31 Facts About Michael Smerconish

Michael Andrew Smerconish is an American radio host and television presenter, political commentator, newspaper columnist, author, and lawyer.

Michael Smerconish is a Sunday newspaper columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Michael Smerconish was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the son of Florence and Walter Michael Smerconish.

Michael Smerconish graduated from Central Bucks High School West, a public high school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Michael Smerconish has been awarded several honorary degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Widener University on May 26,2016, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Delaware Valley College on May 19,2018, and a Doctor of Science degree from University of the Sciences on May 20,2020.

Michael Smerconish worked tirelessly in his father's campaign during his own senior year in high school, during which he registered to vote for the first time.

In 1986, he was responsible for the City of Philadelphia in Senator Arlen Specter's re-election win, and in 1987, Michael Smerconish served as Rizzo's Political Director in Rizzo's losing bid to re-take City Hall.

Michael Smerconish voted for neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election.

In 1993, Smerconish began what would become a decade practicing law with legendary trial attorney James E Beasley, who would become the benefactor and eponym of the Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Michael Smerconish became acquainted with Beasley while at HUD when he sought the latter's legal opinion for a possible defamation action against Steve Lopez, then a columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

At a 2015 legal seminar sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Michael Smerconish wrote an essay summarizing some of his lessons learned working for Beasley.

Michael Smerconish's clients included: the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police ; the City of Rome, Italy ; and Orlin Norris, a professional boxer who through Smerconish sued promoter Don King for a shot at the heavyweight title.

Michael Smerconish then transitioned from a guest to a guest-host.

In 1996, after the death of longtime broadcaster Dominic Quinn, Michael Smerconish moved to Saturday and Sunday mornings, the latter of which allowed him to be the lead-in of Sid Mark's Sunday with Sinatra.

WWDB was then sold by broadcast entrepreneurs Chuck and Susan Schwartz and a new owner began selling informercials masked as programming which Michael Smerconish refused to honor.

Only when in September 2003, after the firing of Don Imus, whose morning drive slot he took, did Michael Smerconish become a talk show host who was a lawyer instead of a lawyer who was a talk show host.

Michael Smerconish has often been the recipient of several Philadelphia Achievement in Radio awards, including Best Talk Show Host and Best Evening Program.

In February 2009, Michael Smerconish's program was placed into national syndication by Dial Global.

Michael Smerconish has often said that he has spoken with everyone who interested him with the exception of the elusive creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David.

Michael Smerconish then became a regular on the local ABC affiliate program Inside Story, hosted by Marc Howard.

Michael Smerconish then moved to MSNBC as a contributor at the invitation of Phil Griffin, the future head of MSNBC, where he began guest hosting Scarborough Country in the absence of former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough.

In 2013, Michael Smerconish decided to give up his terrestrial radio platform then consisting of 80 radio stations across the country to move to the POTUS Channel 124 on Sirius XM Radio.

Michael Smerconish said at the time that this reflected his desire to be "nonpartisan" in discussing issues; having left the Republican party in 2010, adding that satellite radio would give him more freedom to talk politics without a party label.

Michael Smerconish has appeared on virtually every television program where politics is a staple, from Larry King Live to The View, from Real Time with Bill Maher to The Today Show, from The Colbert Report to The O'Reilly Factor.

Michael Smerconish writes a Sunday column in The Philadelphia Inquirer, and his work has been reprinted in newspapers nationwide, including The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Denver Post, Miami Herald, Boston Herald, Sacramento Bee, and Detroit News.

Michael Smerconish ultimately argues that the Republican party today does not resemble the one he joined in 1980, largely due to politicians taking cues from the media.

Michael Smerconish subsequently interviewed Lehman whereupon Lehman shared the fact that testimony in front of the Commission suggested there was a limit on the number of Arab males who could be pulled out of line at any one time for secondary screening.

Michael Smerconish wrote about Lehman's account for his column in the Philadelphia Daily News and stayed on the subject, eventually testifying before a Senate subcommittee at the invitation of Senator Arlen Specter.

In print, Michael Smerconish told Faulkner's story, and donated the $200,000 he was paid to write the book to a charitable fund established in the slain officer's name.

Once again, Michael Smerconish gave all author profits to charity, this time, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Michael Smerconish subsequently sought to credit Melendez-Perez with playing a role in the killing of Osama bin Laden because he denied al Qahtani's entry and Qahtani, as a prisoner of war in Guantanamo Bay, was one of the detainees who identified bin Laden's courier, leading to the successful raid of SEAL Team Six.