Where is Thom Hartmann?

[Cleita]

This is starting the third week that he's MIA. Does anyone know?

[lordsummerisle]

1. Was wondering the same thing

I thought he usually announced when he was going to be away.

[Cleita]

4. He does and usually it's to do something good like

go to Africa and help starving people. I really hope everything is okay. Somehow I don't feel it's Louise this time but him. I hope I am wrong.

[Lochloosa]

2. His wife Louise has breast cancer. Let's hope she is doing ok.

[Cleita]

5. I hope so too and I hope Thom is well too.

Sometimes the stress on the partner of an ill person can be as debilitating.

[rurallib]

9. I do believe he said one day that they had caught it early

if someone can verify that?

[Cleita]

10. That's what leads me to believe that Louise is okay but

Thom may be having a crisis. This was all so unexpected, since he did the opening news segment and then all of a sudden a host appeared from San Diego, who seemed ill prepared to take over.

[rurallib]

16. Karl Fritsh?

[Cleita]

17. No it was a different guy, who hosts a local radio

show in San Diego. I don't remember his name. They had all kinds of problems hooking him up through what looked like a computer stream. It's like he pinched hit at the last moment. That was two weeks ago.

[alp227]

22. That host was Dr. Mike Newcomb, from Phoenix, not San Diego.

And I wondered why he'd record an "On the News" segment (on 7/31, youtube video code RRqLEsSnA1k) then just jaunt off on vacation.

The 7/31 show is at http://www.livestream.com/thomhartmann/video?clipId=pla_da2ad30f-c1f2-4021-95ca-b1ab71f5aad1

[Cleita]

23. Phoenix? Okay, sorry! I heard San Diego somewhere. n/t

[lannyf]

3. wouldn't normally care, but...

Since I'm not Thom's high school principal, he doesn't have to bring me an excuse for his absence. How-some-ever, in light of Louise's health problems, I worry and wish the substitute hosts would at least let us know if Thom's MIAs are (or aren't) health related.

Anyway, good wishes to Thom and family.

Lanny/Atlanta

[Cleita]

6. Welcome to DU.

I agree with good wishes to Thom and his family. However I wish the hosts would tell us what is happening. As it is we think things are worse than they probably are.

[GoCubsGo]

7. I have been wondering that, too.

I hope Louise is okay. Thom, too, for that matter. I hope he's just taking time off before the conventions and election. It's going to be a busy time for him.

[Cleita]

8. Yes, I wish his subs would give us a hint though that things

are all right.

[chknltl]

11. At the end of last Friday's show i heard that he was due back today.

Due back from what remains the question. I expected to hear from him on that but he was not on today either. He is a fellow DUer, our best wishes, prayers and good vibes are here should he need them.

[Cleita]

13. Yes, it's odd he's not back.

He's such a busy guy and pushes himself beyond the call of duty, I hope he didn't have a heart incident or something like that.

[lillypaddle]

12. It's summer

heading into a very busy campaign season, so I'm hoping it's just a well deserved vacation. Now Martin Bashir - where the hell is he? He's been gone for months (or so it seems).

[Cleita]

14. I hope it's a vacation but I'm doubtful.

I have followed Thom a long time and his "vacations" are usually to do something charitable, write a book or are of short duration if really a vacation and he's never been secretive before about what he's doing on his time off.

[chknltl]

15. RETRACTION.

Last edited Tue Aug 14, 2012, 03:24 PM - Edit history (2)

My research below came to wrong conclusions. There was a thread over at the show's website that was specificaly for wellwishers to Thom's wife. That thread was still getting posts as recently as last week which led me to a wrong conclusion.

Not an excuse, I should have done better research. My apologies if I caused any alarm.

[spennington]

18. i wrote the webmaster

Hello Sue

Thank you for your email.

Thom had a simple abdominal surgery scheduled for and performed on the first week of his August vacation.

It all seemed to go well. Unfortunately, the next week something inside popped, which turned into a 4-day
return to the hospital through the ER to get fixed.

He's now on the mend and it all looks good, but his 1 1/2-week summer vacation is going to run a week or
so longer than planned. When he's back on the air, he'll tell you all about his adventures with the

American healthcare system.

Best wishes.

[Cleita]

19. Thanks. I knew it was something to do with

Thom himself. I really wish his hosts had just said he was in the hospital and recuperating. However, I'm grateful to know he's on the mend and hope he's on the way to recovery.

btw. WELCOME TO DU!

[alp227]

21. This message is posted on Thom's official site

http://www.thomhartmann.com/articles/2012/08/thom-will-return-soon

I would've posted, if i had the time last night, that Thom was on a scavenger hunt for Mitt Romney's tax returns. Now I realize he had a surgery blunder. Could've been very tragic and led to the loss of a great voice on the radio.

[spennington]

20. THANKS

I was worried and they never said what was up and I got more worried and then they said he would be back on Monday and he wasn't, so I wrote them. It is always better to just let everyone know.