former Chief Counsel, Democratic National Committee
Former Chief Counsel to the Democratic National Committee, now an attorney in Washington, DC
PROFILE
Joseph Birkenstock
Guest
FROM Joseph Birkenstock
To the Point
MoveOn, the Democrats and Iraq With a vote of 341 to 79, many Democrats joined Republicans today in condemnation of MoveOn.org for its full-page ad calling General David Petraeus "General BetrayUs." Today, MoveOn paid an additional $77,000 to the New York Times, which admits it was mistaken for publishing the group's ad at the discount rate of $65,000. MoveOn.org says the attack was designed to show Congressional Democrats how to get tougher on bringing an end to the war in Iraq. Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi concedes there's a public perception that her party has failed to live to expectations since winning the majority last November. Republicans still call the incident evidence of the Times' "liberal bias." One group calls it a violation of campaign finance law. Democrats say Republicans should denounce Rush Limbaugh for calling Nebraska's decorated Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel "Senator BetrayUs." What does it all have to do with ending the war in Iraq—and the presidential campaign?
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To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
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
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.