Barack, the Candidate, and Obama Mania

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With soaring rhetoric and adoring crowds, Barack Obama has now demonstrated support from all elements of the Democratic Party. The current front-runner is now under scrutiny as never before. Is he making promises he could never fulfill? Is he saying what Americans need to hear in the way they wan to hear it? Also, competing funerals in Beirut, and the US criticized China for creating space debris by destroying a satellite.  Now it's reported that the US plans to shoot down one of its own.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Making News

Two Rival Funerals in Beirut, Hezbollah Declares 'Open War' ()

There were two competing funerals today in Beirut, Lebanon. One, for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, assassinated three years ago. The second, for Imad Mughnieh, the Hezbollah leader gunned down Tuesday in Damascus, Syria. Nicholas Blanford covered both of today's events for the Christian Science Monitor.

Guests:

• Nicholas Blanford: Beirut Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor

Main Topic

Barack Obama: The Phenomenon and the Candidate ()

With Barack Obama making inroads with every Democratic constituency, Time magazine is asking, "Is it Too Late for Hillary?" At the same time, the Economist, with a picture of Obama on next week's cover, asks, "But Could He Deliver?" Obama's appeal is based, in part, on race, rhetoric and the promise of national unity. What does he want to do on Iraq, the economy and other issues the next president will be faced with? Can he withstand the scrutiny that goes with his current front-runner status?

Guests:

• Geoff Elliott: Washington Correspondent, The Australian
• Joel Stein: Columnist, Los Angeles Times
• Rosalind Byrd-Leszczuk: Mother of Los Angeles Times columnist, Joel Stein
• Mathew Littman: Senior Advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
• James Pethokoukis: Assistant Managing Editor of 'Money & Business,' US News and World Report

Links:

• Elliott’s article on the 'cult' of Obama
• Pethokoukis' article on Obama as the new Democratic Reagan
• Stein's column on Obamamania

Reporter's Notebook

US Decides to Shoot Down a Deaf Spy Satellite ()

Two weeks ago, we heard that a broken American spy satellite had fallen out of orbit and was scheduled to strike the Earth early next month. Little danger to humans was predicted. Today, it appears that the Pentagon plans to shoot it down before it reaches the Earth's atmosphere. John Pike is director of the defense research group Global Security.

Guests:

• John Pike: Director, GlobalSecurity.org

Host

Warren Olney

Considered the dean of Southern California broadcast journalists, Warren tackles the issues Southern Californians care about. Expanding that concept, To the Point deals with issues of national concern and is on air in most major metropolitan markets across the country. On any day, you’ll hear a fast-paced, news-based talk show featuring multiple perspectives on a single major issue, with Newsmaker and Reporters Notebook features, as well. 

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Frances Anderton, Dan Konecky, Christian Bordal

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