Director of Senate Relations at the Heritage Foundation
PROFILE
Brian Darling
Guest
FROM Brian Darling
Which Way, L.A.?
Is Ideology Trumping Science in the Bush White House? More than a decade ago, Dr. James Holsinger wrote a paper for the Methodist Church claiming that gay-male sex was inherently unsafe. Now President Bush has nominated him to become the country's leading doctor . Facing tough questions at a Senate confirmation hearing this morning, Holsinger insisted his views had changed and that he held no biases against gay men or lesbians. However, his testimony came only a few days after statements by his predecessor that White House officials had fought his attempts to discuss issues like secondhand smoke and had tried to force him to repeatedly mention the president by name in his speeches. Richard Carmona's is just the latest in a string of charges that the Bush White House has been hostile to science and has put political biases ahead of sound health policy. Guest host Jim Sterngold explores the proper role the of science in making national policy.
To the Point
Is Ideology Trumping Science in the Bush White House? More than a decade ago, Dr. James Holsinger wrote a paper for the Methodist Church claiming that gay-male sex was inherently unsafe. Now President Bush has nominated him to become the country's leading doctor . Facing tough questions at a Senate confirmation hearing this morning, Holsinger insisted his views had changed and that he held no biases against gay men or lesbians. However, his testimony came only a few days after statements by his predecessor that White House officials had fought his attempts to discuss issues like secondhand smoke and had tried to force him to repeatedly mention the president by name in his speeches. Richard Carmona's is just the latest in a string of charges that the Bush White House has been hostile to science and has put political biases ahead of sound health policy. Guest host Jim Sterngold explores the proper role the of science in making national policy.
To the Point
Speaker Pelosi Conducts Her Own Diplomacy in Syria Despite President Bush's objections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met today in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Afterward, Pelosi told reporters she "expressed concern" about Syria's support of Hamas and Hezbollah. She also carried the message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Omert that he is ready for peace talks. Describing the meeting, Syrian cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban said praised Pelosi for sending the right message to the Arab people and for coming to the region to "solve problems rather than to launch wars." The meeting--which Syrian officials are calling a "victory"--is being carefully watched in Lebanon. Is Pelosi's international diplomacy in Syria undermining President Bush or is it time for a breakthrough? We hear from journalists in the US and Middle East, historians and policy experts.
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.