LA Mayor Villaraigosa Appears Headed for Re-election
Host:
Produced by:
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Listen to/Watch entire show:
Suspected terrorists held for years without charges or trials create a conflict between constitutional rights and national security. Barack Obama has promised to restore American values. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what that could mean. If Antonio Villaraigosa is not re-elected next week, it will be a staggering upset. But the Los Angeles Times' endorsement was decidedly lukewarm, and some critics say Jim Hahn was a better Mayor. We hear several assessments. Also, crime shaping politics in the city of Cudahay.
Banner image:Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (L) joins other members and leaders in the East Room of the White House, February 20. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Main Topic
National Security and American Values ()
Suspected terrorists have been held for years in US military prisons with no charges and no trials, creating a conflict between constitutional rights and national security. As soon as next month, Barack Obama will face tough choices about presidential power. We hear about a US Supreme Court case which could have dramatic and long-lasting consequences.
Guests:
- Jane Mayer: Investigative Reporter, The New Yorker
- Benjamin Wittes: Reserach Director, Brookings Institution
- David Cole: Professor of Law, Georgetown University, @DavidColeGtown
Links:
- Obama on torture (during his speech to a joint session of Congress)
- Charges to be filed against al-Marri, Washington Post on
- Mayer's article on the case of alleged 'sleeper agent' Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
- Mayer's 'The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American
- Wittes' 'Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror'
- Cole's 'Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror'
Main Topic
Does Mayor Villaraigosa Deserve Re-election? ()
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appears headed for re-election, opposed by nine virtual unknowns, none of whom can raise enough money to mount an effective campaign. But one resident of the San Fernando Valley says he's "at best a mediocre mayor" presiding over a city "fading rapidly toward irrelevancy." The Los Angeles Times has endorsed the Mayor's re-election, but only after remarking that Villaraigosa is "presiding over a city that, even before the recession hit, lacked the buoyant civic spirit that so many voters expected the new mayor to spark."
Guests:
- Joel Kotkin: Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University
- Jim Newton: former Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times, @newton_jim
- Joseph Mailander: writer and blogger
Links:
Reporter's Notebook
Thug Politics in the City of Cudahy ()
The City of Cudahy is ten miles from downtown Los Angeles, but it may be as dangerous to run for office there as it is in Afghanistan. That's according to Jeffrey Anderson, who writes for City Beat.
Guests:
- Jeffrey Anderson: freelance investigative journalist
Links:
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
Engage & Discuss
Further the conversation with your thoughts and comments. Agree, disagree, present a different perspective -- engage.
For information and guidelines click: Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Please note, comments are moderated. KCRW reserves the right to edit and or remove posts deemed off-topic, abusive or not in accordance with KCRW's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
