President and Founder of the Progressive Policy Institute
President and Founder of the Progressive Policy Institute, he also helped to found the Democratic Leadership Council; Editor of With All Our Might: A Progressive Strategy for Defeating Jihadism and Defending Liberty
House of Representatives Begins Debating the Iraq Buildup Just two sentences long, it's a " non-binding resolution ," which supports US troops in Iraq, but it goes on to say, "Congress disapproves" of President Bush's deployment of more than 20,000 additional forces . Debate will go on for 36 hours. While nobody doubts the resolution will pass, one big question is how many Republicans will go along. Mantime, the President's supporters are challenging Democrats to cut off the money. Is the new majority being politically prudent or cowardly? We hear from journalists, Democratic Congressmen, experts in constitutional law, public policy and defense, including a former Pentagon official.
Terrorist Suspects and the November Election Yesterday, the House passed new rules for detaining, interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists . They are key to President Bush's national security agenda, which Republicans plan to showcase during the mid-term election campaigns. Today, Bush went to Capitol Hill, urging Senate approval of the bill . While even some Republicans say the measure might be thrown out by the courts, most Democrats are lying low to avoid being called "weak" on security. Are the Democrats sacrificing principles or are they really tougher than Republicans want to admit? Has preoccupation with the November elections made this a do-nothing Congress? What's the likely impact on voters?
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
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.
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.
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.