advisor to several members of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet, eventually becoming associate director of presidential personnel and ultimately Chief of Staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese. He has practiced law in the private sector, and is president of the Landmark Legal Foundation in Leesburg, Virginia. His radio career began in 2002 as a Sunday evening host on WABC. Since the fall of 2003, he's been in the weekday 6-8 p.m. (ET) timeslot.^[1]

In 2001, the American Conservative Union gave Levin its Ronald Reagan Award.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Books and Beliefs

Levin authored the bestselling book, Men In Black: How The Supreme Court Is Destroying America (ISBN 0-89526-050-6), in which Levin identifies the perils of "judicial activism" and claims that members of the judicial branch have "legislated from the bench." Levin advocates originalist constitutional interpretation. He also advocates the unitary executive theory, and often accuses members of the Congress of attempting to stack the Supreme Court with "activist judges".

Levin is a contributing editor for National Review Online (NRO) and blogged there from 2006-2007. In addition to his originalist views on the Constitution, Levin has conservative beliefs on policy and social issues, often ridiculing President George W. Bush and centrist Republicans in Congress for attempts at moderating their views on social issues under the "compassionate conservatism" label.

In 2007, Levin released a non-political book about his personal experience with "man's best friend," titled Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish. ^[2]

[edit] Contributions to other radio shows

Levin began his broadcast career as a guest on conservative talk radio programs. For many years he was a frequent contributor of legal opinions to The Rush Limbaugh Show, where Limbaugh referred to him on-air as "F. Lee Levin," a tongue-in-cheek reference to the famous defense attorney F. Lee Bailey. He was also a contributor to The Sean Hannity Show and eventually got a radio slot of his own, on WABC, following Sean Hannity's program. Hannity has nicknamed Levin "The Great One." Levin and Hannity remain frequent contributors to each other's programs, often calling in and facetiously referring to each other as "Doctor Hannity" or "Doctor Levin." Hannity often plays a sound bite of Levin saying, "get off the phone you big dope", to callers who annoy him.

[edit] Radio show

Levin's radio show is a mix of political and social commentary from a conservative point of view. He also covers legal issues in some detail, including decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Levin follows the traditional talk radio model of taking listener phone calls throughout the show. As of 2006, his show is syndicated by ABC Radio on over 150 stations as well as on the America Right and SIRIUS Patriot channels. Levin's show has been rated number one in its time slot in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas and Washington, D.C.^[1]

Levin has been criticized by Bill O'Reilly for engaging in what O'Reilly calls "personal attacks." For instance, he has referred to Hillary Clinton as "her thighness" and "Hillary Rotten Clinton," to Keith Olbermann as "Keith Overbite," to MSNBC as "MSLSD," to Jesse Jackson as "Jesse Jerkson", John McCain as "John McLame", and Arlen Spector as "Arlen Spectacle", Michael Medved as "Michael Off-his-Meds-ved", and so on. Levin has responded by claiming to embrace uninhibited political discourse.

Levin has also worked with Sean Hannity to set up several benefit concerts to aid the families of fallen soldiers, and uses his show to promote them.

[edit] Political stance in 2008 primaries

Initially favoring Fred Thompson until he dropped out, he then called on conservatives to support Mitt Romney, as have other talk radio hosts, as part of a stratagem to stop Senator John McCain. He now calls on people to make John McCain accountable to conservative interests and has stated that the only sure way that McCain will get his vote is if he chooses a solid conservative running mate.