Left, Right & Center

Can there be a moment of bipartisan comity in Washington?

If Washington isn't a swamp, can it be drained?

By Katrina vanden Heuvel • Jun 16, 2017 • 44m Listen

A tragic shooting at a Republican Congressional baseball practice has leaders calling for unity. Will it last? Molly Ball says the members of Congress are scared and feel the shooting could have happened to any of them. When Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in 2011, there was a moment of kumbaya, but it was short-lived, Ball says. Left, Right & Center is the kind of show that is an antidote to the coarsening and demonization of our culture, says Katrina vanden Heuvel. Republican members of the House are working on a healthcare bill in private. Will the outcome be a win for critics of Obamacare? Rich Lowry, an opponent of Obamacare, thinks not. "This is worse. This is not how the process is supposed to work at all." Donald Trump confirmed he is being investigated for obstruction of justice. Does the investigation ease pressure for Republicans on the Hill? In an extra feature for our podcast listeners, we talk about the opioid epidemic, which may now be claiming over 60,000 lives a year.

Josh Barro (Business Insider) moderates from the Center. Rich Lowry (National Review) is on the Right. On the Left, Katrina vanden Heuvel (The Nation) Molly Ball (The Atlantic) is our special guest. Christopher Ingraham (Washington Post) will be our special guest for the podcast feature.

Photo: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Represenative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) at the annual Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington DC, June 16, 2017.