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Mark Levin

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For his show, see The Mark Levin Show.
For other people named Mark Levin or Mark Levine, see Mark Levine.
Mark Levin
Mark Levin at CPAC in February 2015.
Born
Mark Reed Levin

(1957-09-21) September 21, 1957 (age 66)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Career
ShowThe Mark Levin Show
StationWABC
NetworkCumulus Media Networks
Time slot6:00–9:00 pm EST
StyleTalk radio
CountryUnited States
Websitemarklevinshow.com

Mark Reed Levin (/ləˈvɪn/; born September 21, 1957) is an American lawyer, author, and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin worked in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He is president of the Landmark Legal Foundation, has authored five books, and contributes commentary to various media outlets such as National Review Online. On September 1, 2015, Levin was named Editor-in-Chief of Conservative Review.[1]

Biography

Mark Reed Levin, one of three boys, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Erdenheim as well as Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. His father, Jack E. Levin, is the author of several books.[2] He graduated from Cheltenham High School after three years in 1974.[3][4] After high school, Levin enrolled at Temple University Ambler including summer classes and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1977 at age 19, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.[5] Levin won election to the Cheltenham school board in 1977 on a platform of reducing property taxes.[4] In 1980 Levin earned a juris doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law.[6] Levin worked for Texas Instruments after law school.[4] He is Jewish.[7]

Beginning in 1981, Levin served as an adviser to several members of President Ronald Reagan's cabinet, eventually becoming the associate director of presidential personnel and ultimately chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese; Levin also served as deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, and deputy solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior.[8]

He practiced law in the private sector and is president of Landmark Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm founded in 1976 with offices in Kansas City, Missouri and Leesburg, Virginia.[9][10][11]

Levin has participated in Freedom Concerts, an annual benefit concert to aid families of fallen soldiers, and uses his radio program to promote aid to military families.[12][13] Levin is also involved with Troopathon, a charity that sends care packages to soldiers serving overseas.[14]

In 2001 the American Conservative Union awarded Levin its Ronald Reagan Award.[15] He was awarded the inaugural Citizens United Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award at CPAC in 2014.[16]

Radio broadcasting

Levin speaks at the 2011 Defending the American Dream Conference hosted by Americans for Prosperity.
See also: The Mark Levin Show

Levin began his broadcasting career as a guest on conservative talk radio programs. For many years, he was a frequent contributor of legal opinions to The Rush Limbaugh Show, where Limbaugh referred to him on-air as "F. Lee Levin," a tongue-in-cheek reference to the defense attorney F. Lee Bailey. He was also a contributor to The Sean Hannity Show and eventually got a radio slot of his own on WABC, initially on Sundays beginning in 2002, then in the timeslot following Sean Hannity in 2003. Cumulus Media Networks began syndicating The Mark Levin Show nationally in 2006.

Levin is known for his frequent use of the pejorative "moron" and "puke" for people he opposes.[17][18][19] Hannity has nicknamed Mark Levin "The Great One".[20] Levin and Hannity remain frequent contributors to each other's programs. He is a leading conservative commentator, ranked 4–6 position nationally among talk radio programs, with a minimum of 7.75 million total weekly listenership according to Talkers Magazine.[21]

Writer

Men In Black

Levin authored the 2005 book Men In Black: How The Supreme Court Is Destroying America, in which he advanced his thesis that activist judges on the Supreme Court (from all parts of the political spectrum) have "legislated from the bench." In a review of Men in Black, Commentary magazine's Dan Seligman wrote that Levin asks readers "to identify with 'originalists' who look to the text of the Constitution and the intent of its framers, and to reject the 'activists' who construe the Constitution broadly and are more concerned with getting to their own 'desired outcomes'."[22] In her review of Men in Black, Slate magazine's legal correspondent and journalist Dahlia Lithwick wrote that "no serious scholar of the court or the Constitution, on the ideological left or right, is going to waste their time engaging Levin's arguments once they've read this book."[23]

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish is a non-fiction novel written by Levin in 2007 about his experience of rescuing a dog named Sprite from a local animal shelter.[24]

Liberty and Tyranny

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto was released on March 24, 2009, and became a #1 New York Times best seller for eleven of twelve weeks,[25] as well as No. 1 on Nielsen's BookScan.[26] It came in at No. 2 on Amazon.com's list of bestselling books of 2009.[27] The book includes discussion of a variety of issues that, according to Levin, need to be addressed in the United States. In Liberty and Tyranny Levin repudiates the use of the term "progressive" to describe "modern Liberals" and instead argues a proper term should be "Statist." Liberty and Tyranny has sold over one million copies according to Threshold Editions, the book's publisher.[28] Former federal prosecutor and fellow National Review Online author Andrew C. McCarthy wrote of Liberty and Tyranny in The New Criterion: "Levin offers not so much a defense as a plan of attack" against "America's Leftist ascendancy."[29] Other reviewers critiqued the book as "analysis utterly useless in understanding more than half of the American political landscape" while charging "Levin resorts to the same old misinformation to sell his brand of conservatism."[30][31]

Ameritopia

Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America was released January 17, 2012. In Ameritopia, Levin discusses the origins and development of both the modern day conservative and liberal political philosophies, the latter of which he refers to as "statist," through the works of some of the leading figures in American history.[32][33] Included are commentaries on works by Plato, Sir Thomas More, Thomas Hobbes, Karl Marx, John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu and Alexis de Tocqueville.[34]

Jeffrey Lord, writing in the conservative American Spectator, called it "...historical X-ray vision in book form."[35] Praise for the book came from PJ Media who reported, "That Levin wrote this book now demonstrates not only his passion for the United States, but his awareness that he is a statesman defending natural law at a pivotal moment in human history."[36] On the other hand, The Atlantic's review criticized the book's argument that statism is based on utopianism,[37] and a review by Professor Carlin Romano in the Chronicle of Higher Education called the book "disastrously bad from beginning to end."[38]

The Liberty Amendments

The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic, a book that suggests eleven new Constitutional amendments, was released on August 13, 2013. The book debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in all three categories for which it qualified.[39] Hans A. von Spakovsky of National Review called the book "required reading for conservative bloggers."[40] Meanwhile The Guardian said the book "contains some radical notions about a complete overhaul of the US constitution, but to debate the specifics of their merits is to ignore the larger insanity of the project" while noting "the ludicrousness of his specific 'fixes' and the near-impossibility of achieving them."[41] In the Washington Times, Tenth Amendment Center Executive Director Michael Lotfi criticized Levin's idea as "the bullet to a loaded revolver pointed at the Constitution." Also in the Times, Richard Rahn wrote "If "The Liberty Amendments" can help foster a national debate about which corrective actions, including constitutional amendments, are needed to increase liberty and prosperity, Mr. Levin will have performed a great national service."[42] Hoover Institution fellow David Davenport wrote in Forbes that Levin's book used "weak arguments."[43][44] Also in Forbes, Ralph Benko credited Levin with "notably and nobly proposing to change the rules of modern politics and governance."[45]

Plunder and Deceit

Levin's most recent book Plunder and Deceit: Big Government's Exploitation of Young People and the Future, was released on August 4, 2015.[46]As of September 23, 2015, Plunder and Deceit has been Number 1 on the New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller List for five weeks.

References

  1. ^ "RELEASE: Mark Levin Tapped as Editor-in-Chief of Conservative Review". Conservative Review. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  2. ^ Jack E. Levin. "Jack E. Levin | Official Publisher Page". Authors.simonandschuster.com. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Cheltenham alumni website". Cheltenhamalumni.org. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Carey, Art (July 16, 2009). "Looking at liberty and tyranny: Author and radio host Mark Levin offers a conservative view". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  5. ^ Mark R. Levin bio by National Review
  6. ^ Jeffrey, Terence P.; Ryskind, Allan H. (2 October 2006). "Mark Levin Takes Talk Radio by Storm". Human Events. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  7. ^ Topaz, Jonathan (July 16, 2014). Levin: Stewart not funny on Israel. Politico. Retrieved: November 7, 2015.
  8. ^ "Mark R. Levin". National Review. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  9. ^ Limbaugh, Rush (16 November 2007). "Mark Levin In-Studio on "Rescuing Sprite"". The Rush Limbaugh Show. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  10. ^ Levin, Rescuing Sprite, p. 9.
  11. ^ "Contact Us". Landmark Legal Foundation. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  12. ^ "Mark Levin 9-11-07 Sean Hannity Freedom Concert". YouTube. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  13. ^ "Montgomery Gentry loves country and sings for "Freedom"". New York Daily News. 11 September 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  14. ^ "Troopathon Homepage". Move America Forward. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  15. ^ "Ronald Reagan Award Presented to Landmark's President Mark Levin". Landmark Legal Foundation. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  16. ^ http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2014/03/06/mark-levin-accepts-andrew-breitbart-first-amendment-award-from-citizens-united-cpac/
  17. ^ http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/5-kinds-of-political-name-calling-we-should-recognize-this-election-cycle/
  18. ^ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/12/07/mark_levin_rips_deranged_moron_chris_matthews_this_is_one_sick_sob.html
  19. ^ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/01/03/mark_levin_boehner_is_a_moron.html
  20. ^ Freedlander, David (19 October 2013). "Radio's Mark Levin Might Be the Most Powerful Conservative You Never Heard Of". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 5 March 2014. Hannity discovered him then, too, and stuck him with the nickname "The Great One," which is now used by Palin and nearly everyone who talks about him
  21. ^ "The Top Talk Radio Audiences, February 2014". Talkers Magazine. Talk Media Inc. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  22. ^ Seligman, Dan (5 June 2005). "Men in Black by Mark R. Levin". Commentary Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  23. ^ Lithwick, Dahlia. "The Limbaugh Code: The New York Times best seller no one is talking about." Slate, April 1, 2005.
  24. ^ Lopez, Kathryn Jean (November 5, 2007). "Man's Best Friend". National Review. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  25. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (2009-06-21). "Hardcover Nonfiction". The New York Times.
  26. ^ Nielsens Bookscan Liberty and Tyranny, April 9, 2009
  27. ^ "Customers' Bestsellers: Top 100 Books". Amazon.com. 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  28. ^ Vivian, Jordan (2009-09-15). "Liberty and Tyranny Sells a Million". Human Events. Retrieved 2009-09-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ McCarthy, Andrew (May 2009). "The Work of Generations". New Criterion. Retrieved 2009-10-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/08/tilting-at-statists/197083/
  31. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-krepel/liberty-and-tyranny----an_b_203805.html
  32. ^ "The Tyranny of Utopia" (PDF).
  33. ^ "Mark Levin on 'Ameritopia:' 'We Now Live in a Post-Constitutional Country'".
  34. ^ "Why Mainstream Media Ignores Conservative Bestsellers". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  35. ^ "Ameritopia Explodes Into 2012 Campaign". The American Spectator.
  36. ^ http://books.simonandschuster.com/Ameritopia/Mark-R-Levin/9781439173275
  37. ^ "Why Mainstream Media Ignores Conservative Bestsellers". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  38. ^ "'Ameritopia': How Dumb Can Political Philosophy Get?". Chronicle. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  39. ^ Smith, Kyle (2013-09-01). "Why are major media outlets ignoring bestselling writer Mark R. Levin?". New York Post. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  40. ^ Hans A. von Spakovsky Archive Latest RSS Send (2013-09-04). "Amendments for Liberty | National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  41. ^ http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/04/mark-levin-originalist-fantasy
  42. ^ Rahn, Richard (2013-08-27). "RAHN: Should the Constitution be amended?". Washington Times. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  43. ^ "Mark Levin is wrong: A lawless gov't, not the Constitution, needs nullified | Washington Times Communities". Communities.washingtontimes.com. 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  44. ^ Davenport, David. "Mark Levin Makes A Strong Conservative Case With Weak Constitutional Arguments". Forbes. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  45. ^ Benko, Ralph (2013-08-19). "Mark Levin's Game Changer: Using The Constitution To Arrest Federal Drift". Forbes. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  46. ^ Walters, Ian (August 5, 2015). "BOOK REVIEW: 'Plunder and Deceit'". The Washington Times. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
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