Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2025 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to To the Point

To the Point

30 Years Ago, How the Panama Canal Boosted Conservative Politics

Thirty years ago this week, the US Senate approved the first of two treaties that transferred ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama. Conservatives were horrified and a struggling presidential candidate named Ronald Reagan grabbed the issue and ran with it.

  • rss
  • Share
KCRW placeholderBy Lawrence O'Donnell • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

Thirty years ago this week, the US Senate approved the first of two treaties that transferred ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama. Conservatives were horrified and a struggling presidential candidate named Ronald Reagan grabbed the issue and ran with it. The rest is history rendered in the elegant prose of Adam Clymer's new book, Drawing the Line at the Big Ditch: The Panama Canal Treaties and the Rise of the Right.

  • KCRW placeholder

    Lawrence O'Donnell

    MSNBC

  • KCRW placeholder

    Katie Cooper

    Producer, 'One year Later'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Dan Konecky

    Producer, To the Point

  • KCRW placeholder

    Christian Bordal

    Managing Producer, Greater LA

    NewsNationalPolitics
Back to To the Point