http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48WrnpTD9tA

NOTE: When I was in Upstate New York, my buddy at work lent me his satellite radio receiver for a test by me on a trip through Ottawa and Montreal to Quebec City and the Eastern Townships — a real test!

I've noted that some establishments here in Detroit metro have gone to satellite radio. Good stations, too.

I suppose I could use it again if all goes well on Monday and I'm cleared to start a new job back West (has me actually reluctant, in a way — I've been “Easternized” over 10+ years and I'll miss the trees, the world's greatest deciduous forest, and four distinct seasons — and again, the trees).

I've lived and traveled everywhere, and if I go there next week, I know where to go in my free time, while I can still travel — and perhaps satellite radio, in addition to a container-full of CDs, is just what I could use:

http://www.sangres.com/

Limbaugh is still the best on the right side and actually among them all. (To quote Brooks, the maker of saddles, handlebar tape, etc., that I've enjoyed since bicycling decades before — Limbaugh is the “champion standard,” for all that means, including AM talk radio and political commentary in general.)
Most of the other righty coat-tail-riding Limbaugh-followers-and-imitators are noisier and have less actually to say, much of the time. The lefties are still a largely obscure bunch, being far lefties and on the fringe, anyway, but there has definitely been a “critical mass” formation over some years now with the far-lefty talkers and some of the talkers have truly earned a respectable following. I enjoy some of the best of them while also continuing to sample freely the lesser lights: Thom Hartmann is good to “bounce” back and forth to between him and Limbaugh, and I actually favor Ed Schultz most or nearly all of the time over Hannity later in the afternoon, if I'm on the road then. (The signal gets weak on the “progressive” station later in the evening, so I'm not able to listen well or long to the Maddow show, if it is still on in the evening — I don't bother checking any longer in the evening if I'm on the road then, because the signal is so bad. Even the righty channel sometimes comes in poorly in the evening.)

They can probably be credited with putting Air America on the (real) map (not just a brief flirtation or hissy fit). I also listen to Thom Hartmann (here in Detroit, he plays at the same time as Limbaugh, and has done well in that time slot, still going strong in it). I like all of these people better than Bill Press, or who's far worse on radio, Stephanie Miller (pre-teen, pre-junior-high-school level garbage on the radio, devoid of decency and basic intelligence as well as obviously devoid of logic, etc. — note that Miller is more restrained and actually behaves herself and does quite well on teevee, such as with Larry King).

Maddow is as illogical, etc., as many other typical lefties, but she is indeed better than many on teevee as well as radio. I believe she has good future prospects, and she is one of those who gives far lefty talk radio (and teevee with MSNBC's edginess and extra-left decision) the boost it needed to become viable.

It's funny to see JD's 80 per cent remark — when I'm on the road during the relevent hours here in Detroit metro, I've not only enjoyed listening to Big Eddie, whose straightforward style I find refreshing, but in fact I listen to him about 80-85% of the time during those hours, rather than Hannity (bowwowwow) who's also on at that time. (In fact, I prefer to listen to NPR as the alternative to Big Eddie the rest of the time.)

Both Maddow and Schultz are light-years better than Chris Matthews. Congratulations once more, Kathy — you share the common extremism crown with Mikey (Michael Stickings), but you typically are better grounded and less crazy than Mikey is. Yes, Matthews is an overvalued prick as well as DC-centered flea.

If we agree too much, the unverse will implode from a glitch in the space/time continuum.

And to Leo. I actually sorta like Ed Shultz, even though I disagree with him 80% of the time.
You gotta balance all of them off one another, and as Merkin pointed out above, take them at face (entertainment) value.

Having said that, I still learn a lot from watching his show.

These guys, Matthews, O`Hannity, Maddow, Oberfeld (Ken whatever), Limbaugh are all entertainers looking for ratings. Watch them for entertainment only, on the web to avoid increasing their ratings.