Free Republic

Like a lingering, nasty winter cold, Willie Brown is one politician the Golden State just can't seem to shake. To remove the notorious former California State Assembly speaker from power, it took a constitutional rewrite that imposed legislative term limits. And after Democrats lost control of the chamber to the GOP in 1995, voters were dumbfounded when Brown outfoxed them, manipulating two Republican surrogates Manchurian-style to retain power. When those limits finally prevented Willie from any additional time in Sacramento, he promptly ran for mayor of San Francisco, serving two terms from 1996 to 2004. Even as many Californians saw...

Need more proof appeasement doesn't work? As Clear Channel's learning the hard way, placing low-rated Air America programming on several dozen AM stations nationwide, has failed to placate left-wing activists. They've long accused the company of being the "Wal-Mart" of radio, with a right-wing programming bent, to boot. Until the company removes conservative programming from KNEW-AM, the Bay Area's Youth Media Council says it won't ease up. According to indybay.org, FCC broadcast license challenges are being filed against all of their area stations, except KQKE-AM, the Air America outlet. That includes several FM stations playing only music.

Comedian Al Franken is bringing his ambitious attempt to create a liberal talk radio network to the Bay Area's airwaves starting Tuesday. Air America, which got off to a rocky beginning after its start in April, will take over the slot now occupied by KABL on 960 AM. The new station will be called KQKE, "the Quake." KABL, which plays American standards from the 1940s and 1950s, will move to 92.1 FM, broadcasting out of Walnut Creek. Clear Channel Communications, which owns KABL, hopes to turn the Sinatra- oriented station into a broader network, starting with 92.1 and a station...