This Week

As the nation observes Memorial Day, military historian Andrew Bacevich says those who make a public show of saluting the military would do better by demanding accountability from the country’s foreign policy makers.
Brown University economist Mark Blyth, a leading authority on the financial meltdown, reminds us that banks are supposed to manage risk, not manage casinos.
And Bill Press interviews House Democratic whip Steny Hoyer about the stupidity of the sequester.

  • May 26, 2013 May 26, 2013 Military historian says salute troops by holding policymakers accountable. Economist says banks are not casinos. Hoyer says sequester is stupid.
  • Andrew Bacevich Andrew Bacevich Andrew Bacevich is a conservative, a retired Army Colonel and a military historian. He says we could best honor our veterans on Memorial Day by holding civilian foreign-policy makers more accountable.
  • Mark Blyth Mark Blyth Professor Mark Blyth is a professor at Brown University and author of a book attacking economic austerity. He is not so sure that Dodd-Frank will help clean up Wall Street because it is a bill too big to read and because the banking industry is at work making the gun lobby look like amateurs.
  • Steny Hoyer Steny Hoyer Bill Press and his guest, House Democratic whip Steny Hoyer, who says “Sequester starts with S, which stands for stupid.”
  • Jim Hightower Jim Hightower The High-Tech Sledgehammering of Our Middle-Class Future.

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May 19, 2013

One of the world’s leading international economists destroys Republican claims that America’s debt will cause us to become like Greece or Italy or some other economic basket case. He says it’s like saying RG3’s injured knee means he will wind up in a nursing home.

There’s no chance Barack Obama will be forgotten to history, but what factors make a president forgettable? Government professor Michael Gerhardt gives us a rundown on the most forgotten of our chief executives.

And Bill Press talks with Congresswoman Jackie Speier about sexual abuse in the U.S. military.

  • May 19, 2013 May 19, 2013 Adam Posen compares the economy to RG-3. Remember Millard Fillmore? Professor Michael Gerhardt does. Congresswoman Speier says get sex cases out of the military chain of command.
  • Adam Posen Adam Posen Adam Posen is president of the world’s leading independent economic think tank, and he says Repuiblicans are “fundamentally crazy” when they predict that the national debt will send the United States the way of Greece. Such a comparison “is beyond apples and oranges,” and he explains why.
  • Michael Gerhardt Michael Gerhardt While President Obama may be facing some issues he’d like to forget, there’s no chance he will be forgotten by history. Author Michael Gerhardt has studied and listed the most forgotten of American presidents … and explains how they got that way.
  • Jackie Speier Jackie Speier Bill Press and his guest, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who demands that military rape cases be removed from the chain of command.
  • Jim Hightower Jim Hightower Cantor's con would steal workers' overtime pay.

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May 12, 2013

Harvard Professor Ryan Enos has studied what happens when racial or ethnic groups live and work in close proximity. The results are not always positive, and that’s a potential problem for maintaining the Obama voting coalition.

Former House Democratic whip David Bonior laments the decline of social justice and the ravaging of labor unions.

And Bill Press talks with Representative Rosa DeLauro about dinner with President Obama – jobs, immigration and gun safety.

  • May 12, 2013 May 12, 2013 Professor Ryan Enos says watch out for voter backlash. David Bonior wants more focus on social justice. And Rep. Rosa DeLauro discusses dinner with the president.
  • Ryan Enos Ryan Enos There is potential trouble for the Democratic coalition that re-elected President Obama, says Harvard Professor Ryan Enos. He reports on evidence that as people from different races or ethnic groups get together, they don’t always stay together.
  • David Bonior David Bonior David Bonior was the longest serving elected party whip in the history of the House of Representatives. Now long retired, he has some suggestions on how to improve the place – including a change of heart on term limits.
  • Rosa DeLauro Rosa DeLauro Bill Press and his guest Representative Rosa DeLauro talk about a meeting between President Obama and House Democrats.
  • Jim Hightower Jim Hightower Diverting shareholder funds into "dark money" politics.

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May 5, 2013

A former Republican ambassador warns that anti-Americanism and fundamentalism is growing in the Muslim world. He also says it is not certain that the Boston bombing will actually help our relations with Russia.

Regular commentator Fred Rotondaro says despite legislative setbacks on gun safety legislation, the NRA will be revealed as a paper tiger.

And Bill Press talks with Emily’s List communications director Jess McIntosh about the drive to elect a woman president.

  • May 5th, 2013 May 5th, 2013 Former ambassador Mike Ussery on the Boston bombing and Islam, Fred Rotondaro calls the NRA a paper tiger, and Jess McIntosh on the drive to elect a woman president.
  • Mike Ussery Mike Ussery Mike Ussery was ambassador to Morocco in Republican administrations, and in the wake of the Boston bombing, he cautions about rising anti-Americanism in Muslim countries. He says things could go either way in dealing with Russia in the fight against terrorism.
  • Fred Rotondaro Fred Rotondaro Fighting the NRA may take a long time, but the gun lobby is going to be revealed as a paper tiger, says regular commentator Fred Rotondaro.
  • Jess McIntosh Jess McIntosh Bill Press and his guest Jess McIntosh of Emily’s List on the drive to elect a woman president.
  • Jim Hightower Jim Hightower The cold calculation of clothing corporations.

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