DECEMBER 31, 2001--4 years later: A retrospective

DECEMBER 31, 2001
4 years later: A retrospective
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

This is my 208th column for WorldNetDaily.com -- four years worth. Next week starts my fifth year writing for WorldNetDaily.com, and it is an association of which I am very proud.

We have come a long way in a short period of time. I remember Joseph and Elizabeth Farah being just so excited about getting 10,000 "hits" a day in January 1998. Today they only count exclusive unique visitors, and only the next million are statistically worthy of note.

Before Bill O'Reilly, Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Jerry Falwell, Michael Medved and Gary Aldrich joined the team, Team WorldNetDaily was filling the vacuum created by the mainstream media's malfeasance. "A Free Press for a Free People" wasn't just a tag line -- it was and is policy. Although I am not in the management loop, I suspect a key reason so many high profile columnists and pundits have joined us is because of what WorldNetDaily was, is and will be.

My first column was published Jan. 5, 1998. It was headlined "Whatever happened to morality, ethics, honor?" Four years later (with the exception of a minority of mostly uniformed patriots and some WND colleagues) morality, ethics, and honor are still largely missing in action.

Starting in February 2000 I began writing weekly Q&As based on interviews I had conducted on my radio program. These long form interviews have become a blessing and a curse. They are difficult and time consuming to produce. However, I routinely find pearls in the printed text that I missed in the conversation. When I started doing the Q&As I was concerned we might lose some of the subtleties, inflections and subtext. However, the longer I do them the more I find other shadings that either make up for, enhance, or replace the spoken word.

By accident, hard work, timing, insight, or luck we have been way ahead of the power curve (and news cycle) on a wide variety of issues and topics:

In January 2000 there was the Q&A with Matthew Kerbel about broadcast news and liberal bias. Recently, I interviewed Bernie Goldberg about his book "Bias."
WND readers learned about the international spy system "Echelon" long before the British Parliament got its knickers in a bunch.
Lt. Cdr. Jack Daly accused several top Clinton officials of treason on the air with me. Only WorldNetDaily and Bill Gertz at the Washington Times reported the story.
I still get hate mail over reporting the Bill Clinton trip to Vietnam. It was at first denied, then three weeks later reported in USA Today. Clinton's plan to subordinate our flag is still denied despite the on-air confirmation from the chief justice of the Marshall Islands Supreme Court.
We've pushed hot buttons on privacy issues, home schooling, gun-rights issues, along with the tax-honesty movement (featuring stories about guys like Bill Benson, Larry Becraft and Bob Schulz).
Sept. 7, 2001, I asked Col. David Hackworth to prioritize military threats to the U.S. He said, "It's not China or Russia, but international terrorism in New York City and Washington D.C." Four days later, 9-11 occurred.

I have a cool job. It requires a lot of reading and research, but I have had the opportunity to interview a long and diverse list of fascinating and interesting people, including Bill O'Reilly, Pat Buchanan, Bill Gertz, Steven Mosher, Bob Schulz, Matt Drudge, Jon Entine, Yossef Bodansky, Dr. Charles Osterman, Ward Connerly, Dr. Glynn Custred, David Schippers, Ann Coulter, Ted Nugent, Reed Irvine, Gen. Charles Krulak, LTC Jack Daly, Rev. Jesse Peterson, Peter Hitchins, Wesley Smith, Rep. Ron Paul, David Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Gary Aldrich, and others. Many guests even become friends.

In the spring of 2000 I was hosting a talk show for ABC radio in San Francisco. When I learned I was getting squeezed out after five years by Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura joining the line up I called my friends. When I told Joseph Farah I would be job hunting, he said, "Let's do your program on the web!" I told him it was too soon, but he was excited about pioneering new media and I was intrigued with breaking new ground. I had other major market offers, but "something" about WorldNetDaily was infectious. We agreed that in addition to being online with live streaming, the program would be syndicated to radio stations nationally. There have been challenges and obstacles technically but I remain proud of both the content and quality of our guests. Hopefully our strategic partnership with TalkOne will add more stations to our affiliate list.

I have had an eclectic life. I am a husband and father. I am a professional broadcaster, writer and retired Army officer. I've been a Green Beret, Black Belt and Eagle Scout. I'm a published author who has worked in radio, television, newspapers and magazines and at various times owned a radio station and an ad agency. I still don't know what I'm going to do when I grow up, but I hope that my contributions to WorldNetDaily remain a part of my life for a long long time.

Elbert Hubbard once observed, "Some men succeed by what they know; some by what they do; and a few by what they are." I encourage you to seek success in the coming year as a function of all three: by what you know; by what you do; and by what you are.