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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Are the Democrats Suffering an Identity Crisis?

    President Obama has attacked union leaders and senators of his own party in unusually personal terms. Even former House speaker Nancy Pelosi says it's harder for Democrats to love each other than it used to be. How deep is the split between centrist pragmatism and progressive ideology? How will it look to voters in next year's primary campaigns?

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    By Warren Olney • May 15, 2015 • 51m Listen

    President Obama has attacked union leaders and senators of his own party in unusually personal terms. Even former House speaker Nancy Pelosi says it's harder for Democrats to love each other than it used to be. How deep is the split between centrist pragmatism and progressive ideology? How will it look to the voters in next year's primary campaigns?

    Also, the House passes a defense bill opposed by Obama. On today's Talking Point, remembering B.B. King.

    Photo: (L-R) Maryland's Congressional representatives Donna Edwards and Congressman Chris Van Hollen may represent the split in Democratic ideology

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 1:16

      House Passes Defense Bill Opposed by Obama

      The House today passed a defense authorization bill calling for $612 billion in Pentagon spending. The President says that's the right amount, but he's still threatening a veto. Molly O'Toole reports for Atlantic Media's online publication, " Defense One ."

      Read the story
      7 min
    2. 8:02

      Are the Democrats Suffering an Identity Crisis?

      Hillary Clinton may not be facing much of a primary challenge, but that doesn't mean that Democrats aren't divided among themselves. Left-wing Progressives are beginning to sound like Tea-Party Conservatives. They don't want compromise with Republicans -- or other Democrats.

      Read the story
      33 min
    3. 41:37

      Blues Legend B.B. King Dies

      B.B. King picked cotton on the plantation where he was born, but rose to become a world-travelling ambassador for the blues. He died yesterday in Las Vegas at the age of 89. "Lucille" was B.B. King's song about one of his first guitars, and it's the name he gave all the others he played during his extraordinary career.

      Read the story
      10 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christine Detz

      Producer, 'To the Point'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Jenny Hamel

      KCRW

      NewsNationalPolitics

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 1:167 min

      House Passes Defense Bill Opposed by Obama

    2. 8:0233 min

      Are the Democrats Suffering an Identity Crisis?

    3. 41:3710 min

      Blues Legend B.B. King Dies

    Back to To the Point