Columnist, Washington Post
Columnist and editorial writer for the Washington PostPROFILE
Ruth Marcus
Guest
FROM Ruth Marcus
To the Point
Year of the Woman Starts Off on a Catty Note Women candidates won big this week in Arkansas, Nevada, South Carolina, Maine and Iowa. California Republicans chose former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as their nominee for Governor and former Hewlett-Packard head Carly Fiorina for the US Senate. Now Fiorina's been accused of setting back the cause of women in politics with a catty remark about her opponent. In a make-up room waiting to go on TV the day after her nomination, she joked to a staff member about something a friend said about Barbara Boxer. Ruth Marcus is columnist and editorial writer for the Washington Post .
Which Way, L.A.?
Healthcare: Policy and Partisan Politics Some 40 Democrats and Republicans joined the televised healthcare summit today, with President Obama asking not where they differed but where they agreed. The President began today’s summit claiming that politics has trumped common sense. The Republicans responded that restructuring 17% of the economy is too ambitious for a single 2400-page bill. Will a rare chance for voters to see elected officials tackle the details of substantive issues make any difference on Capitol Hill or in this year’s elections?
To the Point
Healthcare: Policy and Partisan Politics Some 40 Democrats and Republicans joined the televised healthcare summit today, with President Obama asking not where they differed but where they agreed. In an exercise in political theater designed by the White House to build public support for the Democrats' massive overhaul, the President began the summit claiming that politics has trumped common sense. The Republicans pleaded their case: that restructuring 17% of the economy is too ambitious for a single 2400-page bill. Will a rare chance for voters to see elected officials tackle the details of substantive issues make any difference on Capitol Hill or in this year's elections?
Which Way, L.A.?
Prosecuting the Bush Administration for Possible War Crimes In September, the conservative Weekly Standard quoted Vice President Cheney as saying, "I think on the left wing of the Democratic Party, there are some people who believe that we really tortured." Today Bob Woodward, in the Washington Post, quotes a lifelong Republican, the Pentagon's Inspector General when Cheney was Secretary of Defense, saying that one suspect was tortured and that she assumes others were tortured as well. Susan Crawford is now in charge of deciding if Guantánamo Bay suspects should be brought to trial. Her statements are intensifying the debate on whether Bush Administration officials should be investigated and possibly brought to trial.
To the Point
The Bush Administration and Possible War Crimes In September, the conservative Weekly Standard quoted Vice President Cheney as saying, “I think on the left wing of the Democratic Party, there are some people who believe that we really tortured.” Today Bob Woodward, in the Washington Post, quotes a lifelong Republican, the Pentagon's Inspector General when Cheney was Secretary of Defense, saying that one suspect was tortured and that she assumes others were tortured as well. Susan Crawford is now in charge of deciding if Guantanamo Bay suspects should be brought to trial. Her statements are intensifying the debate on whether Bush Administration officials should be investigated and possibly brought to trial. We speak with attorneys, journalist and scholars about accountability, the rule of law and national security.
To the Point
Nancy Pelosi Wins One Battle and Loses Another San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi will be the first female House Speaker, and third in line to the President. But her Majority Leader won’t be the Pentagon stalwart who changed the debate on Iraq. Fellow Democrats rejected Pelosi's choice of John Murtha of Pennsylvania by the whopping margin of 60%. Stenny Hoyer of Maryland, Pelosi's long-time rival, was elected instead. Will House Democrats be unified on Iraq, ethics and what they call the "new direction" demanded by voters? What message will the Republicans send when they choose the new minority leaders tomorrow?
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To the Point
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.
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
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?
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?