On the September 15 broadcast of the CBS Evening News, the "Free Speech" segment featured writer and singer Joanne Lessner discussing the topic of cell phones in schools.

Day 8: "Free Speech" held hostage, still no Democrats or progressives on CBS segment

The "Free Speech" segment of the September 14 broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric featured Michael Gerson, former aide and speechwriter to President Bush, commenting on the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. Gerson is the third Republican or conservative to be featured in the "Free Speech" segment since it debuted on CBS on September 5 -- he followed nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In that time, not one progressive media figure or Democrat has been featured.

Gerson, who left the White House in June, was recently hired by The Washington Post as an op-ed columnist.

Other than Gerson, Giuliani, and Limbaugh, the following people have appeared on "Free Speech":

• September 5: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, commenting on the lack of "real, civil discourse" in the United States.

• September 6: Los Angeles Times reporter Sonia Nazario, addressing "the plight of hundreds of thousands of mothers now in the U.S. and the children they felt forced to leave behind in Central America."

• September 8: Comedy writer Jim Twohie, commenting on the length of congressional vacations.

• September 12: Muslim Public Affairs Council national director Ahmed Younis, explaining how American Muslims can help win the war on terror.

• September 13: CBS chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer commenting on the Bush administration's secret CIA prisons.