# 100 People Screwing Up America: Know Any Of Them? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019 **Category:** In My Humble Opinion **Created:** [February 17, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019 "2006-02-17T22:15:04Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/1 "2006-02-17T22:15:04Z")
So Bernard Goldberg wrote a book called [100 People Who Are Screwing Up America](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_People_Who_Are_Screwing_Up_America). I took a quick look at this list and was surprised to find that I know, if only in passing, quite a few of them. **10) Ralph Neas** I worked in the NY office of People For The American Way. I met him several times in person, and he called the office quite often. **24) Lee Bollinger** The president of my Alma Mater. I met him a few times at various alumni functions. **52) Markos Moulitsas** My brother produced a few webtv interviews for him. I hung out with him for a little while when he was in NY. **75) Eric Foner** A history prof at my alma mater. When I worked for the history department, I made his photocopies. I have met in passing a few others. How about you? ---
### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/2 "2006-02-17T22:22:58Z")
Nope. ---
### Author: ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/3 "2006-02-17T22:36:43Z")
Name dropper. 🙂 ---
### Author: ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/4 "2006-02-17T23:08:28Z")
That list is even lamer than I remember. I’ve met Michael Newdow; you couldn’t say we really know each other. I attended one of his lectures and we talked a little. ---
### Author: ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/5 "2006-02-17T23:15:52Z")
These are the ones I’d like to meet: 1. The Dumb and Vicious Celebrity 2. The Vicious Celebrity 3. The Dumb Celebrity ---
### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/6 "2006-02-17T23:26:54Z")
My landlady is vaguely linked to Noam Chomsky, in an academic context. Funny, from outside America, very few of those people show up on our radar. From an ‘over here’ perspective, I’m surprised not to see those whom I perceive to be screwing up America, including Coulter, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Gonzales, O’Reilly, Phelps, and Bush. Makes me think it’s less than even-handed. Though if he’s a conservative, I’m surprised not to see Stewart on it, either. Perhaps he had a book to sell when he appeared on the show… ---
### Author: ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/7 "2006-02-17T23:43:01Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Makes me think it’s less than even-handed. Though if he’s a conservative, I’m surprised not to see Stewart on it, either. Perhaps he had a book to sell when he appeared on the show… Yes, he’s a conservative, and he’s not the even-handed type. I’m pretty sure he did appear on The Daily Show to plug the book, and Stewart tore him a new one. ---
### Author: ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark) #### Post date: [February 17, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/8 "2006-02-17T23:56:35Z")
I’m stalking Connie Chung, and Maury Povich (that bastard) is no. 31. ---
### Author: ![DrLoveGun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@DrLoveGun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrLoveGun) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/9 "2006-02-18T00:07:20Z")
I’ve met former President Jimmy Carter, he spoke at my church once, and I’ve met most of the cast members of The Howard Stern show. Is that close enough? ---
### Author: ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/10 "2006-02-18T00:12:39Z")
I used to live down the street from Noam Chomsky. We moved, I have no idea if he did. ---
### Author: ![liberty3701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@liberty3701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty3701) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/11 "2006-02-18T00:44:56Z")
Yeah, I’m one-degree of separation from Noam Chomsky (my friend took a class with him over the summer) and Ward Churchill (he was another friend’s thesis advisor) … I know people who know people 😛 ---
### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/12 "2006-02-18T01:40:56Z")
Well, if we’re doing one degree of separation – Jane Smiley and I had offices in the same building at Iowa State at the same time. Never met her though. ---
### Author: ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/13 "2006-02-18T01:43:23Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > These are the ones I’d like to meet: > > 1. The Dumb and Vicious Celebrity > 2. The Vicious Celebrity > 3. The Dumb Celebrity I used to have regular sex with a #85 (pre celebrity but post dumb). If anything it made my life BETTER. That list is stupid. ---
### Author: ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/14 "2006-02-18T01:45:42Z")
Just using the ‘people I have been in the same room with but wouldn’t know me from Adam’ standard: 1. Ted Kennedy 2. Jesse Jackson 3. Jimmy Carter 10 Ralph Neas 16 John Edwards 18 Al Gore 48 Robert Byrd ---
### Author: ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/15 "2006-02-18T02:41:24Z")
The closest I got was having met Jonathan Kozol at a book signing. He’s a very powerful speaker. It was an honor. I’m applying to Teach For America based largely on his recommendation (I have five hours to finish my app; doesn’t it suck?). ---
### Author: ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/16 "2006-02-18T02:43:20Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve shaken Julian Bond’s hand. My mother is active in the Georgia’s Democratic political circles, and I remember seeing him at a function she dragged me to when I was little. I remember wearing a Julian Bond campaign t-shirt when he ran as mayor years ago. Jimmy Carter graduated from my alma mater, Georgia Tech. I have read books by Gloria Steinham (thanks to **Zoe**!), Barbara Kingsolver, and Al Franken. Shirly Franklin succeeded Bill Campbell as mayor of Atlanta. I took a picture with Bill Campbell when I won a scholarship in high school. So that makes Shirly and me practically sisters! Ludacris is from College Park, GA. My parents live in East Point, which is just a town over. I thoroughly enjoyed _Savage Inequalities_ by Johnathon Kozol and Eve Ensler’s _What I Want My Words to Do to You: Voices From Inside a Women’s Maximum Security Prison_. . I know a man who taught Al Sharpton in high school, back in the day. ---
### Author: ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/17 "2006-02-18T02:55:26Z")
Hmm. I went to Lee Bollinger’s school. I used to walk by Jane Smiley’s house every so often when visiting the ancestral **Doug** homestead in Ames, IA. I have a major crush on Eric Foner’s [niece](http://www.moviebox.se/_photos/profiler/33/maggiegyllenhaal_6.jpg). That’s about it. ---
### Author: ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/18 "2006-02-18T03:02:47Z")
Never met any of them. Must say that of the few I had actually heard of Michael Savage was the one I agreed with most. ---
### Author: ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/19 "2006-02-18T20:39:53Z")
When I was in college at UGA, my then-girlfriend met Al Gore and told him he was hot. That’s all I’ve got. > [@twickster](#): > > Jane Smiley and I had offices in the same building at Iowa State at the same time. Never met her though. I wonder if we were there at the same time? I moved to Ames not long after Jane Smiley went to Iowa City, and lived there from '97 to '99. ---
### Author: ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas) #### Post date: [February 18, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019/20 "2006-02-18T20:51:19Z")
I met The Rev. Al several times through work. His wife Kathy Jordan is one of the sweetest people on the planet. I knew a very good friend of Harry Belafonte, a professional photographer who did a lot of work for him. The friend died about 10 years ago. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-people-screwing-up-america-know-any-of-them/345019.md?page=2)