Tuesday's Primaries and a Look toward November

Making News

Iraqi PM al-Maliki Visits Fellow Shiite Leaders in Iran ()

President Ahmadinejad of Iran has promised that his country will "establish complete security in Iraq." That came in response to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki in a visit to Tehran. But US officials have been saying that elements in Iran have stoked Iraq's sectarian violence. Edward Wong is in Baghdad for the New York Times.

Guests:

• Edward Wong: Reporter, New York Times

Links:

• Wong's article on Prime Minister al-Maliki's visit to Iranian President Ahmadinejad

Main Topic

Tuesday's Primaries and a Look toward November ()

In the biggest primary day of the year, nine states and the District of Columbia have chosen candidates for the November elections. Yesterday’s big political drama was Rhode Island's Republican Senate primary, where moderate incumbent Lincoln Chafee faced a tough challenge from conservative Mayor of Cranston, Steve Laffey.  The big question remains: are the Democrats or the Republicans now better positioned to control the House and the Senate? Were voters pro- or anti-incumbent? Are national or local issues most likely to prevail in November? Why are some conservatives saying the Republican Party will be better off if it looses?

Guests:

• Jennifer Duffy: Editor, Cook Report, @jennifereduffy
• Bob Benenson: Editor, CQ Politics.com
• Richard Viguerie: Long-time conservative activist
• John McLaughlin: Republican pollster and strategist
• Bill Burton: Spokesman, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Links:

• The Hill on midterm loss and 2008 GOP hopefuls
• Ramesh Ponnuru's (New York Times op-ed) article on how the GOP can win by losing
• Viguerie's (Washington Monthly) article on GOP and November election

Reporter's Notebook

Gates, Rockefeller Foundations Join to Fight African Hunger ()

The Gates and Rockefeller Foundations have announced a joint project to create a new Green Revolution in sub-Saharan Africa, which, if current trends continue, will be the only region in the world where the number of poor people will be higher in 2015 than it was in 1990. The foundations hope to avoid the past pitfalls that caused environmental problems and favored large agricultural operations over small family farms.

Guests:

• Pedro Sanchez: Director of the Tropical Agriculture Project, Columbia University