Left, Right & Center
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Provocative, up-to-the-minute, alive and witty, KCRW's weekly confrontation over politics, policy and popular culture proves those with impeccable credentials needn't lack personality. This weekly "love-hate relationship of the air" features four of the most insightful news analysts anywhere.
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KCRW's Left Right & Center Show 7.18.08
(Left, Right and Center) 2008-07-18 14:17
RECENT SHOWS
Iraq Troops; Is Al Gore Serious? VPstakes; Blog question
Legacy Player:
The White House announced it’s agreed on a “general time horizon” for possible troop reductions in Iraq. Tony says we’ve succeeded; Arianna says we’ve failed; and Bob says we never should’ve gone in the first place. An interesting conversation about Left-Right divisions ensues, wherein Tony tells the left what it thinks and Bob corrects him; Arianna defies these obsolete political labels, including the “archaic name of our show!”...
Oil’s Up, Market’s Down; Iran’s Missiles; Iraq’s Timetable
Legacy Player:
Today’s show raised the issue of the Presidential candidates’ response to the extreme dive in the Dow Jones and the announcement that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are in freefall. Plus, Iran shot some missiles and shot their credibility in the foot by doctoring photos. But that doesn’t mean the threat of Israel versus Iran isn’t scary and dangerous. Plus, Iraq appears to be calling for a timetable for a US departure. Is that serious?
Patriotism; Obama Shifting Right? McCain Campaign Shake Up
Legacy Player:
A substantive discussion amongst the panelists about what patriotism means. Bob expounds on George Washington’s farewell speech; Tony talks about how the theme plays out politically; Matt shares thoughts by Peter Beinart of The New Republic that the right says “America’s great,” the left says, “Here’s what would make America great;” and Arianna mentions the USA Today poll that says 2/3 of Americans think that protesting is patriotic. Are Obama’s moves toward swing voters going to win him votes or just the animosity of his base? And will John McCain’s campaign recover its footing with new guy, Steve Schmidt, at the helm.
SCOTUS on Guns/N. Korea/Oil/Dem Unity/Obamacons
Legacy Player:
The decision on gun control will raise many issues at the level of local regulation. Now that W has taken North Korea off the “black list” (against the will of Cheney and Bolton), what will this lead to, will it become the new Vietnam, the new South Korea? The oil market is skyrocketing, the stock market has the jitters: what’s to become of the American economy? So now that Obama and Hillary have kissed and made up, will Bill’s legacy get scrubbed up? And a unique phenomenon worth exploring: conservatives for Obama.
Obama/Public Finance; Offshore Drilling; China Economy
Legacy Player:
Obama announces he won’t take public funding--is campaign finance reform dead? Is it good news or bad news when more Americans add their dollars to elections? Would offering every voter a voucher to apply to whatever they support make Goldman Sachs’ money less influential? Should we start offshore drilling to offset the increase in oil prices? Or is that just more backward thinking, promoting further environmental ruin for not much of a difference in supply or demand? And finally, does China’s Communist-party controlled economic growth prove that America’s liberal capitalism is no longer a role model for the world’s developing powers? Tony’s just back from a trip there and shares his observations.
SCOTUS Bombshell; Economy: Obama/McCain; Media and Democracy
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The Supreme Court delivers a blow to Bush policy on Guantanamo detainees; Obama and McCain square off on the economy, plus a dissertation on why Obama’s Social Security plan isn’t good; and is the media helping to destroy democracy? Amity Shlaes guest hosts.
The New New Deal and the New Center
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Amity proposes that we need a new center….not a new New Deal that is narcissistic; Bob says it should be a center that doesn’t eliminate Free trade but stands for protections for workers, child labor and the environment – matt says the left should be open to more market friendly ideas, and Arianna says, this is just exactly the kind of discussion the country needs as we turn a new page in our history. Amity Shlaes sits in for Tony Blankley.
McClellan’s Revelations; Hillary’s Last Stand
Legacy Player:
Is Scott McClellan “an inconsequential cipher” as Tony describes him? Can his new memoir’s revelations about the Bush White House’s deceptions be trusted? Why, if he knew, didn’t he tell the nation the truth about what the White House was doing in the lead up to the Iraq War? And are we seeing Hillary’s last stand? After the last primaries this Tuesday, and tomorrow’s rules committee meeting, does she have any defense left for staying in the race?
Hill’s endgame; McCain VP BBQ; Obama’s Talking Tyrant Gaffe; Oil
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Whose fault is it: sexist Americans, the media or…a messy campaign? Hillary’s endgame – when will she bow out, and should she? Why won’t super-delegates declare? McCain’s grilling up some VP options, or is it just a friendly barbeque? Obama made a gaffe when he declared he’d meet unconditionally with tyrants, and McCain’s making hay with the statement. But can Obama turn it around with the right argument, and what is that argument? Lastly, just a little commentary about the rising price of oil. Plus the rants, as usual.
Gay Marriage; Obama-Appeaser? Is GOP toast? Hill still here.
Legacy Player:
Will CA decision re: gay marriage matter in the election? Is Barack an appeaser? Pres. Bush, not naming names in Israel, says talking to our enemies is like appeasing Hitler and the Nazis— and Barack strikes back as Dems are outraged. Is the GOP suffering a nervous breakdown in view of recent election losses? And after all is said and done, Hillary is still here…and taking it to end game.
Is Hillary Finished? Did McCain Vote for Bush?
Legacy Player:
There’s a sense in the Democratic Party that Hillary has to get out of the race. But as even Obama acknowledges, she’s likely to win at least two more primaries. So who’s really electable? And Arianna has gotten into a tiff with McCain: she heard him say at a dinner in LA, and others have confirmed, that he said he didn’t vote for Bush…a fact he strenuously denies. Arianna contends that there are two McCains, and that the one you see now isn’t riding the Straight Talk Express anymore.
Pastor disaster; Dems divided; Gas Tax, McCain and Economy
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The Democrats are divided, as today’s show will clearly prove. The focus on the Reverend Wright may be news but is it important, or just a distraction to fueling Republican strategists’ dreams? Is a gas tax amnesty a gimmick or a legitimate cost-savings plan for Americans? John McCain proposes a tax break voucher for individuals to buy their own health insurance, but would he even be covered under such a plan given his pre-existing condition? And despite the gloom, is the economy doing better?
Democrat Meltdown; McCain Policy; Race/Nuclear; News
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Wall-to-wall breakdown on the Democrats, as well as the flaws of both Democrats and McCain. The quickfire news rant continued the debate on race, nuclear policies and questioned whether McCain had abandoned his original values.
Obama slipup; McCain/Economy; Food riots; Pope; News
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Obama's 'bitter' fall out dominated Democratic debate was he misunderstood or is he plain elitist, the debate continued ferociously with our panel. Economic discussion includes McCain's recent proposals on military spending, support for homeowners and student loaners, Wall street hedge fund managers earning billions while the global economy is sinking and food riots; are Bio fuels contributing to the food crisis? Plus quick fire news rant.
Iraq; Free Trade; McCain/Mortgage; Clinton $; News
Legacy Player:
Petraeus and Crocker testified before Congress this week about progress in Iraq, Bush signs onto the Petraeus plan, the candidates give it their own spin, and so do our panelists. The free trade debate: Mark Penn loses all the way round, strangely all panelists agree on this topic. Greenspan says “don’t blame me” for the mortgage debate and McCain changes his tune, now says, don’t blame borrowers either. The Clintons tax return shows exactly how well they’ve been doing – is it really our business? Tony’s weekly column takes on the news biz – more commentary, less reportage make us all a little more ignorant.
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Hosts
Progressive independent Arianna Huffington is the editor of the Webby Award-wining online blog, Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist and author of numerous books, most recently Right is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe.
Tony Blankley, who served as press secretary to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, is a columnist for the Washington Times newspaper. He is Executive Vice President of Edelman Public Relations in Washington, DC and a visiting senior fellow in national security communications at the Heritage Foundation. He is also the author of The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations, published by Regnery.
Matt Miller (center/moderator) is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress; a columnist for Fortune, and an award-winning contributor to The Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine and many other publications. A former aide in the Clinton White House, Miller's first book, The Two Percent Solution: Fixing America's Problems In Ways Liberals And Conservatives Can Love, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. His next book, The Tyranny of Dead Ideas, will be published by Henry Holt/Times Books in January 2009.
Robert Scheer is Editor of the Webby Award winning political website Truthdig.com. He’s a syndicated columnist based at the San Francisco Chronicle and a clinical professor in Communications at USC. He has authored numerous books, most recently The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America.
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