FORT MYERS, Fla. - She's interviewed some of the biggest news-makers, but now she's grabbing headlines of her own.

WINK NEWS RADIO's Daybreak with Mandy Connell is a top-rated morning show in Southwest Florida.

In this Maggie Monday, Maggie Crane sits down with the conservative talk radio host.

She starts her day at 3 a.m scouring news websites for the latest controversial issues, and Mandy Connell might even be listening in to your conversations at the deli or grocery store. It's where she gets fuel to fire off talk radio commentary every day.

"Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk!"

It's what she does for three and a half hours a day.

"AM 1240 and 1270 WINK News time 8:09ish. Good morning everybody, it's me Mandy."

She's on a first-name basis with her listeners. Mandy Connell comes on WINK's a.m. airwaves at daybreak.

But Connell came into the hot seat by chance. She started as Daybreak's producer but soon had no host to help.

"Our morning host left. There really wasn't anyone to do this job, and I said 'I can do it, no problem,' until we find somebody else," Connell says.

She seems to know a little -- or even a lot -- about a lot of things.

"About four or five times a day, I will sit down at my computer for about an hour and go through all the news websites," Connell says. "I seem to have a photographic memory for things I read."

"So today's episode of 'Liberals say the darnedest things'" Connell says on air.

It's no secret Connell is conservative, and she's not shy about sharing her opinion about current events. From McCain --

"I offered John McCain my "undorsement" 11 months ago," Connell says.

To Cuba --

"This might be an opportunity for us to change our Cuban policy," Connell says.

To schools now teaching evolution --

"What disturbs me is that there is no 'theory' anymore -- no big bang theory -- but rather (evolution) is sort of accepted fact," Connell says.

But the talk radio host adds she aims to entertain everyone.

"Even if you disagree with what we're saying politically, I think that most really good hosts try to entertain their audience first," Connell says. "The biggest compliment I ever get is when people say 'you made me laugh so hard the other day you made coffee come out of my nose'" Connell says.

But some coffee talk is serious. Connell has interviewed big news-makers -- especially those hitting the campaign trail. She gets her questions answered and yours.

"I want to people to go and get information, and I try to provide the information, and I try to provide policy platforms and I try to provide voting records and things like that -- I want people to make their own decisions," Connell says.

And, she wants you to talk about them. Connell says she never knows which topics will light up the phone lines.

"I love it when people call in and disagree with me. I love it, absolutely love it," Connell says.

Connell's off-the-cuff quotes reach about 50,000 people everyday.

"To quote Spiderman, 'with great power comes great responsibility,' and it freaks me out a little bit!" Connell says.

But the bottom line -- Mandy Connell says she hopes she helps you -- her listeners.

"Maybe I made them laugh, maybe I made them think about something they never thought about, maybe I make them sit down at the Internet and make them research something," Connell says.

"This is the best job in the world!" Connell says. "I get to sit here and say whatever comes to my mind for 3 1/2 hours -- no other job in the world do you get paid to do that."

And with that, you might admit, it's cool being Connell.

"We're done! Laura Ingram's up next -- keep it right here on WINK News Radio," Connell says as she signs off.

We have some big news to announce -- WINK News is installing cameras in Mandy's studio, and we'll be talking to her from time to time throughout our morning newscasts. So it's a bonus for us and for her listeners.

You can listen to Mandy every morning on WINK News a.m. radio 1240 and 1270, or go on-line to listen in on pod cast by linking to: http://www.winknewsradio.com/podcast.php

If you have an idea for Maggie Monday, send Maggie an email at maggie.crane@winktv.com.