American Enterprise Institute / Atlantic
Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributing editor to the Atlantic. He is co-author of It's Even Worse than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism and the forthcoming One Nation after Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate and the Not Yet Deported.
Will sexual predation allegations be the ultimate wedge issue? More House members are likely to be outed in coming days for making secret settlements with former staff members over sexual harassment allegations. Will the Franken precedent force a lot of resignations?
Sexual harassment: New rules to address age-old problems? Is this country finally turning a corner when it comes to sexual harassment?
What will American democracy look like after Trump? Norman Ornstein is co-author of the new book One Nation after Trump , and yesterday we heard him describe how "Trumpism” has been decades in the making. Today we turn to the future of democracy and what Ornstein calls "a contract for social responsibility" involving American corporations. Listen to Part I .
'One Nation after Trump' Just nine months into his presidency, Donald Trump has only begun to form a government. But we already have a new book. One Nation after Trump is subtitled "A Guide for the Perplexed, the Desperate and the Not-Yet Deported." Is it preliminary, even presumptuous to start planning for the country after the 45th president? The book has three authors, EJ Dionne and Thomas Mann -- veteran journalists with the Brookings Institution -- and Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who joins us today.
'One Nation after Trump' Just nine months into his presidency, Donald Trump has only begun to form a government. But we already have a new book. One Nation after Trump is subtitled "A Guide for the Perplexed, the Desperate and the Not-Yet Deported." Is it preliminary, even presumptuous to start planning for the country after the 45th president? The book has three authors, EJ Dionne and Thomas Mann -- veteran journalists with the Brookings Institution -- and Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who joins us today. Listen to Part II .
Does it take two parties to govern? For seven years, Republicans promised the Moon if they could take control of the White House and both houses of Congress. There's been no progress on the Mexican border-wall, infrastructure, tax cuts or Pentagon spending — not to mention Obamacare repeal and replacement. Contradictions and an incoherent agenda from the Trump White have some Republicans blaming their own President. But now, deadlines are looming for the debt limit and the budget. Can the GOP keep the government in business -- without help from the Democrats?
Senate Majority Leader plans to pass healthcare bill in secret Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has imposed a lid of secrecy on all discussion of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. Even some Republican colleagues say they wish there was more transparency. Four Democrats have sent letters to committee chairmen, listing 31 rooms in the Capitol where hearings could be held. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska says she is unhappy with the secrecy surrounding the deliberations. After all, when Obamacare was passed seven years ago, there were roughly 100 sessions in public. Norm Ornstein, who is Congressional Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of the upcoming, One Nation after Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate and the Not-Yet Deported , says grumbling from a few Republicans is unlikely to increase transparency in the legislative process.
Will Washington become a kleptocracy? Donald Trump promised to "drain the swamp" in Washington, but critics say he's creating a new swamp of potential conflicts of interest. The White House has opened a revolving door by appointing lobbyists and corporate leaders to regulate the businesses they formerly worked for. Public money's being spent at Trump properties, and family members have the chance to enrich themselves by making government policy. Ethics officials and reporters say the flood of possible violations is so great that a single scandal looks like it's just part of business as usual.
What's behind our information polarization? The Fairness Doctrine was revoked in the 1980s, leading to the rise of right wing talk radio in the 90s. Veteran newsman Ted Koppel has said that’s why we have such a poisoned media climate. We discuss fairness, fake news, and whether we can overcome political polarization.
Has Donald Trump nominated a team of dissenters? Donald Trump's picks to lead two major national-security agencies are contradicting positions taken by the President-Elect. In testimony before a Senate committee today, CIA chief-designate Mike Pompeo said he would not use "enhanced interrogation," even if Trump told him to. At another hearing, Trump's choice for Defense Secretary, General James Mattis , said Russia's Vladimir Putin is trying to break up the NATO alliance. When his nominees differ with him in such important ways, what are we learning about Trump's national security policy — and who will shape it?
Would divided government mean gridlock? GOP candidates point with alarm at Hillary Clinton’s Supreme Court nominees, free college tuition and “Big Government” that’s bigger than ever. Advocates for Republicans are almost saying it out loud: Hillary Clinton is likely to be America’s next President. That’s got them campaigning to maintain a divided government. Are they selling government by checks and balances in hopes of gridlock and four years of a Democratic president who can’t get anything done? Is that what voters really want?
The candidates, up close and personal but light on policy Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were in the same place, but not at the same time. Even so, it's being called a preview of the formal debates to come. The topic was National Security, but NBC's Matt Lauer is taking heat for dwelling on Clinton's e-mails and failing to call Trump on misrepresentations. That's renewed debate about coverage of the campaign, with reporters accused of giving minor issues "false equivalence" with major ones. We hear what the candidates said that was new about national security. Did anything happen that might change voters' minds one way or the other?
Does the GOP Really Matter? After one of the nastiest primary campaigns in America's political history, Donald Trump claims he can unite Republicans – but he's also said it's not all that important. Trump has questioned the tradition of giving the senior leader, House Speaker Paul Ryan, leadership of the nominating convention. As he looks for a running mate with insider credentials, some GOP veterans are openly dreaming about a Third Party. The billionaire now says he'll need to raise money, but many senior contributors are spending on the House and the Senate. Can new voters bring life to the GOP?
The Race for Control of the Senate and the "Trump Effect" Donald Trump's march to the White House may have riled the Republican establishment, but it's giving Democrats fresh hope that they can reclaim control of the Senate in November. With 34 seats up for grabs – 24 of them now held by Republicans -- Democrats need a net gain of just five to regain control of the chamber. Seven of those are especially at risk, because they're in states that Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012. The Senate Republican leadership's refusal to grant even a hearing to Judge Merrick Garland, Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, is adding fuel to the fire. Will Republicans pay a price for balking on the High Court? Will Trump be an albatross that sinks the rest of the GOP? We hear how his surprising success is threatening Republican Senators from Illinois and Wisconsin to Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
Antonin Scalia: His Legacy in Law and Politics The late Justice Antonin Scalia relished the use of vivid language in fiery debates about the Constitution, politics and social issues. Almost immediately after his sudden death was announced on Saturday, Republicans and Democrats got right to it. The unexpected vacancy leaves the Court divided evenly between the Left and the Right. Should it be filled by President Obama or by his successor? With nine months left in the bitter race for the White House, abortion, voting rights, affirmative action and immigration are issues that could be left hanging.
Is America on the Rise… or on the Decline? President Obama deployed his oratorical skills last night in his final State of the Union address to Congress. The speech was dramatically upbeat and scornful of Republican predictions of doom and gloom. He spoke to the unease among Democrats that's fueled the campaign of Bernie Sanders -- while the official response dramatized divisions within the GOP. The stage is set for the campaign to choose Obama's successor. President Barack Obama acknowledges applause from Cabinet members during a reception after his State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
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.