Ex-Talk Show Host Donahue Stumps for Solomon

Although it’s been off the air for more than a decade, the Phil Donahue Show was revived Monday in Petaluma as its charismatic host campaigned for Norman Solomon, who is running to  in in the new Second Congressional District.

Solomon, a West Marin anti-war activist and author, has been successful at capturing attention thus far in the campaign, rfor a Q&A session and making an . Solomon’s message of not taking any corporate cash is resonating with some voters, as well as his strong opposition to wars in the Middle East.

Donahue hosted a nationally syndicated talk show for nearly 30 years and is considered one of the country's most well-known and respected broadcasters, having amassed multiple Emmy awards during his career. On Monday, Donahue stopped at  in Petaluma to campaign for Solomon, who is seeking the congressional seat that represents citizens from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

Donahue covered everything from extraordinary rendition to war by default and why criticizing the status quo is patriotic.

“Our mission is to change the country and to get away from the 'don’t mess with Texas, you gotta be tough to win' attitude,” Donahue told the audience.

“Most of the people in this country agree with us, and they are tired of the war, of Wall Street, which is flicking its cigar on the people and the corporate media, which is only concerned about money,” he said.

Click on the right to see a short video excerpt of Donahue speaking on Monday

Donahue said he got to know Solomon after reading his 2005 book War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, which inspired him to produce a documentary titled Body of War.

“I was just really impressed by his book, the points that it raised that I didn’t appreciate before,” Donahue told Petaluma Patch, adding that he had opposed the Iraqi invasion from the beginning and that it had cost him his job at MSNBC. “The pressure to sit down and shut up is enormous.”

Solomon has made his opposition to the war one of the central tenets of his campaign, along with a pledge to not accept any donations from corporate political action committees. 

The Petaluma visit was part of a four-day jaunt through District 2 for Donahue.