U.S. Presidency

Jacob Weisberg, deputy editor at The New Republic, talks about the Democratic Leadership Council. Both Bill Clinton and his running-mate Senator Al Gore are members of this group, which was founded seven years ago in an effort to bring the party closer to center. The DLC opposes what it sees "as an interest-group beholden party leadership," writes Weisberg.

Critic Maureen Corrigan compares the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and George Bush by way of two new books: "Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America," by Garry Wills, and "Bushisms: President G.H.W. Bush in his own Words," compiled by the editors of the "New Republic."

Belzer talks with Terry about the candidates for president. He's performed off-Broadway, on radio, in movies, and on television.

Journalist Richard Ben Cramer won a Pulitzer Prize for The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1979. His new book, "What it Takes: the way to the White House," explores the lives of the candidates who ran for president in 1988, and tries to discover what made them think they could lead the United States.

Thomas Blanton is the Executive Director of the National Security Archive, and a nationally recognized expert on the Iran-Contra scandal. We talk to him today in the wake of the indictment of former defense secretary Caspar Weinberger. The trial is set for November 2, one day before the presidential election, which raises the possibility that President Bush might face some embarrassment, since as Vice President he attended some of the meetings concerning arms shipments to Iran.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Paul Tsongas. He talks with Terry about the campaign process and being on the campaign trail. Also his book, "Heading Home," has just been reissued. It's about his fight with and recovery from cancer. (Vintage Books).

Author Robert Schmuhl, Professor and Director of the Program on Ethics and Media at the University of Notre Dame. His new book is "Statecraft and Stagecraft: American Political Life in the Age of Personality." (published by Notre Dame Press). He'll talk with Terry about the personalities in this year's election.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume One, 1884-1933" by Blanche Wiesen Cook (Viking press).

Duke law professor Walter Dellinger talks about the Supreme Court; big cases coming up in the next few months, Clarence Thomas' early performance on the Court; and how who wins the presidential election in November will effect the future of the court.

Charles Lewis, the founder and Executive Director of the Center For Public Integrity. That group monitors the ethics of public officials, and investigates possible conflicts-of-interest. Today, Lewis tells us what his group's found out about the current presidential candidates.

Economist Robert Heilbroner (rhymes with "runner"). He'll discuss the current recession, and our long-standing obsession with the deficit. He'll also give some suggestions about how to end the recession, and he'll tell us why sometimes a deficit isn't a bad thing.

Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett. His new book, "Trump: The Deals and the Downfall," is a fresh look at America's most famous wheeler-dealer. In his book, Barrett deflates what he calls the myth that Trump is a financial genius. (It's published by Harper-Collins).

Ronald Walters, chairman of the department of political science at Howard University. He'll discuss the influence of the black vote in the presidential election.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "JFK," the new Oliver Stone film about the Kennedy's assassination.

Gary Sick was an aide to President Carter during the Iranian hostage crisis. Now Sick charges that in 1980, the Reagan campaign made a secret deal with the Iranians to hold the release of the American hostages until after the election. In his new book "October Surprise" (published by Random House), Sick tries to reconstruct the story.

News anchor Dan Rather. As anchor of the CBS Evening News, Rather's probably the most visible journalist in America. He has a new memoir called "I Remember." (It's published by Little, Brown).

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. He's written a new memoir, called "Koop: The Memoirs if America's Family Doctor." (It's published by Random House).

Historian Robert Dallek. Dallek's new biography of President Lyndon Johnson, "Lone Star Rising," has been praised for its scholarship, and for painting a more balanced portrait of LBJ than some other recent biographies. Dallek was nominated for an American Book award for an earlier biography, "Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy." ("Lone Star Rising" is published by Oxford University Press).

Former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. Arias received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to Central America, a task he still pursues.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Open Letters," the new collection of writings by the playwright and former President of Czechoslovakia.