To the Point

All the Presidents' Books, Redux

Even before My Life by Bill Clinton, the political action this year has been in bookstores. CNN called it a "literary arms race." There were Paul O-Neil-s biography and Richard Clarke-s memoir, Worse than Watergate, Rogue State and The Lies of George W. Bush. They were up against Bush Country, Deliver Us from Evil and The Right Man. Bob Woodward-s latest book portrayed confusion in the White House and dissention in the Cabinet, raising questions about the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq. But despite the fodder it's provided Democrats, Plan of Attack was -recommended reading- on the Bush campaign website. Warren Olney joins journalists, and former presidential speechwriters and White House staffers for a look at who buys and reads these books, and their place in history, including their possible impact on November-s election. (This segment was originally broadcast April 21 on this program.) Making News: Public Opinion on Patriotism Are you very patriotic? That's the question being asked again and again of Americans by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. It turns out that the answers change over time, and that they differ according to the political realities of the moment. Carroll Doherty, editor of the Pew Research Center, details the latest survey results and what they document about the growing partisan gap. Reporter's Notebook: 200th Anniversary of Hamilton-Burr Duel If you think modern politics is awash in negativism, consider the political duel that took place 200 years ago next week. On July 11, in Weehawken, New Jersey, descendents of the two rivals will re-enact the event, with a forensic psychologist standing in for Aaron Burr, and an IBM salesman playing Alexander Hamilton. Ron Chernow, author of Alexander Hamilton, looks at the duel that killed one of America's most notable founding fathers and resulted in his rival becoming the only Vice President to be indicted for murder in two states.