Liberals, it would seem, are at their most influential in years in U.S. politics. They’re saving the environment, getting Democratic presidents elected, trying to legalize gay marriage (and, on occasion, marijuana), plotting to end the war in Iraq and dictating where various bail-out funds should go. At the dawn of the Obama White House, liberal media stand on the verge of exerting unprecedented influence over a media-savvy president and his staff.

Just so we know which writers, editors, commetators and TV hosts are prodding us and our elected officials towards the right causes over the 4 to 8 years ahead, Forbes’s annual listicle of The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media brings us face to face with Jon Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington, Fred Hiatt, Rachel Maddow (pictured) and David Shipley, among others. Know your liberal media overloards so you may better pay them the respect they are due but will never demand because, you know, liberals aren’t very good at getting what they want.