In addition to his acclaimed work as nationally syndicated radio talk show host, newspaper columnist and best-selling author, Michael Smerconish hosts CNN’s Smerconish which airs live at 9:00 am ET on Saturday mornings from New York and also provides analysis and opinion on CNN programming throughout the week. Prior to joining CNN, Smerconish was an MSNBC contributor and served as guest-host for Hardball with Chris Matthews. His presentations provide audiences with a balanced, thought-provoking and entertaining analysis of today’s current events, the race for the White House in 2016, what is ahead for the Obama Administration in working with a Republican-controlled Congress and the increasingly polarized state of U.S. politics. Smerconish has received numerous accolades for his talk show including the National Association of Broadcasters, which selected him as a 2011 Marconi Award finalist in the category of Best Network/Syndicated Host and TALKERS magazine, which has consistently named him one of America’s most important talk show hosts. He is the host of the Michael Smerconish Program heard exclusively on SiriusXM - POTUS Channel 124 from 9a–12p ET and re–airing again 6-9p ET. Satellite radio has over 25 million paid subscribers and more than twice as many listeners. He was the first radio host to interview President Barack Obama live from the White House. In addition to his seven interviews with President Obama including his most recent in October, 2012, Smerconish has interviewed Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter as well as Vice Presidents Joe Biden, Dick Cheney and Al Gore. He is the author of six books including two New York Times’ best sellers and his new book, TALK: A Novel (May, 2014). Smerconish’s twice-weekly column in The Philadelphia Inquirer is reprinted in various newspapers both in the U.S. and abroad and he has been a frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show, The Colbert Report, The O’Reilly Factor and Real Time with Bill Maher just to name a few. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and today is of counsel to the Philadelphia law firm of Kline & Specter.